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Making Real Change Is Hard

HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

HealthyPlace Mental Health Newsletter

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

Making real change can be difficult and take time, but it can be life changing. If you want to change, learn how to make real change in your life.

How Do You Make Real Changes in Your Life?

Speak to people who have made real changes in their lives and they'll tell you how difficult it was but how much happier they feel as a result of those changes. Research reveals that long-lasting change is most likely when it’s self-motivated and rooted in positive thinking. But still, why does it have to take so long?

That's because change is a process and not an event. It doesn't happen instantly. Let's take a look at the 5 stages of change:

  1. Precontemplation: You have no conscious intention of making a change at this point, but you have an awareness of the issue involved. To get past this stage, you have to realize that the unhealthy behavior is negatively affecting your personal goals.
  2. Contemplation: You realize the behavior is a problem in your life and you're thinking about taking action to deal with it. At this point, you haven't made any commitment to change. Making a list of the pros and cons of changing your behavior can move you onto the next step.
  3. Preparation: You now know that change is important to you and you begin to prepare yourself and put together a plan to make that change.
  4. Making Real Change Is HardAction: You've made the change and you've begun to experience challenges without reverting back to the old behavior. You're employing positive coping skills to deal with those challenges. To make that change stick, it's important to be clear about your motivation for changing (Write it down, if necessary. Engage in self-talk, get support.)
  5. Maintenance: Once the new behavior is part of your routine for six months, you need to maintain it. You work to prevent relapse and to integrate the change into who you are. That may require other changes, especially avoiding situations or triggers associated with the old habit. It can be tough, especially if it means steering clear of certain activities or friends while you work to fully assimilate your new, healthier habit.

The most difficult part of making real change in your life is getting discouraged along the way. As you embark on your journey, keep things in perspective. Real change doesn't happen in a linear fashion. There may be bumps along the way. Keep your goal in mind and remember: The fact that you are even trying is progress. Think about how far you've come from stage 1.

Related Articles Dealing with Real Change

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: How difficult has it been to make real changes in your life? We invite you to participate by commenting and sharing your feelings, experiences and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

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Share our Stories

At the top and bottom of all our stories, you'll find social share buttons for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and other social sites. If you find a particular story, video, psychological test or other HealthyPlace feature helpful, there's a good chance others in need will too. Please share.

We also get many inquiries about our linking policy. If you have a website or blog, you can link to any page on the HealthyPlace website without asking us beforehand.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

  1. Living with Anxiety: Emotional Health
  2. Chocolate for Depression
  3. To Reduce Anxiety, Accept Yourself and Your Anxiety

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

We want to welcome two new bloggers to HealthyPlace. Samantha U’Ren is the new author of "Mental Health for the Digital Generation," a blog directed at older teens and young adults. Chrisa Hickey is co-authoring the "Mental Illness in the Family" blog with Randye Kaye. Drop by, check them out and say hello. On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Stand Up for Mental Health

Thousands Have Joined the Stand Up for Mental Health Campaign

But we still need you. Let others know there's no shame in having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trichotillomania, OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia or any other mental illness.

Join the Stand Up for Mental Health campaign. Put a button on your website or blog (buttons for family members, parents, mental health professionals and organizations too). We also have covers for Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

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Latest Mental Health News

These stories and more are featured on our mental health news page:

  • Integrating Mental Health Services In Pediatric Practices Feasible, Effective, Pitt Finds
  • Thousands Of Young People At Risk Of 'Slipping Through The Net' Due To Adults' Lack Of Mental Health Awareness
  • Doctors Should Be Part Of Societal War Against Cyberbullying
  • Vitamin D Supplements 'Do Not Reduce Depression'
  • Seizure Risk Increased Before And After Psychiatric Hospitalization
  • Deficit Schizophrenia Patients Show Reduced FA In The Left Uncinate Fasciculus
  • Estrogen Influences Bone Metabolism In Men
  • Improvement In Mental Health Literacy Among General Public
  • Reasons For Substance Use Vary Among Mental Health Patients
  • An Under-Recognized Issue That May Be On The Rise: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook, stumbleupon, or digg) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week:

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index

APA Reference
Staff, H. (2014, March 26). Making Real Change Is Hard, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, April 24 from https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-health-newsletter/making-real-change-is-hard

Last Updated: October 30, 2017
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Medically reviewed by Harry Croft, MD

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