Source No 1 and Source No 2 are based on our personal motivation and ability. When it comes to dealing with our behaviour, skills need to be learned and should be worked on side by side. Personal Motivation generates when your desire connects with your goals in your crucial moments thus increasing the chances of success, whereas personal ability involves changing the persistent and challenging habits with the help of learning new skills.
Source No 3 and Source No 4 both are based on our social life where we get influenced by the people we are surrounded by. These people work two ways in our lives by both motivating as well as enabling our habits. For example you are a smoker and your wife wants you to quit. She will have a greater influence on your mind and chances are high that you will quit. Another example would be that you are a diabetic patient and your non-diabetic partner provokes you to have a glass of Coke. You take that glass of coke and here you sugar levels rises. You became victim of your partner’s negative influence that has affected your health. Well not only humans but also our environment enable and provokes us to go for both good and evil. Take an example of a fridge that has a death by chocolate cake in it or a huge bill board showing a big Mac burger or a video game right next to your study table. When we talk about social motivation it involves the tactic of converting your partner in crime into your friend who works as a support system to you. Research has showed that doing so will increase the chances by two third regarding reaching your desired goal. Social ability asks for help, information and support from others. A better way to deal with this is to get an instructor, and chances will rise up that you will be able to make appropriate changes.
Source number 5 and 6 results from the combination of all the four sources discussed earlier. Structural motivation results from directly connecting the rewards and punishments to new habits we are working on, the chances rises high that you will stay on track. When we talk about structural habit a little change in your surrounding can have an astonishing result on your choices. For example putting a diabetes scoreboard on your room wall will keep encouraging you to focus on your goal.
Strategies recommended for each and every source are as follows:
• Source 1- Personal motivation asks for identifying the harmful, unpleasant and not agreed upon facets of the change. It should find ways to either eliminate them or look for the ways by which it could be made more agreeable. Both the diabetologist and the patient need to create a link between the need for change and their core values. Always be clear about the mission and the actual purpose.
• Source 2- Often patients are not properly equipped with proper knowledge, skills or the strength they need in order to face the challenge. In this situation the diabetologist works as a guide to the patient and helps him equip with all the important skills, knowledge and the strength he needs in order to manage the disease. When in change process, the diabetologist helps in designing the process to help support the patient for any emotional, interpersonal or communication obstacle that could possibly hinder the change process. Artificial environment could also help the diabetologist as well as the patient know if he has assumed to the required new behaviour. This is how the diabetologist helps the patient develop required personal ability.
• Source 3- We human are social animals and thus our society influences us immensely. At this stage the patient needs to check whether the new behaviour he has adopted is supported by people around him. Check whether you are receiving proper support from you social circle (Family and friends) to help you manage your diabetes. Ask yourself, if my new behaviour has influenced people in my surroundings. The need here is to be part of that group that understands your concerns and thus helps you in every possible way. A family can support the diabetic family member by not offering fizzy drink or by not keeping desserts in refrigerator rather more of salads, fruits and vegetable should be made part of grocery items. A family can also help him (Diabetic patient) enjoy the meal by having the same meal for themselves as well. Other way round the patient’s behaviour can influence them by following the same eating routine resulting in loosing weight and getting used to healthy life style, making it a lifelong habit.
• Source 4- Social ability asks for whether you have someone around you to help in critical times. In the life of a diabetic patient the crucial moment could be when he gets
attacked by hypoglycemia. Are people around him properly equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to handle him when attacked by hypoglycemia or do they know what measures they should take during this time or Do they know the nearest available diabetologist in case of emergencies or do they have any contact number of their diabetologist who could possibly help them guide during this upsetting situation?
Possible obstacles should be well defined and thus the social circle should have proper information, knowledge, skills and resources to handle the critical situation. In short the loved ones of a diabetic patient should be able to handle the situation amicably.
• Source 5- Whenever in a phase to adopt new behaviour, a very important point not to be missed here is to reward your own self every time a job is done well and other way round penalize yourself for not behaving appropriately. This way you will indulge yourself to acquire reward by repeating the same behaviour again and again which after a while will become your habit. A habit for a life time. As a reward you can serve yourself with your favorite fruit and vice versa for not behaving appropriately.
• Source 6- Finally when it comes to structural ability, the most important question is whether there are enough cues and reminders to help remain focused. To answer this question, the best idea would be to make appropriate changes in your environment. For example if your office is close to cafeteria get it shift to somewhere far away or if as a general practice you have a chocolate bowl in your office for your clients get it replaced by a sugar free candies. In home for a diabetic patient the most tempting place is refrigerator which is often filled with loads of favorite unhealthy food which could possibly be replaced by healthy ones like salads, fruits and white meat (fish and chicken). In short the structural ability asks for possibly convert the unhealthy practices in your environment into a healthy one.