Prochaskas Stages of Changes - Essay Example

Introduction: The nature of human beings is that they prefer changes always. They welcome such changes which can develop their lifestyle and wellbeing to a considerable level. Usually in human life two types of changes takes place. They are chosen changes and imposed changes. Imposed changes are frustrating ones comparing to chosen changes. Imposed changes are against the desire and taste of an individual. Hence there may be irritation in welcoming such changes into the life style of certain persons. Their current life style is not capable to accommodate the imposed changes in any way. If any imposed changes are accepted into one’s lifestyle, there may be uneasiness for some days in experiencing such changes. After that this uneasiness will be minimized and the imposed changes will unknowingly become part of the lifestyle. In both types, no major changes can be accommodated in the habits of any individual. Prochaska and his colleagues have conducted researches regarding the lifestyle changes and proposed six stages of changes. They are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. Precontemplation: This is considered as the first stage of change. Precontemplation is the nature of human beings which prefer to avoid the imposed changes. Hence people who are experiencing imposed changes can be categorized under precontemplation changes. These are the phases which create changes in the lifestyle of human beings. These changes over evaluate living expenses and under evaluate advantages. Individuals dislike action with these changes and hence there won’t be any motivation with respect to the same. The interventions for accommodating these changes will naturally increase the confidence and belief of individuals who are reluctant towards imposed changes. The confidence gained from intervention will make them think that the changes are within their control. Contemplation: - Since chosen changes are the largely welcoming changes, then they can be categorized under Contemplation. Before employing this stage properly people must make a self assessment about the problem and bad habits which one has been experiencing. Then a rational decision can be utilized for the proper implementation of contemplation stage. If the contemplation processing is done in this way, the stage can be made highly beneficial. When people decides to make changes in their behavior and habits such as loosing weight, quitting smoking, preventing overspending of money, then they can make sure that certain problems will arise in their lifestyle which they have to face and cope up properly. This is the actual phase of contemplation. If problems are faced with suitable solutions, the people have to stay in the contemplation phase for some time. They may sometimes go back into precontemplation phase to avoid their addicted habits like smoking or liquor consumption. Drunkards and smokers are fully aware that to maintain good health they have to give up these habits for ever. But, on account of uncertainties regarding contemplation stage they doubt whether they can fulfill these decisions properly. This situation may persuade him to go back into the precontemplation stage to avoid smoking and drinking habits. Preparation: The stage preparation is different from contemplation. While developing ideas there arise solutions to develop changes. During the preparation phase a long term planning which is practicable is to be considered predominantly. In this plan there must be technicalities to reveal how harmful old habits can be avoided successfully. There must also be certain tips to show how these technicalities can be employed properly. In the preparation stage people must provide more considerations for changes in the life. Anxiety is the killer element at this preparation stage. By employing small steps the anxiety can be counterchecked perfectly. People can arrange a specific time for doing commitments in a very suitable and reliable way. It is better to make a master plan for the utilization of the time allotted to perform commitments. Another way to make the process more vigorous is to tell other individuals about the master plan and its application. People must learn to utilize the time properly in the preparation stage because the aim to create a change in people’s lifestyle is a long term process. The peculiarity of the preparation stage is that it focuses on the future of individuals in all respects. It also analyzes reliable solutions for future benefits while accommodating changes in the lifestyle of people. Hence this is different from contemplation. The existence of a problem is given more importance in this stage and the plans designing sort such problem must be highly realistic. The expecting change will not take place instantly. It will take considerable time to achieve the result as per the planning. Since this is a gradual transformation the time frame requires to fulfill the desired result is nearly one year. Hence people have patience to practice the solutions mentioned in the planning. It needs tremendous effort which consumes time. Action: Once a plan is prepared to boost changes, then the next step is action. Action can never equalize the change with respect to the planning. If anybody is in action, it provides the implication that he has been processing to accommodate changes in life. It doesn’t mean that the change is over. Action is one of the steps in total changes. By concentrating on action stage one can change his behavior and nature of life style. People utilize time and energy at this action stage for bringing changes in their life. The result of the whole process to bring changes in life mainly depends up on the performance in the action stage. Hence this is a very busy stage as far as the individuals who have been trying to bring positive changes both in behavior and lifestyle. People can reward themselves at this stage by persuading their colleagues to stop bad habits like smoking, drinking, gambling etc. Maintenance: After action the next change is maintenance. This is the hardest step in the process of change. These are the steps to follow for achieving a very difficult result. Minimum six months duration is essential for practicing these steps. Sometimes these steps are to be practiced for a long duration in view to accommodate the desired change. While practicing these steps try to be natural as far as possible. Overconfidence and stresses in life will not support the implementation of these steps. The person who is trying to loose weight is the suitable example for this change. For loosing weight such person has to control diet properly. He must avoid fatty foods as well as liquors. Smoking which is harmful to health must be avoided completely. Moreover he must find time to perform regular exercises