By Veronica Villa, Student Mentee
- Do you want to see your clients improve in their journey?
- Do you struggle to know what to say when they blame their lack of change on themselves?
- What strategies do you suggest they use to make change easier?
BJ Fogg, PhD, founder of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab, tested different methods that helped people successfully make behavior changes through practical, applied, hands-on experience. He compiled his research into the best-selling book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything.
Tiny Habits provides many methods to help clients make behavior changes. One of BJ Fogg’s fundamental statements is his second maxim, “Help people feel successful.” This is essential when working on lifestyle changes. One method he finds helps clients is developing a set of skills he calls “behavior crafting.” Behavior crafting guides your clients to implement behaviors that lead to achieving their goals and feeling successful.
One “behavior craft” you can encourage your clients to use is to redesign their environment. It’s easy for us as health professionals to underestimate the impact of environmental change. However, research shows that changing their environment increases their chances of success, especially as it relates to changing their eating habits and making more healthful choices.
Helping clients develop a behavior crafting skillset is the foundation of the LifeSteps® program, including changing their environment.
The individualized small group program provides many options for how to successfully change their environment. This allows the client to find the best design for them. LifeSteps® helps clients identify their current habits with the “Where Are You Now?” self-reflection questions. After pinpointing their own unique environmental challenges, LifeSteps® provides a variety of suggestions per problem area, so clients can find success in a manner that fits their lifestyle. For instance, in Step 9: Managing Lapses – Dealing with Your Environment, one of the strategies is “make food visibility and availability work for you.” Some participants might put fruit on the counter while others might put foods they don’t want to eat in the back of the cabinet.
To see another example of how LifeSteps® encourages participants to “behavior craft” click here
Help your clients on their journey of small steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Sign up for the LifeSteps® Leader Training today! Contact tracy@lifestepsweight.com for more information.