January 02, 2023
Expert Tips: Additional Resources for The Build-a-Habit Guide
By the Therapy Notebooks Team
Making sustainable, lasting changes in our lives can be rewarding, motivating, and exciting; but it also can be difficult and emotionally fraught. We might feel shame for putting off what we “should” be doing—exercising, becoming a “morning person,” cutting out caffeine. We might feel disempowered for having tried to make change, and not following through.
We collaborated with therapists to develop resources that draw from motivational interviewing—an effective tool to provide clarity and empowerment—to support your habit formation journey.
Resource 1: Taking Stock
What it is:
A weeklong guide to pay attention to what clinicians consider to be fundamental to your health and wellbeing. This will help you identify where you might want to form a new habit.
How to Use:
Fill in the day of the week or the appropriate dates, and track different aspects of your general wellbeing for a week. We recommend printing out this resource for best effect.
Resource 2: Understanding Motivation and Shame
What it is:
An exercise for you to identify the barriers that you might be facing as you are considering making a change. In doing so, it normalizes the indecision or reluctance you may be feeling, and gives you an opportunity to truly assess whether this is a change you’d like to commit to.
How to Use:
List out the change you are trying to make. Then, go through the prompts in the exercise—list out the pros and cons of making the change; and the pros and cons of not making the change. Reflect on your answers to arrive at more clarity for your decision.
Questions?
Our experts are here to help. Submit your questions to askanexpert@therapynotebooks.com and we’ll do our best to answer them.
This article is not therapy or a replacement for therapy with a licensed professional. It is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, seek the services of a competent professional.
