Many individuals and programs only address the superficial barrier(s) (I am honestly not completely sure what to call it) when it comes to behavior change. While it is great to address the socially known barriers that can lead to serious consequences if change(s) are not made, many programs fail because the fail to address the underlying barrier(s) that are often unique to the individual.
For example, when it comes to making behavior change(s) related to diet and consuming more healthful foods, the go-to answer is always, “make better food choices, such as….”. While these pieces of advice can be great, they are not always helpful. Advice like this is informative but does not give people the tools that they need to really be successful. Generally, individuals who lack cooking skills are less likely to consume a healthful diet and consume recommended daily amounts of each food group. The underlying barrier(s) in this example could be that the client does not know how to cook or does not know how to cook healthful foods in a way that tastes good to them. Setting someone up to take food preparation and cooking classes could be a great way to help them overcome their underlying barrier and successfully reach their goals.
Another example is one surrounding weight-loss. While the advice of, “start exercising”, or “incorporate X into your physical activity routine” can be great, it again, is not always helpful. It is not a secret that physical activity promotes weight-loss and general well-being. Most people are well aware of the benefits of exercise, but many people are unsure how to get started, how to exercise safely, or how to find the motivation to get started or keep going (all three of these could be a client’s underlying barrier to getting moving).
The desire to “get healthy” is obvious. The flourishing wellness and diet industry prove it. The issue with the diet industry and many of the people who work within it, is that they set people up for failure. The get healthy quick schemes lack the exploration and personalization that is needed to successfully help people reach their wellness goals. The cover up of unhelpful tips and tricks and undirected instructions makes it nearly impossible for people to figure out what is really holding them back and what could really help push them forward.
I am always talking about health and wellness and feel that I should throw in an alternate example or two…
In a scenario surrounding finances… Someone who uncontrollably spends their money and finds themselves hurting for cash come bill time is typically told that they need to budget their money and save enough for their bills. While this is valid and true advice, it is not at all helpful to someone who lacks self-control, budgeting skills, and accountability. Setting this person up with a professional who can help them address their behaviors related to self-control and accountability would be a great option. Helping this person learn how to budget and track their spending or helping them get help in the area would be a great way to help them address their underlying barrier(s) to becoming smarter with money.
A person who lives their life in chaos and under a lot of stress is usually told that they need to calm down and cut some of their commitments loose. While the advice to cut out some of their activities and commitments could be helpful, it may not be for everyone and it may not be realistic for most. I don’t know about you, but if I were to cut out some of my commitments, I would have an unfed child and unruly, a messy house, and no food in the fridge. Most people can not just simply stop doing what they are doing, and they know that they need more control and better ways to manage, but they don’t know how. Helping this person learn about time management and stress management would be a more efficient use of time.
Barriers are hard enough to address (some more than others), but it really doesn’t help when we spend our time addressing the wrong barriers. So many people and programs are quick to dole out advice and opinions, but they often don’t go as far as offering up any real guidance or aid.
People must believe that they can make change, and most importantly they must believe in themselves to make change. Theories and models that include self-efficacy and vicarious experience constructs are great, but can sometimes be hard to use because there seems to be so little long-term and sustainable success in today’s world, due to quick fixes that are based on the addressing of the wrong barriers, and the lack personalization in program planning.
Intuitive Health & Living 