The different dimensions of working with behaviour change. Exploring internal and external influences

‘Giving up smoking is easy. I’ve done it 100s of times’  Mark Twain

Most people who have given up smoking will probably be familiar with this well-known quote. We all will have made behaviour changes. Some are so effortless we may not even be aware we have made them. Others can fill us with dread. New Year’s resolutions we know will probably be ‘thrown out of the window’ by February.

People who work with behaviour change often use models to help them work in a more appropriate and time efficient manner.  One of the most commonly known behaviour change models is the ‘stages of change’ by Prochaska and DiClemente. Within this model people usually transition through six stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, possible relapse/ lapse) before they finally reach a more stable setting known as ‘maintenance’. This transition can happen at different rates and depend on many various external and internal factors. Continue reading “The different dimensions of working with behaviour change. Exploring internal and external influences”