which is considered as a key factor in the body weight control process. Certain people prefer walking rather than doing exercises. Hence they must find convenient time for walking both in the evening and morning. In this way they have to struggle hard at least for six months for achieving the desired result. If interested, people can extend this stage till the end of their life. At this stage people can evaluate the advantages that they could achieve from all previous stages. If any modification is required that also can be implemented to achieve the desired result. Termination: In this stage people replace their unhealthy habits with healthy ones and hence this stage is considered as an integral part of daily life. The people who have reached at this stage would have tackled all previously mentioned stages with firm determination. But almost all individuals who have reached the final stage would have attempted their level best effort to reach the termination stage more than once in advance. This may be due to relapses which might have happened in their life. Relapses can be defined as the tendency to slant towards old habits. People who often relapse are in a mood of frustration and disappointment in their life. As per the researches and analysis conducted by Prochaska and his colleagues only countable number of individuals can reach this stage after overcoming the relapses. Hence the relapse is considered as the unofficial sixth stage among the Prochaska’s six stages of changes in human life. For overcoming relapses individuals have to perform more than one attempt to attain the required result. They need to allocate more time, energy and money especially during the final stage to overcome the lapses. Since there are too many complications in the termination stage the clients must be well prepared to face the same in all respects. They can employ minor decisions in such stages which will help them ideally. Sometimes minor decisions may help them to conquer big goals. People must always be vigilant against distress. Distress is the element which precipitates relapse in the termination stages. Hence people must never allow the distress to enter in to their life in any way. If one can reach up to the final stage called termination then he can confidently proceed with the healthy behaviors which he has newly incorporated in his life style. This will definitely increase the rate of success in his life. For example the person who had spent lavishly before would never practice that habit if he could reach the final stage of the stages of changes. While performing each stage they must have intuition in mind that the whole efforts are for their own well beings. This feeling in mind will help them to reap success through out in their life. Critical analysis: The changes in lifestyle proposed by Prochaska are not a narrow one. Like all other popular life style changes Prochaska’s stages of changes also have faced too much criticism. In 2002 Julia Little and colleagues published a review of 87 studies regarding the stages of changes in life. They have not supplied any evidence with respect to the concept that there are consistent stages of changes across a range of situations, problem behaviors and population. There is also no confirmative proof that the changes can be observed in stages of life. Moreover no reliable studies would have made regarding the six stages mentioned earlier. But it is sure that if people have lapses at one stage, they will definitely try their best to avoid such lapses in the next stages. Prochaska considered the criticism on his theory and revealed that there was total confusion in evaluating the stages of changes and he has been subjecting the changes for further studies. Later Adams and White found out some certain basic reasons as to why the stages of changes are not applicable to multiple behaviors. This type of complex nature often exhibit by social service clients. The identification of stages of changes depends mainly on the self assessment of clients. This is more reliable than standardized measures. Nobody can recognize the stage of change on which each individual currently exists. A parenting skill reveals that the change occurs only in one area but not in the other area. Thus the conclusion that the client is not in action is mainly based on the global assessment of changes in the entire life style. This method of conclusion is more reliable than considering different levels of changes which are in a complex state of frame works. Certain studies regarding the stages of changes revealed that the method of self reporting of statement can place people in different stages. Sometimes people may get placed in multiple stages as per the above procedures. Prochaska’s theory is not the only one model which explains how people change their behaviors. In 2004 Conner and his colleagues proposed four other models including the health action process approach, the precaution adoption process model, goal achievement theory and the model of action phases. All these theories are more or less similar to Prochaska’s theory. Conclusion: Prochaska’s theory enabled people to think about their behavior, nature and mannerism which they practice in their daily life. This theory also advice them to make a self assessment about them selves by which they can find out their faults in their life. If they try t correct these faults then they can transform in to people who can lead perfect life. References Kate Alrsen, The six stages of change, retrieved from , http://www.katelarsen.com/ezines/sixstages-change.pdf Prochaska’s stages of change, Retrieved from, http://barrieranalysis.fhi.net/what_is/prochaskas_diagram.htm Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change Model, Retrieved from, http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change.html Stages of Change Model - Prochaska et al's Changing for Good, Retrieved from, http://www.timlebon.com/stagesofchangemodelprochaska.html Jerry lopper(2006), James Prochaska: Changing for Good 6 stages to stop smoking, lose weight, get out of debt, or alter your lifestyle with intention. Retrieved from, http://www.suite101.com/content/successful-lifestyle-changes-a4803 Web MD, six steps that can you change your life, Retrieved from, http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/six-steps-that-can-change-your-life Alio 34(2005) stages of change, Retrieved from, http://uoftmeds.wetpaint.com/page/Reading+6+-+Prochaska's+Stages+of+Change Stages of change model, Retrieved from, http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/11/1/Stages-of-Change-Model/Page1.html Kavit, A, Incorporating Prochaska's Stages of Change in Personal Well Being , Retrieved from, http://ezinearticles.com/?Incorporating-Prochaskas-Stages-of-Change-in-Personal-Well-Being&id=2981051 Read More