Health-Related Behaviour Change
What is Health-Related Behaviour Change?
This topic is all about making improvements to our lives through changing behaviours that have an influence on our health and well-being. The most prominent health-related behaviours that both science and health care tend to focus on include the ‘big four’:
- stopping smoking
- reducing alcohol consumption
- eating a healthy diet
- being physically active
These behaviours certainly have a big influence on our overall health status, and it is worth noting that they are all factors that are amenable to change. This is especially valuable given the range of other influences over our health which we have much less control over, such as our genetics, the food stocked in our shops, and structure of the green spaces that are local to us.
However, within these ‘big four’ health-related behaviours, there are many other more intricate behaviours that are worth focusing on. These can include how much time we spend planning our meals, how much priority we give to self-care and what foods we place on our regular shopping list. This is important to think about before trying to make a behaviour change plan because the more specific and relevant the target behaviour is, the more likely change is to be successful.
So for example, rather than thinking of a broad goal, such as, ‘this year I’m planning to lose some weight’, it might be more effective to hone in on a smaller, but more relevant, action, for example, changing the way you shop for food, agreeing to cook differently with your partner twice a week, or asking a supportive friend to meet up with you weekly after you’ve made a smoking cessation attempt.
It is worth really thinking about what would make the biggest difference given your life context, and what your best next step is towards change. Health-related behaviour change can also include actions that might seem more indirectly related to health outcomes, like working on improving sleep quality, stress management or the quality of our relationships with others. Again, individualisation is key here and, in order to know where to start, it is helpful to map out what factors are influencing your health the most at this moment in time.
How to Succeed with Behaviour Change
Whatever health-related behaviour is your target for change, you are more likely to succeed if you are aware of the drivers that underpin that behaviour (i.e. the reasons an unwanted behaviour exists or persists in your life, or the reasons a wanted behaviour doesn’t yet exist or persist in your life).
The ‘COM-B model’, is based on hundreds of behavioural theories that have identified the factors that predict human behaviour, and behavioural change, and can be used as a framework to help you connect with some of these underpinning behavioural drivers.1 In this model the ‘C’ stands for Capability, the ‘O’ for Opportunity, and the ‘M’ for Motivation. So, if you’re unclear about how to change a health-related behaviour, or you require more physical skills to be able to carry it out, then you will need to focus on increasing your Capability for change. Whereas if you don’t currently have the social support or the chance to engage in your target behaviour then it’s Opportunity you would benefit from concentrating on. And if you feel like habits or mood are preventing you from making the change that you want to make, then it’s Motivation you could be working on.
Support from health professionals might be useful to identify routes to meaningful and sustained health-related behaviour change, including psychologists, counsellors, nutritionists, exercise specialists, physiotherapists, or others. There are also increasing numbers of evidence-based self-management resources available to support changes to many different health-related behaviours.2
Behaviour Change Over the Holidays
As the festive period comes along, people can find themselves reflecting more than usual on their health behaviours, and come January, it’s common to be thinking about changes we might want to make during the year ahead. Given recent understanding from the behavioural sciences, I would caution anyone considering making a broad health-related goal, or a goal that is not being driven by deep personal motivation. If the change you have in mind feels like a societal expectation, or a ‘should’ from a family member or work setting, then pause and reflect on what this change would bring to your life that you want. Is the behaviour you’re considering changing a strategy to help cope with a challenging job, an unhealthy relationship, or to help manage exhaustion? Ask yourself instead, what needs to change in order for me to tackle the problems underlying this unwanted behaviour? And, if your goal is to achieve better health or quality of life, for example, then it can be useful to ask yourself, ‘why…what would I do with that increase in energy, confidence or fitness?’ If the answer to these questions deeply aligns with what’s most important to you (e.g. being more present with my family, being a supportive partner, living adventurously, with curiosity, or authenticity) then you could be on to a winner because health-related behaviour change goals that align with our core values are much more likely to stick.
So what next?
If you want to speak with us about behaviour change, please make an appointment with Dr Anna Chisholm (HCPC Registered Health Psychologist).
If you would like more information regarding the range of services that we have available at the WRC, please get in touch with us now:
Call us on: 0161 676 0341
Email us at: info@wellbeing-rehab.co.uk
Links for Further Information
Specialist providers of clinical and wellbeing services designed to meet your individual health needs.