1.

Consciousness Raising and Identifying Behaviors

Identify two behaviors you would like to change. These may
include behaviors such as smoking, physical activity, stress,
nutrition, and weight control.
Behavior #1: Reduce stress caused by work related problems
and family obligations.
Behavior #2: Reduce the amount of smoking, especially when I
do not feel the need for it.
2. Social Liberation and Advocacy Groups
List groups or organizations that may help you change your
behavior.
Behavior #1: Stress
Advocacy Groups: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net,
http://www.nami.org
Behavior #2: Smoking
Advocacy Groups: http://www.lung.org/,
http://www.legacyforhealth.org/
3. Self-Analysis and Benefits of Change
Question yourself on the problem behavior, express your feelings
about it, become aware that there is a problem, analyze your
values, and the list advantages and disadvantages of the
behavior.
Behavior #1: Stress
Advantages: None.
Disadvantages:Causes a variety of physical and psychological
problems.
Behavior #2: Smoking
Advantages: Relieves stress, helps me cope with stress during

my everyday life.
Disadvantages: Causes a variety of health problems such as lung
cancer.
4. Commitment
Sign a behavioral change contract.
Start Date: July 8
Completion Date: August 4
Your signature: _________Ali Yassine____
Witness Signature: __Ali Khalil (Best Friend)__________
5. Behavior Analysis
Prepare logs of circumstances that trigger or prevent a given
behavior and look for patterns that prompt the behavior or cause
you to relapse.
Behavior #1:
When does the behavior occur? Stress occurs when I have a lot
of responsibilities to take of, it occurs very often especially when
I think about my fathers health.
Where does the behavior occur?
It occurs when I have to
admit my father to the hospital, or when I am constantly running
around between work and school.
What are you doing when the behavior occurs?I am either
working or studying or taking care of my father.
Who are you with when the behavior occurs? mostly my father
sometimes other family members.
What are you feeling when the behavior occurs?I feel down and
stressed.
Behavior #2: When does the behavior occur? Almost everyday.
Where does the behavior occur?mostly at home.

What are you doing when the behavior occurs? Usually taking a
break.
Who are you with when the behavior occurs? myself.
What are you feeling when the behavior occurs? hoping to feel
less stress.
6. Goal Setting
Behavior #1: Stress management, reduce stress levels.
Goal #1: Try to maintain a positive attitude.
Goal #1 Date: 7/14
Goal #2: Try to think positively about my father.
Goal #2 Date: 7/21
Goal #3: Try to keep myself consumed with activities that will
help me relax.
Goal #3 Date: 7/28
Final Goal: achieve low stress levels.
Final Goal Date: 8/4
Behavior #2:
Goal #1: smoke 25% less than usual
Goal #1 Date: 7/14
Goal #2: Smoke 50% less than usual
Goal #2 Date: 7/21
Goal #3: smoke 75% less than usual
Goal #3 Date: 7/28

Final Goal: be able to stop smoking.

Final Goal Date: 8/4
7. Self-ReevaluationAfter several weeks determine
accomplishments and evaluate progress, rewrite goals and
objectives, list pros and cons, weigh sacrifices, visualize
continued change, think before you act, learn from mistakes, and
prepare new action plans. Look at the goals set in the last step.
Change any goals or dates that may need adjustment.
Behavior #1:
Goal #1: Try to maintain a positive attitude.
Goal #1 Date: 7/14
I am trying to maintain a positive attitude, however sometimes I
just cant control the pressure and my stress level increases
again and my attitude worsens.
Goal #2: Try to think positively about my father.
Goal #2 Date: 7/21
I am thinking positively about my father, It is really helping to
hope that he will pull out of this mess.
Goal #3: Try to keep myself consumed with activities that will
help me relax.
Goal #3 Date: 7/28
I resumed my working out schedule; I recently purchased a
mountain bike and have been riding it. It is also helping me with
stress.
Final Goal: achieve low stress levels.
Final Goal Date: 8/4
The working out part and the bike trail riding really helped me
reduce my stress levels, I felt that giving such time for myself
and excluding myself from the factors that are causing my stress
really is helping. However at times I still become too pressured
and I feel like I didnt achieve much. Those times are temporary
and usually dont last.
Behavior #2:

