Organizational Habits and Keys to Consistency: Staying on Track in Grad School Series

We need more than good intentions and resolutions to change or improve behaviours, regardless of whether it is related to your desired self-care or academic goals. Learn about the stages of behaviour change and related skills needed to move towards effective and consistent action that you can realistically maintain in order to reach your goals.

In this session you will:

• Understand some psychology of behaviour change
• Clarify what you want to change and why
• Learn how to get organized
• Learn strategies for taking action
• Learn to practice consistency in order for change to occur and be maintained in the desired direction.

This session is part of the Staying on Track Series: A 4-part framework to make change stick for good.

We are living at a time when there is no shortage of information at your fingertips for how you could be taking better care of yourself or working towards your goals. But the problem with change is rarely a case of not knowing what to do. The real challenge many of us face is doing the things that would improve our well-being or progress towards our goal with realistic planning, strategies that work, and consistency. In other words, there is a gap between knowing and doing.

In this series you will learn a few key skill sets that, when applied, will help you take better care of yourself and work towards your goals with greater consistency and ease.  Although the sessions work together, they can be attended independently.  Please come prepared to discuss these topics with other students (breakout rooms may be used), and engage in personal reflection. You may wish to have paper and a pen ready for these reflections. Sessions will not be recorded. Attendees will be sent slides and resources following the session.

Upcoming topics:

• Feb. 6, 2024: Waiting for Motivation?  Do This Instead!
• March 21, 2024: The Practice of Realignment, or, Getting Unstuck

Previous topic:

• Nov. 21, 2023: Self-Care Strategies for Managing Stress & Avoiding Burnout [Handout]

Facilitators

Karen Flood, PhD (she/her/hers), is a Registered Psychologist with UBC Counselling Services. In her role, she provides brief individual counselling, facilitates therapeutic and support groups, and encourages all to access the resources of Therapist Assistance Online (TAO). She is an alumnus of UBC’s Faculty of Education, Dept. of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education.

Alejandra Botia, MA, RCC (she/her/hers), is a Pre-doctoral Intern with UBC Counselling Services and a PhD candidate in counselling psychology, UBC. Her scholarly interests include examining and understanding factors that support eating disorders recovery, positive psychology, and understanding the transition experiences of immigrants and refugees. Professionally, Alejandra is passionate about her clinical practice and enjoys working with university students through collaborative therapeutic processes to support them in building a life that feels meaningful to them and that is aligned with their values. Alejandra is also passionate about engaging in work related to human rights and social justice in psychology.