CONSISTENCY AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Recently, someone asked me whether he could backtrack a little a bit on his alcohol drinking behaviour since he feels bored during the lockdown and alcohol may help him to feel better. Behaviour change across different situations is intertwined with the consistency that someone puts into the change process.
The above example of the gentleman who has given up alcohol completely and as a result started to think more clearly, become more productive all days of the week and emotionally stable; the beneficial behaviour should be amplified.
For him to maintain the changes he must become more consistent in everything that will help to sustain the results and build them into productive habits from there onwards. Each level of preceding behaviour can be considered the foundation upon which the next one gets reinforced, or practised to cement the behaviour change process.
With consistency it is easy to turn the new behaviour into a habit faster, which means it is easier to carry out. Also, when someone regularly skips a beneficial behaviour, whatever the benefits were to be realised become slower or don’t come at all.
The multiplier effect also can remind us that, sometimes a single behaviour may bring a larger effect than others for example exercising regularly or eating healthy, therefore whichever route someone takes, and we shouldn’t be discouraged by unprecedented challenges like covid-19.
Certain behaviours contribute to general well-being and therefore helping us to tackle Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) with ease and more energy. My best advice is for him to stay on the positive side by doing all good things that enable permanent behaviour change.
By Sammy Ombisa – Fahari Wellness & Life coaching
Consistency and Behavior Change