If you're having trouble achieving weight loss or fitness goals, the issue might be with your strategy. Setting unrealistic goals can discourage rather than motivate, especially if your goals are based on numbers you see on the scale. To get back...
When a person quits smoking, behaviors change on two levels. The first involves behavior changes that occur as the result of nicotine withdrawal. The second involves behavior changes implemented to prevent a "fall off the wagon." Behavior changes...
Behavioral changes are important signs of emergent depression and full-blown depression. About 20.9 million American adults have a mood disorder such as depression. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depression...
People who adhere to a healthy lifestyle often want to spread the gospel of healthy living to their friends, family and co-workers. While some people are inspired by the radiance and vibrancy exhibited by those in good health, others are...
Goal setting is one of the most important tools of performance psychology, because you cannot achieve a goal until you have set one, and you cannot raise motivation to achieve improperly formulated goals. Properly formulated goals will motivate...
Weight gain usually occurs when you lead a sedentary lifestyle, ingest too many calories or engage in a combination of both. The desire to lose weight requires self-discipline and behavioral changes to achieve permanent results. By making simple...
Aggressive behavior is learned, not innate. Like any learned behavior, managing or discontinuing the behavior is possible. The three types of aggression are physical, verbal and indirect. In children, physical aggression can include hitting,...
Punishment is a form of operant conditioning, a psychological concept defined by B.F. Skinner and refined by later researchers to explain the process of learning. Under the theory of operant conditioning, punishment works in conjunction with...
As the parent of a 4-year-old, you are likely aware that your child's interests, opinions and mood can change from one hour to the next -- sometimes, it seems, from one minute to the next. However, if you notice a sudden, drastic and lasting...
For many individuals, losing weight is a never-ending battle. They go on a diet, lose weight, go off the diet, return to their normal eating routine and gain the weight back. The reason for this yo-yo cycle is because the person has not...
It is not easy to change your behavior. People learn quickly how to act to get what they want, and once they find what works, they resist doing anything different. However, in spite of the challenges, improving your behavior is possible. By...
Changing smoking behavior can be a challenging task. If you've been smoking for many years, the behavior is firmly ingrained in your mind as a part of your daily routine. According to a study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology by...
Dieters who struggle to lose weight often feel helpless or victimized when they fail to find success. This frustration can make it easy to ignore the fact that you may be at least partially responsible for your failure to lose weight. The first...
A child learns how to behave based on his observations of the world around him. If he has acquired a habit of being disruptive or disobedient as a means of getting his way, this behavior can be a source of extreme frustration. You might be tempted...
Before you gave birth, you may have decided how long you would breastfeed your baby. Life hands out little surprises, such as serious illness or your child deciding it is time to stop nursing. Or you are the one who has to decide the nursing has...
Challenging behaviors exist in children at various stages in their lives. Learning how to deal with the difficult behaviors takes practice and patience on the part of the parents. A child's behavior often takes time to change, especially if the...
Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or improve your health, making behavioral changes in eating provides the key to your success. Altering attitudes that you have held for a lifetime challenges anyone, especially if those attitudes...
Exercise is a vital component of your health and should be performed on a daily basis in order to keep your body in optimal shape. However, many people have negative thought patterns about exercise that results in a sedentary and unhealthy...
Some children exhibit aggressive or violent behavior in school. Whether the aggression constitutes an isolated incident or represents an ongoing issue, educators must have strategies in place to intervene and ensure all children feel safe in the...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Facts of 2009, "Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million have a serious illness caused by smoking."...
Dr. Leslie Packer writes that one part of information essential to understanding behavior consists of determining what occurred before an event, the nature of the actual behavior and what came after the behavior. In other words, this makes up the...
Motivational interviewing is a style of counseling developed by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick in the 1980s to influence change in people with alcohol addiction. Today it is used to treat a wide range of behavior changes, including dietary...
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a psychological therapy that is often used as a tool for psychological coaching and personal development. It is also used to address lifestyle issues that may involve behavior change for individuals, such as...
Initiating behavioral change to achieve a healthier lifestyle can be difficult. A simple tool for increasing your motivation is to create a goal list. Clearly defined and achievable goals help you maintain focus and can enable lifestyle changes...
It's a scenario repeated by dieters every day: one whiff of a a co-worker's hamburger at lunch can make you question whether losing weight is really worth the effort. Some dieters can resist such mouth-watering temptations while others give in,...
By looking for support to help you stop smoking, you have demonstrated your willingness to make a significant behavior change. You should be commended for taking the first step in improving your health. Quitting smoking takes perseverance and...
Diet and exercise diaries, journals or logs can help you reach your health and fitness goals. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute notes that maintaining diet and exercise diaries, also known as self-monitoring, can be a positive tool to...
Health behavior modification activities are important for long-term health and well-being. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, or AAFP, health behavior change and lifestyle modifications are particularly helpful for disease...
Correct, consistent use of any family planning method boosts its effectiveness. Yet proper use depends on behavioral changes that many people can find complicated and difficult. Luckily well-established communication tools can inform and inspire...
