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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Kathi Whitten, LCSW
Making Changes
No. VA Psychotherapy Associates
. http://www.kathiwhitten.com/

Making Changes

It's a new year again when we're inspired to work on making positive changes in our lives. What strategies are most likely to lead to success?

It helps to remember that we spend much of our time on “auto-pilot” every day. Many activities are so habitual, we never question our own routines. We fail to notice how we're inattentive to our own behaviors, so it's easy to slip back into old habits even when we don't want to.

Generally, old patterns have to be re-worked for change to occur. We must find ways to side-step familiar habits in order to create new ones.

It's important to be clear about your exact goal, and the motivation for that goal. Putting it in writing, and enlisting the support of other people will help you stay on track.

Focus on small, specific, manageable steps rather than simply aiming for a distant larger goal. Trying to take on too much at once is one of the most frequent reasons people give up on habit change.

What about cravings for the old behaviors? Whether it's the familiar urge to light up a cigarette, or giving in to an eating binge, it's necessary to get through those moments (and they're often frequent at first) when the conditioned mind pulls strongly for the old, less healthy but more comfortable habits.

It's important to notice what's happening when these urges arise, and pay attention to what you're telling yourself about them. Our own self-talk is a big culprit in keeping us tied to unwanted behaviors. We can challenge old defeating self-messages, and create new, positive ones. We can develop coping skills for getting through cravings such as self-distraction, focusing on breathing, pre-planned substitute activities, etc.

A powerful tool for changing old habits is to visualize yourself calmly behaving in the new, healthy way. Identifying “triggers” for the old behavior and planning alternative activities in advance is also helpful. It's essential to realize that nothing changes overnight. Some relapses into old behaviors are normal not a sign that you've failed. Use those times to revise your strategies and be aware that you've had a chance to compare the old behavior to the new.

Hold your goals in mind, keep things in perspective, and stay positive about the process even when it's hard. Strive for attainable lifestyle changes and remember you have choices every step of the way.

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