Understanding and changing your behaviour

You can use the COM-B model to understand and change your own behaviours.

The following questions can help you think about things that might be stopping you from doing a certain, important activity.

Once you have an idea of the four key parts involved in the COM-B model, you'll be able to see how you might apply them to some of your behaviours.

You'll also be able to think about how you might find solutions to any problem behaviours.

Some examples of behaviours people want to change are:

• Saving more money
• Stopping working extra hours at the weekend
• Cutting down on gambling
• Dropping kids off at school on time
• Recycling more
• Improving health

We've designed these questions to help you see if anything's stopping you from doing an important activity or behaviour. This may be:

• Doing more of something you're already doing, such as spending time with your children
• Doing less of something you're already doing, such as spending money
• Trying out something new, such as taking on a new hobby

You might want to grab a pen and paper and note down your answers to the questions below.

We ask you to do this as writing something down is your first step to a commitment to your behaviour change journey.

It can act as a prompt or a reminder, or something you can add to a goal-setting sheet or an activity diary.

Questions to help you understand and change your behaviour

Section 1: What needs changing?

1. What is the behaviour or activity that you want to change?

Section 2: Capability

1. Do you know how to start to change this behaviour or activity? (For example, do you know how to recycle correctly?)
2. If not, where could you find out more about this? For more information see Set goals and plans.
3. Are you physically able to change this behaviour or activity? If not, why not? (For example, are you physically able to take your children to school?)
4. If not, is there anyone or anything that could help you? See Set goals and plans and Get support to help you change your behaviour.
5. Do you know how to change this behaviour or activity and keep it up over time? (For example, do you know how to make a realistic, long-term savings plan?)
6. If not, what could help you to do this? See Set goals and plans, Keep track of your progress and Keeping up the good work.
7. Do you know why it's important to change this behaviour or activity? If yes, why is it important?
8. If not, how could you find out more about this? See Set goals and plans.

Section 3: Opportunity

1. Do you have everything you need to change this behaviour or activity, such as time, money or anything else? (For example, do you have a car or other transport to get your children to school?)
2. If not, is there any way you could get these things? See Plan for potential problems.
3. Do you have support from people around you to change this behaviour or activity? (For example, are family members helping with chores so you can play with your children?)
4. If not, how could you get better support from these people? See Get support to help you change your behaviour.
5. Do people around you think that this behaviour or activity is normal or good, or do they already do it? (For example, is making a savings plan a normal thing that other people you know do?)
6. If not, could you find other people who already do these things and speak with them? See Get support to help you change your behaviour.

Section 4: Motivation

1. Do you want to change this behaviour or activity? (For example, do you want to stop working during the weekend?)
2. If not, what could you do to boost your motivation to change? See Set goals and plans.
3. Could you make this behaviour or activity part of your routine? (For example, is putting the bins out something that's part of your routine?)
4. If not, how could you build it into your daily or weekly routine? See Keeping up the good work.

What's next

Now you've answered these questions, look at our behaviour change resources. Here you'll learn how to change your behaviours and make those changes last.