BEHAVIOR CHANGE CONTRACT
Health Behavior Change Plan[i]
Identify ONE target behavior you would like to change.Summarize the behavior to be changed. What changes can you make now? In the near future?
When I became a yoga teacher, I lost my daily yoga and meditation practice in lieu of teaching my students. If they have 1.5 hours a day to spend with me, I can spend 30 minutes with myself in my own meditation practice again. It’s very hard to teach others without feeling hypocritical from not having a continuing and developing meditation practice. Right now, I can start making changes by leaving my phone on my dresser, which is my biggest distraction before bed! I hope to rekindle my passion for meditation when I become more present without my phone.
My behavior change will be: Ditch the phone to meditate before bed.
My long-term goal for this behavior is: Develop a routine nightly meditation practice before sleep to avoid using my phone. I’d like to end the night with mindfulness rather than distraction!
There are 3 obstacles to change (things that I am currently doing or situations that contribute to this behavior or change):
1. My partner and I like to share things online together before bed.
2. I often check my email before bed.
3. I don’t sleep at the same time every night.
The strategies I will use to overcome these obstacles are:
1. Keep the phone on the dresser rather than on the nightstand.
2. Use guided meditations when needing motivation.
3. Ask my partner to join, or at least keep it quiet. J
There are three motivating forces for changing this behavior:
1. Getting better rest from having a more relaxed mind.
2. Going to sleep earlier instead of later from looking at distracting things online.
3. Getting an extra opportunity to practice mindfulness in the day.
List groups or organizations that may help you change your behavior. Consider resources on campus (friends, Student Wellness Center, clubs, societies, etc.) and community-based resources (support groups, non-profit organizations), books/reputable website resources, etc.:
My partner as support, apps like Headspace to remind me it’s time to meditate, Deepak Chopra’s courses on meditation
1. Set realistic, specific goals and rewards for goal achievement. Some examples of Behavior Goals:
I want to sleep……… ….. 8 hours per night.
I want to exercise…… .… 3 times a week for 45 minutes.
I want to relax……………by doing breathing exercises 4 times per day.
(Break your goal into two or more“mini-goals” (e.g.,Improve my physical fitness by exercising at least three days a week for 30 minutes. Improve my emotional control by doing breathing exercises at least four times a day.)
Goal #1: Increase my mindfulness practice by meditating three nights a week for at least 15 minutes a session.
Target Date #1: October 25, 2018
Reward: I will treat myself to my favorite matcha latte at my favorite coffee shop. J
Goal #2: Increase my mindfulness practice by meditating five nights a week for at least 30 minutes a session.
Target Date #2: November 20, 2018
Reward: I will treat myself to my friend’s meditation sound bath at Aura’s World in Whittier.
Final Goal: Have developed a nightly meditation practice for at least 30 minutes a session.
Final Goal Date: December 16, 2018
Reward: I will make myself a new mala (prayer beads used for meditation) to support my continuing practice J
Assessment:ASSESS HOW WELL YOU ACCOMPLISHED YOUR GOAL
Goal Attainment Scale:Using a Goal Attainment Scale is a way to measure the progress you are making toward achieving your goal. We recommend a 4-point scale. On this scale, Level 4 represents a significant level of improvement in the behavior you are trying to change. Level 3 represents an improvement in the behavior, and Level 2 represents your present level. Finally, Level 1 represents a decline in the behavior you are trying to change; that is, your behavior change is going in the opposite direction of your goal. Below is an example for the behavior of “walking”:
Level 4 = significant improvement Walked for at least 30 minutes six days a week
Level 3 = noticeable improvement Walked 30 minutes every other day
Level 2 = present behavior Walked 2 times a week for one month
Level 1 = noticeable decline Walked 20 minutes once every ten days
On the lines below, writea description of the behavior that will serve as the standard for each level of your Goal Attainment Scale:
Level 4: Meditated six days a week for at least 30 minutes
Level 3: Meditated every other day for at least 30 minutes
Level 2: Meditated once a week for at least 15 minutes
Level 1: Meditated only once every two weeks
Devise and state a strategy or plan of action and a method for tracking (e.g., chart, graph, app) you will use to monitor your progress. Below is an example of what this may look like:
I will track my progress the following morning when I’m doing my gratitude journaling. I like the chart, so mine will be similar.
| Date | Goal Activity | Goal Attainment Score | Driving Forces | Restraining Forces | Possible Actions to overcome Restraining Forces and/or enhance Driving Forces |
| 2/13 | Walked for 30 minutes once this week. | 1 | Friend called me once to walk. | Watched TV. Played video games. | Ask friend to call me every time he exercises. Reward myself with 30 minutes of video game playing after walking for 30 minutes. |
Consider what supplies you will need, how you will modify your environment, the people who will be your support system and how you will handle challenging situations.
I will use a myriad of props to support a comfortable meditation session. I will be using a meditation bolster, a mala (prayer beads used to count breaths), and possibly guided meditations through the Headspace app or from Deepak Chopra.
My environment will be the dedicated yoga room, which I will shift the environment for night time. I hope my partner will be my support system, and will join in with me (which he usually does anyway!)
My biggest challenge will be myself, as I tend to make excuses as to why I don’t have enough time to meditate. I will be kind to myself no matter what I choose to do that day, meditate or not, and see how I do. I hope to keep myself motivated by the sheer enjoyment of just sitting and being for thirty minutes.
Incentives:Reward yourself appropriately for your accomplishments along the way to your goal. At the beginning of your program, if appropriate, reward yourself after every successful action. Then, when the target behavior becomes better established, reward yourself less frequently. Have in mind rewards that you could give yourself after completing your short-term goal activities, as well as your long-term behavior change. Rewards can be anything from savoring feelings of satisfaction, to spending time with friends, to a new music CD, etc.
Making Adjustments: Review your Tracking Chart (or other method) after you are into your program for two weeks. Are you being successful? Do you need to reconsider the barriers and motivators, and the action steps? Is it necessary for you to restate your goal statement for your target behavior? Making adjustments is part of the process. Keep in mind, that persistence is very important to successful behavior change. Chart your progress in a journal and at the end of ONE MONTH; describe how successful you were in following your behavior change plan. If you weren’tas successful as you’d like, what barriers might have influenced this? Be specific.(Note: Students do need to submit actual journals with Health Behavior Change project.)
Make a Commitment by Signing a Personal Behavior Change Contract:
I, (student) Jennifer Smith, agree to (behavior) develop a nightly meditation practice.
I will begin on (start date) September 27, 2018and plan to reach my goal of (final goal) meditating every night for 30 minutesby (final date) December 16.
By signing this contract, I have made a commitment to changing my behavior and I have had (witness) Christopher Garciato witness my contract.
Your signature: Jennifer Smith Date: ____9/26/18___________
Witness signature: Christopher Garcia Date: ___9/26/18____________
[i]Adapted from Monroe College’s HED-130 Foundations of Health and Wellness course, & Kansas State University
