Adopting healthy habits requires certain skills of behavior change, says Josh Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in the UAB School of Public Health. As detailed in his new book Living SMART: Five Essential Skills to Change Your Health Habits Forever, (DiaMedica, New York) these can be represented
by the acronym SMART:
Set specific and reachable goals. "The more specific a goal, the more likely you are to achieve it," Dr. Klapow says. "And it should be achievable so that you can succeed."
Monitor your behavior. Research shows that if you write down your actions, such as everything you eat, you're more likely to do the positive behaviors and less likely to do the detrimental ones.
Arrange your world for success. "Making small changes in your environment can increase the odds that you'll be successful," Dr. Klapow says. For example, pack your gym clothes for the next morning before going to sleep, and rid your house of junk food.
Recruit support. Dr. Klapow says that while social support is important, you need to let others know what you need. More times than not, he says, people are happy to give encouragement.
Treat yourself. To reinforce change, give yourself small rewards often. For example, if you stick with your diet for a week, treat yourself to a movie, or even a small dessert.
For more tips from Dr. Klapow, including Web videos, visit uabhealth.org/tv/living.