Pathways15: Can Making Change Be as Easy as ABC?

Debbie Hindle, University of Tasmania

An easy way for creating wellbeing habits that stick. Most of us find making positive changes in our lives to be harder than it looks. It might be exercising more, being more organised, less stressed, taking up yoga or some other activities to look after our wellbeing. We can often start off with lots of enthusiasm and hopes, and then despite our best intentions our efforts gradually dwindle and then peter out. Not only can it be frustrating when we fail but we can fall into the trap of thinking that it’s all our fault. We’re just not good at making changes “we don’t have the willpower, time or energy that it takes”. But what if it’s nothing to do with our shortcomings or how busy we are, but it’s the way we’re designing our changes?

Is there an easier and more effective way to design change?

The Behaviour Design approach by BJ Fogg (from Stanford University) gives an evidence-based and simple process to make change easy. Tiny habits can help us be more successful and feel good along the way.

This workshop will give you an opportunity to:

• Hear how to avoid the three most common mistakes made with creating personal change.
• Understand some simple science behind the actions we take
• Recognise how starting tiny by creating Tiny Habits builds the success that leads to bigger change
• Use the ABC recipe a for creating new habits

Creating habits that we’re likely to do even on our hardest days “the days when we feel at our most busiest, unmotivated and imperfect“ can help us be more successful in applying the health and wellbeing strategies we need to care for ourselves and others.

Bio

Debbie Hindle has had a variety of roles in the tertiary disability sector through the University of Tasmania including NDCO and Disability Advisor. She currently coordinates a specialist peer mentor program for students on the Autism spectrum and an ADCET Project Officer. Debbie holds a Masters of Positive Psychology from the University of Melbourne and is part of the dynamic production team for one of the world’s leading workplace wellbeing practitioners. This combination gives Debbie a valuable edge in bringing the latest from the science of wellbeing to grow wellbeing and resilience in ourselves and the students we support.