The Psychology Behind Lasting Change

Unlock the secrets to effective behavior change with Deepika Rao, a certified behavior coach, fitness trainer, and nutritionist. In this enlightening episode, you'll discover the key variables that influence our ability to make positive life changes. From understanding how fear and self-efficacy shape our actions to recognizing the barriers that hold us back, Deepika breaks down complex theories into practical tips anyone can use to foster healthier habits.

These insights will help you navigate the psychological landscape of behavior change, guiding you to utilize elements like threat perception, response efficacy, and subjective norms to your advantage. Whether it's overcoming time constraints or finding the right motivators, this episode equips you with the strategies you need for lasting change. Learn how to turn theoretical concepts into actionable steps and transform your life, one habit at a time. Tune in and start your journey to a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle today!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

Hi, I'm Deepika Rao, a certified behavior coach, fitness trainer and a nutritionist. We will continue our discussion on the theories of behavior change. We all are different. We have different interests. There are different motives that drive us. The way we react, act and absorb is different. Some of us are guided from the heart, some from the head and most from a combination of both. So it only makes sense that there are different theories and methods to help us all. Fair warning this episode might come off as leaning more towards academia. I promise I don't intend to lecture. I'm just going to go through some basics so that we can start looking at practical tips that can help us all change and inculcate habits for the better.

Speaker 1: 1:02

Before exploring behavior change models, it is important to understand the variables that are essential to the better. Before exploring behavior change models, it is important to understand the variables that are essential to the models. These variables, when recognized, are the key elements that help behavior coaches like me to come up with strategies for behavior change, the first one being threat, which is a danger or a harmful event of which people may or may not be aware, for example, not being aware of the dangers of the unhealthy life one is leading We'll be surprised how many people are like that the chronic diseases you can get. Or you can be more susceptible to the next one fear, which is emotional arousal caused by perceiving a significant and personally relevant threat. The same example can be used here when it drives people to make the changes or, on the other hand, the fear can make you deny being at risk or acknowledging that a problem exists. Then you have response efficacy Perception that a recommended response will prevent the threat from happening, in this case, the awareness that by going on a walk every day, you can bring about a positive change. Then you have self-efficacy an individual's perception of, or confidence in their ability to perform a recommended response. This means you are confident that you can keep up the daily walks.

Speaker 1: 2:27

Then we have the barriers, something that would prevent an individual from carrying out a recommended response. There can be a multitude of barriers physical, cultural, environmental. Maybe you are a woman in a household where you expected to cook all the meals early in the morning, take care of your kids, house chores, etc. That is no time for a walk. Maybe you work 16 hours a day, maybe you have an injury and so on. Then we have benefits, which are positive consequences of performing recommended response. It helps if you are aware of the benefits you get from a walk Better move, blood pressure, sleep and more Better blood pressure.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Of course, then we have subjective norms, which is what an individual thinks. Other people think they should do not what they want or should do. They think others want them to do. If you want to impress your partner who's physically active and believe you should do what you think they want you to do, if you want to impress your partner who's physically active and believe you should do what you think they want you to do, Then we of course have attitudes and individual's evaluation or beliefs about a recommended response.

Speaker 1: 3:36

Good or bad. What is your actual attitude about the change? Do you pride in saying you don't waste your time in working out or prefer playing sports over daily workouts? Let's be honest, that isn't really feasible in an adult's life, unless you're an athlete Well, even athletes put hours in the gym or you flippantly talk about eating everything that comes your way without a care in the world. Then we of course have intentions, an individual's plans to carry out the recommended response. Are your intentions genuine or are proxies of your actual behavior, which probably is procrastination?

Speaker 1: 4:15

Then we have cues to action external or internal factors that help individuals make decisions about a response. That help individuals make decisions about a response, not motivation. These are cues to action. This is more important way more than your motivation. What are your positive triggers to help you make this change? A medical report or a feeling of physical discomfort? Or maybe just guilt? Finally, we have reactance when an individual reacts against a recommended response. If you feel you have been manipulated into making a change you didn't want to do, that's when reactance kicks in. Do any of the elements resonate with you With the changes you think you should make or are trying to ask someone to make?

Speaker 1: 5:02

We have five major theories and models of behavior change the social cognitive theory, theory of planned behavior, trans-theoretical model I come across this the most in my work the information motivation, behavioral skills model and behavior change wheel. And CMB model or COMB model. We are not going to delve into each of them individually, don't worry, but in the coming episodes we will understand a little bit about how our brain works to make and break habits. If you like what you hear, subscribe and follow us on Spotify, itunes and Amazon Music. A new episode will come out every first and 15th of a month. You can also follow us on Instagram on the Inspired Life Podcast. If you want to mail me to discuss some of the things we are talking here or have a story to share on this podcast, email me at theinspiredlifeindia at gmailcom. This is Deepika and I thank you for listening.