Select a wellness-related behavior you think you might like to change. Examples are smoking cigarettes, eating candy bars every night, and not wearing a safety belt.

Use your health journal to collect information about your target behavior--§what leads up to it and what follows it. By tracing this chain of events, you'll be able to identify points in the chain where you can make a change. The partial behavior chain below shows a sequence of events for a person who wants to add exercise to his daily routine--but who winds up snacking and watching TV instead. By examining the chain carefully, one can identify ways to break it at every step. After you review this sample, go through the same process for a typical chain of events involving your target behavior; use the blank behavior chain on the next page.

Sample Chain of Events		Strategies for Breaking Chain
Come home from class		You had planned an afternoon walk as part of your exercise program.
Feel tired, not like exercising		Tell yourself you'll feel better and more alert after working out.
Look for walking shoes; can't find them		Put shoes and clothes for exercise in an obvious place the night before.
Feel annoyed		Remind yourself of your program goals, and tell yourself that you can stick with it.
Go into kitchen, see food, and feel hungry		Stay out of the kitchen unless you will be fixing or eating a planned meal or snack.
Grab a soda and a bag of chips		Have a glass of water or a preprepared healthy snack.
Turn on TV and sit down		Turn on the radio instead; listen to news or music while you get ready to exercise.
Eat chips, watch TV		If you like afternoon TV, work out in the morning or exercise in front of the TV on a stationary bike or treadmill.
Feel guilty		Even if you do have occasional lapses, don't beat yourself up. Think positively about how you'll resume your program the next day.

Chain of Events		Strategies for Breaking Chain

SOURCE: Fahey, T. D., P. M. Insel, and W. T. Roth. 2003. Fit & Well: Core Concepts and Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.