1. Behavioral Change and Taking Action! Wellness…how do we get there?

2. Here are a few points… Practicing wellness can affect you positively today and into the future Making responsible decisions and setting realistic goals are important skills to master

3. Decision Making Each day you make decisions. Will you eat breakfast? Will you walk or get a ride? Will you have a candy bar on the break or an apple? Over time, these decisions can impact your health in a major way!

4. Are you happy? How would you like to feel right now and years from now? An action plan is a step-by-step approach to identifying and reaching your goals. By making an action plan for wellness, you shape your life and personal success.

5. Here are a few tips for making an action plan work for you… 1.Set goals = S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) 2.Decide on a plan 3.Identify small, achievable steps 4.Take Action 5.Stick with it! 6.Get Support 7.Check your progress (realize how far you have come) 8.Reward yourself!

6. Stages of changing behavior Research shows that for a given behavior (ex. Quitting smoking, changing diet etc…) only 20% of us are honestly intending to take action with 30 days. This is the preparation stage of behavior change, we are actively preparing to take action. Roughly 40% of people who need to make the change are thinking about doing it in the next 6 months – this is the contemplation stage.

7. Stages continued… Many others are still weighing the benefits of making a change and are just not currently ready; this is known as the precontemplation stage. WHAT STAGE DO YOU FIT IN WHEN TRYING TO REACH A GOAL?

8. So Why Do People Fail At Resolutions? To increase the odds of success, ask yourself if you are ready to commit to making positive changes within the month. If the answer is YES then go for it! If NO, not yet… then you may want to rethink the resolution and find something you are ready to act upon NOW. -Failure leaves us with feelings of guilt and discouragement. Bur once we decide on a goal, the steps (1-8) mentioned on the previous slide are a perfect way to achieving your goal! NOW, LETS GET TO WORK!