Infographic – Changing behaviour: a personal, gradual, non-linear process

Quitting smoking or drinking, starting to exercise, spending less time on your cell phone, eating more fruit and vegetables… there are many goals we can set ourselves. Despite the desire to change and the means we put in place to achieve it, we sometimes fail to reach our goals and postpone them off year after year. But why and how do people change?

Based on their knowledge of the fundamental processes involved in change, psychologists Prochaska and Di Clemente have formulated a transtheoretical model of behaviour change in certain addictive behaviours: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance.

This behavioural process can be summed up as follows: to change their habits, individuals go through several stages, from becoming aware of them, to taking action, and then maintaining these habits over time. This process varies from one person to another, and is unique to each individual. The key is to take things one step at a time: every step forward is a victory, and relapses are a normal, sometimes even necessary, as part of the process. Helping people to change their behaviour therefore requires personalised support and guidance to identify how far they have progressed in the process and to provide them with specific support adapted to their progress. This method is scientifically recognised and has proved its worth in helping people to quit smoking.