Goal #1: smoke 25% less than usual

Goal #1 Date: 7/14
The exercising and bike riding have helped me feel good about
myself. As a result I did cut my smoking habits I would say by
25% to be safe. The time I took to do those activities could have
resulted in smoking if I didnt implement them in my schedule.
Goal #2: Smoke 50% less than usual
Goal #2 Date: 7/21
I realized the 25% a week was a great idea however it very
unrealistic and unlikely. I believe I have decreased my smoking
by 25% thats a first.
Goal #3: smoke 75% less than usual
Goal #3 Date: 7/28
I pushed myself and further decreased my smoking habit. I dont
believe it was by much I would say at this point I have reached
about 30%.
Final Goal: be able to stop smoking.
Final Goal Date: 8/4
I stopped smoking during the daytime, I stopped taking work and
school breaks in order to smoke. However the days that I do not
have work I have been smoking and of course smoking in the
evening is still my biggest target to overcome.
8. CounteringExamine the behaviors or environmental triggers
you identified in step 5. Seek out alternatives.
Behavior #1: Reduce stress levels
Trigger #1: I become stressed when employees do not do their
job correctly.
Alternate Behavior #1: Try to keep a positive attitude and
acknowledge that getting stressed will not solve the problem any
faster.
Trigger #2: being always on the run in order to complete my
work duties on time increases my stress levels.
Alternate Behavior #2: Try to start my day ealier and sleep
earlier; I think organizing my time further could help with this
issue.

Trigger #3: My fathers health issues bother me when I look and

sit with him. This stresses me out severly.
Alternate Behavior #3: try to maintain hope that he will be off
dialysis an the kidney transplant will go well. Keeping in mind
that he might be able to tell that I get stressed because of his
situation which also inflicts further stress on him.
Behavior #2: Reduce smoking habit.
Trigger #1: Being stressed makes me want to run and take a
cigarette break.
Alternate Behavior #1: try to use the above mentioned steps to
reduce stress.
Trigger #2: Having free time.
Alternate Behavior #2: Exercise and bike ride as the results show
that they are keeping me consumed.
Trigger #3: wanting to smoke before sleep.
Alternate Behavior #3: realize that smoking may be the cause of
why I sometimes have a hard time sleeping at night.
9. MonitoringUse exercise logs, keep journals, conduct nutrient
analyses, etc. to monitor your behaviors. Tools to help are
available in the menu at the left.
10. Helping RelationshipsAssociate with people who have and
want to overcome the same problem, form or join self-help
groups, join community programs specifically designed to deal
with your problems.
Behavior #1:
Group or person that may help you change your behavior:My
friend, Ali k.
Group or person that may help you change your behavior: My
brother, Hassan.
Behavior #2:
Group or person that may help you change your behavior: My
dad.
Group or person that may help you change your behavior: My
brother, Sam.

11. RewardsPeople tend to repeat behaviors that are rewarded

and disregard those that are not rewarded or are punished.
Rewarding yourself is a powerful tool during the process of
behavior change. Set rewards for each goal you reach.
Behavior #1: Stress management, reduce stress levels.
Goal #1: Try to maintain a positive attitude.
Reward #1: Experience a better mood and clearer mind.
Goal #2: Try to think positively about my father.
Reward #2: spend more time with my father.
Goal #3: Try to keep myself consumed with activities that will
help me relax.
Reward #3: feeling relaxed and without stress will make me feel
good and not depressed.
Final Goal: achieve low stress levels.
Final Reward: live a healthier life, love life instead of dreading it.
Behavior #2: Reduce the smoking level.
Goal #1: smoke 25% less than usual
Reward #1: Buy a bike for trail riding.
Goal #2: smoke 50% less than usual
Reward #2: Go shopping for new gadgets.
Goal #3: smoke 75% less than usual
Reward #3: buy a gym membership at lifetime fitness.
Final Goal: be able to stop smoking.
Final Reward: become healthier, lose inches off my abs and
increase stamina.
LOG
Week 1
7-08-14 Went to the work. Finished early and I went to the
gym for 1.5 hours. I did bis and tris felt really good afterwards.
7-9-14 after work, I went to the gym and did back, plus 30

minutes of stairmaster.
7-10-14 after work, I went to the fairlane club, I swam for about
45 minutes, I enjoyed my time in the steam room and sauna. I
think its beneficial for the body, I will have to do more research.

