Stages of Change

Change is about mixing it up and doing something different or becoming someone different from the past. Sometimes change is forced upon a person, where other times a person may willingly change something. When one thinks about change, here are some general questions that come to mind: What did I do in the past when I made a change? What is it that I want to do differently? What kind of person will I become? etc. Depending on the type of change, different emotional responses may occur such as happiness, anger, fear, and even doubt.  The goal of this blog is to discuss change, locus of control, and then the stages of change to help anyone identify where he or she may be in the cycle of change.

First off, change can be internal or external.  Internal change is a change that one make's within oneself.  For example, "I am going to start waking up an hour early to work out in the morning."  Whereas, external change is change that is forced upon a person who has little-to-no control over the change.  For example, "My work establishment has changed my hours from 9-5 to 7:30-3:30."  Often times people cope better with internal change since they are intrinsically motivated, where as external change can cause concerns and resistance to change.

Secondly, everyone has a locus of control based on their personality and upbringing.  Locus of control can be defined as whether or not individuals believe that they can control events in their lives.  A person with an internal locus of control believes that they control their own destiny and are in charge of their fate.  A person with an external locus of control believes that others (people, environmental factors, etc.) control their destiny and that life is often left up to chance.  It is important for people to identify what type of locus of control they have because that will help them identify how they will approach change and if they might need more support to make changes than others.  Sometimes, people may identify that something is wrong, but they are not interested in change which is an important piece of awareness.

As a counselor, I like to view change in stages because it gives people the opportunity to make small steps to larger goals and allows for setbacks/slip-ups to occur with the gentle kindness to keep pursuing change.

• Pre-contemplation: Problematic behaviors may not be harmful in this stage, Individual may be in denial of problem, Not really interested in change, Thinking about change
• Contemplation: Problematic behaviors continue, Ambivalence occurs about a potential change, Individual can recognize motives for change, Thinking about change 
• Preparation: Minor adjustments in problematic behaviors may be viewed based on internal or external change, Individual decides to make a change and struggles with how to make change, Determination and planning take place
• Action: Action is taken to address problematic behaviors, Individual may avoid triggers, seek support, or find other ways to cope
• Maintenance: Changes made in action stage are maintained, Individual still faces challenges
• Relapse: Most individuals after making a change return to the problematic behaviors, Individual slips and has self-doubt of change

The stages of change could be viewed in a cycle, where after the relapse occurs, the individual faces pre-contemplation again.  It may take several cycles with the same problematic behavior in order to permanently end the problematic behavior.

So if you are looking to make a change in your life, first consider what type of change it is, then consider your personality traits and your locus of control, and then cater the cycle's of change to your specific need.  If you feel that you are still struggling, then I encourage you to reach out for support from family, friends, or a certified counselor.

Brought to you by Thrive Counseling Center LLC in Metairie, LA at www.thrivecounselingcenterllc.com.