How often do you think about the foods you choose to eat or the ways you choose to spend your free time? If you're like most people, the answer is "not very often." For most of us, health behaviors are based on habit rather than on logical choices. For example, when you're hungry for a snack, you know that an apple is a healthy choice. But habit can make you reach for a bag of chips. The same thing is true for exercise. You know that too much time spent in front of a screen is not healthy, but it may seem much easier to play another computer game rather than to take a brisk walk.
So, what does it take to change your behavior related to health? Click on the tabs below to learn more about the external and internal reasons that people make changes.
Incentive
Initiative
Making a change requires motivation. Suppose your parents tell you that they'll plan a fabulous family vacation IF everyone in the family maintains a regular workout routine for the next six months, working out a minimum of four days a week. Before this offer, you may have thought about getting in shape. However, you couldn't muster the will or the energy to leave the couch or the video games behind until you were offered an incentive like this one. This is external motivation; it comes from outside you.
Let's say your family uses seat belts inconsistently when they are in the car. You know that wearing seat belts can save lives in the event of an accident, and you worry about your family. You decide to take the initiative to put on your seat belt every time you get in the car, and you remind your family to do likewise. That's internal motivation; it comes from inside you.
In this lesson, you'll discover the skills that can help you make healthy changes in your own life, such as kicking bad habits and adopting healthy ones.
Question
Which do you think is more important for changing a habit--incentive or initiative?
