Behavior Change Personal Reflection

Overview

Making connections between what you read and your own experience is a powerful way to learn. For this assignment, you will be asked to reflect and write about your own personal experience as it relates to the information in the lesson.

Directions

Describe a personal health-enhancing behavior. 

Based on the readings, answer the following questions:

• Why did you start?
• Why do you maintain the behavior?
• What factors associated with good health behaviors apply in your particular situation? 

Describe a personal health-compromising behavior that you currently engage in or previously engaged in.

• What were (are) the barriers to modifying the behavior? 
• Use one of the behavior-change models discussed in the text (either the health belief model [HBM] or the theory of planned behavior) to describe why you have or have not changed the health-compromising behavior. For example, if you are using the HBM, indicate your beliefs related to threat and the ability of the behavior to reduce threat.
• If you have stopped engaging in the health-compromising behavior, describe how you did it and relate your experience to a cognitive-behavioral approach discussed in your text. Explain why you think the approach worked for you. If you have not stopped the behavior, describe the approach you think would work best for you and why.
• If you have changed such a behavior, did you experience a relapse? Explain your response. What factors do you think led to the relapse? If you have not changed the behavior, what factors do you think would lead you to relapse?
• Apply the transtheoretical model of behavior change to your situation. What stage are you in? Explain your response.
• With what venue was your behavior change associated? What were the advantages and disadvantages of the venue? If you have not changed your behavior, which venue do you think would be the most effective? Why?

Formatting

For your assignment, please follow the following formatting guidelines: 3 to 5 pages; 1.5-spaced or double-spaced; Arial font, size 12 pt.; and 1" margins. Do not copy the questions into your reflection; write it as one comprehensive, flowing essay. Also, please be sure to reference the text and/or outside research to support your personal reflection.