tiny changes, big differences
TRANSCRIPT
Tiny changes,
BIG Differences
Simple daily strategies to improve health.
Cristin Stokes and Neal Andrews
MUS Wellness
“If you made a New Year’s Resolution or MUS Wellness Goal for 2016, how would you describe your success thus far?”
Very successful
Somewhat successful
Unsuccessful
I did not make any Resolutions this year
January was a long time ago and I don’t remember.
Poll Question!
…is how we live our lives.”
We can break down how we live by a series of behaviors and habits.
Intentionally, or unintentionally, these small behaviors and tiny habits accumulate to form who we are, including our health, accomplishments, and life outcomes.
“How we live our days…
One mistake we often make is setting outcome goals without making appropriate behavior changes.
I can set a goal to lose 10 pounds, but if I don’t change certain behaviors that lead to weight loss, I will most likely fail. I can’t “think” the 10 pounds away.
We must identify behaviors that we can either modify or create that help lead to the desired outcome.
Outcome goals are what we want. Behavior goals are how we achieve outcomes.
Focus on setting, and following, behavior goals.
Behaviors and Outcomes
Outcome goal: Lose 10 pounds
Behavior changes to achieve goal:
Drink water instead of sugar-containing drinks
Eat breakfast
Bring your lunch to work instead of going out
Take the stairs instead of the elevator
Go for a walk around campus on your breaks
Get 150 minutes of exercise per week
Focus on what to do instead of what NOT to do!
Behaviors and Outcomes
1. Select Precise Behaviors
2. Make Behaviors Easy to do
3. Tie Behaviors to an anchor or trigger
BJ Fogg
Fogg Method of Behavior Change
Anchors are behaviors that are already happening.
Examples: Brushing teeth can be an anchor
Reading the morning newspaper might be an anchor
Getting out of bed may be an anchor
Logging onto your computer
Pouring the morning coffee
Parking the car at work
Walking the dog
Assignment: Write down 3 or 4 anchor behaviors in your daily routine.
Anchors, Habits, and Triggers
Once you list anchors, you can begin to attach desirable behaviors to them.
Brushing teeth & flossing
Reading paper and eating breakfast
Eating breakfast and taking a supplement (i.e. vitamin or fish oil)
Pouring morning coffee and cleaning
Parking the car and taking deep breath (relaxation)
Anchors, Habits, and Triggers
Triggers elicit responses. Triggers tell us, “do something now!”
Behaviors only happen with a trigger Examples: A cellphone ring is a trigger.
Walking through the kitchen may be a trigger (to eat). TV commercials are intended to be triggers. Calendar reminders/alerts on our computers or phones. Pop-ups Senses
Smells Donut River
Visual
Shiny Things
Anchors, Habits, and Triggers
Ebbs & Flows
Capitalize on high motivation moments & days
Low motivation
Make it easy. Start Small.
Motivation
Avoid an “all-or-nothing” mentality.
Small changes create inertia, and lead to better outcomes.
Example: Flossing. Instead of flossing all your teeth, just floss one. Brushing is an anchor, and we attach the desired “tiny” habit.
“When I brush my teeth, I will floss one tooth.”
“When I pour my morning coffee, I will wipe the counter.”
Start Small
BJ Fogg, 3 Tiny Habits
Getting in shape
If you workout zero days a week, don’t set a goal to workout 6 days a week
Start with 2 or 3 days. Goals have to be realistic and manageable
Improving diet
A complete diet overhaul is overwhelming and impractical
More practical:
Include a fruit with breakfast
Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread
Practical Examples
Handling stress “When boot-up my computer, I will take 3 deep breaths.”
“When I get into bed, I will turn my cellphone off (or to silent).”
“When the clock tower chimes, I will do 2 stretches.”
Have a designated meditative minute (find appropriate anchor)
Financial “When I receive change, I will put it in a Piggy Bank for the
entertainment fund.”
“When I receive my paycheck, I will put $25 into my savings account.”
“When I receive my tax refund each year, I will designate X% to…
Practical Examples
Behavioral Architecture
Water bottle on desk
Fruits & vegetables washed & visible
Smaller plates for portion control
Workout clothes laid out for the morning
Make it Easy
Part of making things easy is setting ourselves up for success. Remove any barrier to your desired behavior.
Example: the Sunday food prep ritual.
Example: the night before the morning run/walk.
Example of a Fail: the guitar.
Example of success: my Journal
Remove Obstacles
Write down your goals. “It’s not a goal unless you write it down.”
Share your goals.
Track your behaviors! Online Incentive Program (Limeade)
Smartphone apps
Journal or logbook
Measure outcomes
periodically
Write it! Track it!
It’s a law of physics, and it applies to us!
Objects in motion tend to stay in motion/objects at rest tend to stay at rest.
Start small, and gradually build momentum.
Celebrate victories!
Do a dance.
Say, “I’m awesome.”
Inertia and Momentum
Rewarding yourself reinforces habits.
Don’t reward yourself with something counterproductive to your outcome goals
Example: I worked out today so I can have a bowl of ice-cream. (But maybe one spoonful if you are disciplined?)
“Know Thyself”
Inertia and Momentum
Lose the “All-or-Nothing” attitude!
This is about learning new behaviors one step at a time.
If you slip up or have a bad day, just get back on track the next day (or meal).
Or, if you don’t have a great breakfast, it doesn’t mean the rest of the day is lost.
Consistency over time is what matters.
“How we live our days is how we live our lives.”
Don’t beat yourself up!
The Water Fountain Story
Create three new behavior goals for yourself. Choose your specific desired behaviors
Keep it simple, make it easy, remove obstacles.
Attach desired new behaviors to existing anchor Establish a trigger if necessary Pick a span of time to commit to this new behavior Celebrate your victories! Remove a trigger for an unwanted behavior
Visit www.tinyhabits.com to interact with BJ Fogg’sbehavior model. It’s free, and only lasts a week!
Homework
BJ Fogg Behavior Model and 3 Tiny Habits
www.bjfogg.com
The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition, John Berardi and Ryan Andrews
References
muswell.limeade.com
www.montanamovesandmeals.com
@montanameals @montanamoves
www.wellness.mus.edu
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