Week 2
7-15-14 Work was tough, one of the workers didnt show up
and it was a mess. I tried to keep my attitude in the positive
direction. Didnt work out so well. After work I took a power nap
for about an hour. Spent the night at my sisters.
7-16-14 Woke up feeling pretty down, I went to work and
barely spoke to anyone. Decided to go check out my friends new
mountain bicycle, hit the trail for about an hour with him. Went
to the gym and jogged for about an hour then I did chest
workout.
7-17-14 I think reducing smoking is beginning to affect me. I
feel down more often than I used to be. Work was okay didnt
have any problems. I helped my sister with her huge garden for
about 5 hours. It felt pretty good to be working outside.

Week 3
7-25-14 My allergies are starting to kick in. Ive really good
throughout the summer I dont know why its happening now. My
nose and eyes burn. Work was pretty busy, Had to go down to
the county to take care of the property tax. The bills
accumulating is stressful. Finished work pretty late. Thinking of
making a new schedule thats more efficient to save the cost of
employees.
7-26-14 went wholesale shopping for work, Spent about 6
hours back and forth until I restocked everything. My fathers
health is become a concern he slept for 12 hours today. I
purchased a mountain bike for a pretty good deal on ebay
looking forward to begin trail riding. Didnt have time to go to the

gym, Decided to go out with a few friends.

7-27-14 Slept in today, didnt feel so good for some reason
when I sleep in I wake up feeling down. Worked outside in the
garden today and cleaned around the house. My friend and his
fianc came by. Feeling a little better compared to when I first
woke up. Went to the gym for about an hour.

Week 4
7-31 I have to travel upnorth and take off work for a few weeks.
My father is spending a few weeks at my sisters since they are
conducting a transplant evaluation. My sister told me he didnt
look so well at all. Got here at about 7 p.m. it was a long drive.
8-1-14
northern Michigan is a very relaxing place, just wish
the circumstances were better. I feel my stress level is low and I
am not smoking as much as I used to back home. Spending time
with my dad makes me feel happy yet sad. Hope everything goes
fine.
8-2-14
took my dad to dialysis this morning. Waiting on the
results from the hospital about the transplant evaluation. I hope
the heart doctor gives him clearance to conduct the surgery. He
has 5 stents in his heart its going to be risky. Picked up my father
from dialysis, he slept for about 6 hours. He seems to be
enjoying the outdoors. First time he interacts with the Amish
community, It was a funny experience with him.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Melinda Smith, M.A. and Robert Segal, M.A. Helpguide.org.
Stress Management, How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with
Stress. May 2014.
American Cancer Society. How can smoking affect your health?.
February 27, 2014.
Douglas E. Jorenby, PhD. Smoking Cessation Strategies for the
21st Century. January 15, 2013.

Organizations
Foundation for a Smokefree America
American Lung Association
The National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation
American Institute of Stress
NIOSH
DTC155: Web Site Evaluation Form
Your Name: __Ali Yassine_____
Date Site Accessed: ___8/2/14_______
Web Site Name: __American Cancer Society/How Can Smoking
Affect Your Health?
Site Address/URL: __
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/wom
enandsmoking/women-and-smoking-health-effects
1. Briefly describe your online experience. Were you able to
access the site?
I simply searched for information on how to reduce stress
management. I found several sites and this was one of them. The
site has lots of information not just on stress management but
several other issues such as diet and weight loss, grief and loss,
relationships, depression etc.
2. Identify the Source/Who runs the site. Who is the person or
what is that organization behind the site?
The person behind the site lost a daughter due to low self esteem
in 1996. He launched the site in 1999. Robert and Jeanne Segal,
Helpguides Co-founders.
3. Is the site links-intensive or content-intensive? Or is it a
combination of links to other sites and text?

The site leans more towards content-intensive.

