1. Meeting Your Personal Wellness Goals
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2. Objectives Following this seminar, you will be better able to
Understand the nature of change
Identify primary barriers to making healthy lifestyle changes
Utilize tools that have proved useful to others
Our goal today is that, after this webinar, you will be better able to evaluate your current situation and create a plan for effectively managing your career.

3. Self-assessment What behavior do I want to change?
Why do I want to change that behavior?
What’s stopping me from changing that behavior?

4. What is change? Noun: A transformation; a substitution or exchange
Verb: to make something different; to become different
Change is
Challenging
Time-consuming
Gradual
Satisfying
Possible

5. What is a habit? 1
A recurrent pattern of behavior acquired through frequent repetition
An established inclination or tendency of mind or character
A usual way of doing something
An addiction, especially to a narcotic drug
A short-cut, an energy saver
A form of auto-pilot

6. What is a habit? 2 A habit can be good A habit can be bad
Brushing your teeth, getting dressed, tying shoes, exercising, getting to work, cooking, typing, etc.
A habit can be bad
Smoking, drinking too much, eating too much, etc.
Habits are ingrained due to strong neural pathways in our brains caused by our repeated behavior

7. Why is change challenging?
Old behaviors = comfortable (going down a familiar, well-trodden path)
New behaviors = uncomfortable (going through an unfamiliar jungle) and scary
Fear of the unknown
Fear of lack of control
Fear of failure

8. Our brains and our ability to change
Habits set down pathways in our brains
Once we take even one step onto a pathway, it’s hard to stop (habits are subconscious/unconscious)
A trigger or cue is something that sets us off on one of these pathways

9. Exercise: What are my triggers?
What triggers and cues cause me the most difficulty?

10. Signs of resistance to change
Defensiveness
Making excuses
Disorganization
Self-sabotage
Procrastination
Irritation
Frustration
Frequent complaining
Forgetfulness

11. Signs of readiness to change
Determination
Optimism
Reasonable goal(s)
Strong support system
Plans for how to reward success
Plans for how to avoid triggers
Willingness to ask for help
Willingness to aim for success, not perfection

12. Exercise: Resistance and readiness
What are signs that I am resistant to change?
What are signs that I am ready to change?

13. Beginning to change Set down a new pathway in the brain
Repeat a new behavior over and over
It may take 21 to 30 days
It can be done
With a new pathway, new behavior becomes second nature

14. Small changes + time = big changes
Set a specific goal
Make your goal specific, measurable, and reachable
Anticipate and develop solutions for potential barriers
Try to change only one habit at a time!
Enlist friends as a support system
Utilize existing support groups, e.g., AA, Weight Watchers
Remember: change is a process, not an event

15. Exercise: Setting a goal
What is my goal?
What are the steps I will take to achieve that goal?

16. Staying on track Keep a record of your progress
Picture new paths forming in your brain
Ask friends for support
On bad days, try to tough it out and/or think positively
Set up positive triggers/cues (e.g., attending a smoking-cessation seminar)
Reward yourself!
Avoid negative triggers/cues
Talk about your goal to other people

17. Exercise: Staying on track
Who can I enlist as a partner or source of support?
How can I deal with or avoid negative triggers and cues?
What positive triggers and cues can I use, e.g., spending time with others who want to quit smoking?
How will I reward myself for making a change?

18. Self-efficacy
As you achieve your goals, you will develop/enhance your self-efficacy
Practice with a small goal to get a sense that you can accomplish things
As you achieve self-efficacy, making bigger changes feels more possible—and is more possible

19. Preparing to change
What things have I accomplished in the past that demonstrate that I can change/accomplish goals?
Make a commitment to change

20. If you fall off track, get back on
Feel bad, accept it, move on
Recommit yourself
Avoid negative thinking
Don’t trigger other bad habits!
Treat yourself as kindly as you’d treat a friend or a child
Try a 30-second reboot

21. Summary Change is possible
As you change your habits, your brain changes too, setting new, healthier pathways
Perfection is not possible; progress is
You can do it

22. Talk to a Faculty & Staff Assistance Program counselor or visit the website for help with personal of professional concerns.
Free.
Confidential.
Available 24/7.
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password: eap
Life Made Easier

23. Discrimination is Against the Law
 Humana Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Humana”) comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Humana does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
Humana provides:
Free auxiliary aids and services, such as qualified sign language interpreters, video remote interpretation, and written information in other formats to people with disabilities when such auxiliary aids and services are necessary to ensure an equal opportunity to participate.
Free language services to people whose primary language is not English when those services are necessary to provide meaningful access, such as translated documents or oral interpretation.
If you need these services, call or send an to or if you use a TTY, call 711.
If you believe that Humana failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with:
Discrimination Grievances
P.O. Box 14618
Lexington, KY
If you need help filing a grievance, call or if you use a TTY, call 711.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at or by mail or phone at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C
1-800–368–1019, (TDD)
Complaint forms are available at   
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