4. Provide a brief overview of the site. What resources and
subjects or types of materials are covered?
The site has a huge database of information that range from
abuse, addictions, anxiety, depression, diet, fitness to teen issues
and more.
5. How would you rate the quality of content? Was the
information useful to you? If yes, how so? If not, why not?
The founders of this site are genuine people who were inspired to
help others while there was no one to help them when their
daughter passed away. The site has lots of resources on many,
many topics not just stress management. I have found many tips
and research information regarding stress management in many
different situations and atmospheres.
6. What is the purpose of the site? To inform, to entertain, to
sell ?
The purpose of the site is to inform.
7. How would you rate the quality of the sites graphics and it
ease of use (navigability)?
The site is very easy to use, it is very basic and nothing too
complicated. You can easily use the left toolbar that has a list of
all the different issues one might be experiencing.
8. When was the site last updated ?
the website seems to be updated very often considering the
amount of information it contains. However I was not able to find
a specific date on when it was last updated.
9. What does this site offer as compared to other sources of
information you have used in this course?
This site is very valuable. The information I found on this site
were very useful compared to sources of information used in the

course. It is more in depth and contains stress management

information that may take days to read.
DTC155: Web Site Evaluation Form
Your Name: __Ali Yassine_____
Date Site Accessed: ___8/2/14_______
Web Site Name: American Cancer Society
Site Address/URL:
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/wom
enandsmoking/women-and-smoking-health-effects _
1. Briefly describe your online experience. Were you able to
access the site?
This site was the first one that popped up in the search engine
when looking for information about smoking cessation. It has a
lot of good information.
2. Identify the Source/Who runs the site. Who is the person or
what is that organization behind the site?
American Cancer Society.
3. Is the site links-intensive or content-intensive? Or is it a
combination of links to other sites and text?
The site is a combination of both.
4. Provide a brief overview of the site. What resources and
subjects or types of materials are covered?
The site is huge. The information on this site is nearly endless. It
has many research articles along with information on smoking,
lung cancer, tips on quitting, support, you can even get involved
In local activities to address a wide range of issues.
5. How would you rate the quality of content? Was the
information useful to you? If yes, how so? If not, why not?

The information was very useful as I doubt anyone would not

trust information found on the American cancer society. I used
this site a lot when my mother had cancer and I learned a lot
from the research articles available on this site.
6. What is the purpose of the site? To inform, to entertain, to
sell ?
The purpose of the site is to inform.
7. How would you rate the quality of the sites graphics and it
ease of use (navigability)?
The site has a high quality of graphics and information. It is very
easy to use and it is very organized into different categories. I
have seen some sites where it is overwhelming but this is not
one of those sites.
8. When was the site last updated ?
The last time the website was updated was a few minutes ago.
9. What does this site offer as compared to other sources of
information you have used in this course?
The site offers a tremendous in depth information regarding
cancer and the causes of cancer in general. The site also has a
lots of research material that covers a wide range of topics on the
causes and prevention of many cancer types. The site is not
dedicated to one specific topic. It contains details information
backed up with research and statistics about anything that has to
do with cancer and the causes and prevention of cancer.
Stages of Change
I experienced all of the stages from pre-contemplation to action
and maintenance. I have been thinking about many of my goals
and trying to find a way to improve my health and lifestyle for a
period of time. A year ago I did not workout, I smoked a lot, and
considered to be in a very unhealthy physical and mental
situation. I needed to change and slowly began connecting with
friend that do not smoke and do care about their health.

This class influenced the preparation stage recently. This is the

first time I document my goals and my plans to change. I
purchased a mountain bike at the end of July and with the help of
many friends began riding the hills and trails.
Currently I am in the action stage for some of my goals and in
the maintenance stage for others. My stress problem used to be
really bad compared to this time around. I have utilized this
course and many of the friends and family members around me
to boost my moral and help me reduce my stress levels and cope
with everything that I have to deal with on a daily basis. As far
as my smoking problem I can say I made progress, however, it is
not to the extent I intended It to be. I acknowledge how horrible
smoking is to ones health and it is something I will keep working
on in order to hopefully one day become free of.