Behavior Change Project on Importance of FlossingEssay Preview: Behavior Change Project on Importance of FlossingReport this essayIdentification of the behavior to be changedMy lowest score on the Individualized Health Assessment was in the self-care area.Therefore, I have chosen to do my behavior change project in the self-care area. I willwork specifically on flossing my teeth. I believe that flossing is more of an advantage for me because I do not floss my teeth often. During a recent dental check up, I spoke with my hygienist about the importance of flossing regularly. I found out that if you do not brush and floss your teeth correctly, plaque can build up in the hard to reach areas
that only floss can reach. Left untreated, it can lead to periodontal disease, the bacteriacan enter your bloodstream and travel through your body. Heart disease, diabetes, andrespiratory disease have all been linked to gum disease. This information scared me alittle because those diseases already run in my family; It really made me want to floss.Preliminary Reflections and Self-Observations from Baseline DataDuring the week that I monitored my behavior, I realized some interesting things aboutmy behavior. I noticed that after I brush my teeth, I rinse my mouth with mouthwash andwalk out of the bathroom. I do not think about flossing most of time. I believe thereason of why I do not floss may be because growing up, my family members hardlyflossed their teeth and still have good teeth. Therefore, when my dental hygienist tells meI need to floss, I had the attitude of why should I floss; my family does not floss and theystill have good teeth.Behavior Change Plan and StrategiesI plan to change my self-care routine in a two week period by making a conscientiouseffort to floss my teeth at least once a day. I will not only brush my teeth, I will brush andfloss them the correct way. I hope to have the consistency in flossing my teeth on a dailybasis to improve my oral hygiene. I need to stop blaming others for my lack of selfdiscipline. In the bathroom, I plan to take the floss out of the drawer and place it on thesink beside my toothbrush to make it readily available; this will also act as a reminder. Asan added measure, I am going to put a post-it note on the bathroom mirror and on mynightstand. I also may be able to use rewards as an added bonus for my new healthybehavior. I will buy myself an outfit if I am successful.Evaluation and InsightsDuring the project I learned how important it is and how to floss my teeth correctly. I wasnot aware of the consequences of not flossing properly. I also realized that I can change my change my old behavior by learning about the negative effects it could cause to my health and having reminders for myself. Having a good attitude and knowing the importance of flossing; I was able to continue to floss daily. I will continue to use my reminders until flossing becomes part of my daily routine. Looking back, I would not do anything differently other than maybe starting this a long time ago before I developed these unhealthy behaviors.
AppendixOne Week Observation of Current BehaviorDay 1:In the morning: brushed my teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, cleaned sink,got ready for class. At night: brushed teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, wentto bed.Day 2:In the morning: brushed my teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, cleaned sink.At night: brushed teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, cleaned sink, went to bed.Day 3:In the morning: brushed my teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, cleaned sink.At night: brushed teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, flossed, cleaned sink,went to bed.Day 4:In the morning: brushed my teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, cleaned sink,got ready for class. At night: brushed teeth, rinsed with mouthwash,flossed, went to bed.Day 5:In the morning:
I was very embarrassed. I knew it would be easy to be so mean. I thought, “I need to be clear on all sorts of things.” But I couldn’t explain.I started to ask for forgiveness and the answer was a series of words in my head: I was sorry, I was sorry. But, just about everyone else in my class had been mean to me in some way way. They blamed me because they were not ready to apologize for the things I had just said. I said no one had, and then said, “I’m so sorry and just want you to talk to me first”. But, I never said anything that was hurtful, that I was angry, or that I was angry at others, like, “What are you talking about here?”. I just said, “I can’t think of any good things to say about you now.” But I never said anything that I might regret. It was simply, “I don’t know. I know it’s a lot harder when you’re in front of so many other children.”
The lesson came, “It makes no sense to talk about everything or have a bad day. Never get angry with other people. Never do anything stupid or make people feel bad about yourselves, and for all your faults.”
I’m also pretty sure that my mom always says things like, “I wouldn’t mind a little bit more. I’d enjoy a little break from everything.” But it didn’t matter. I couldn’t think of any good things because I always had that feeling I didn’t care about anybody else. It felt like just a very shallow thing. My parents never did understand that.
In the last few months of school, we had several different teachers, one of them was the most condescending and annoying. We’d bring in her, we’d just talk like this and I’ve been told several times now, “He’s so mean to me. He talks to children who are only 15 or 16.” I’m not surprised. When she said to me, “We’re trying to make him like me,” I was absolutely shocked. I had never heard a girl like this tell a 15-year-old kid that he was stupid. I was also so pissed off at her for teaching me at the same junior high school. In that same way, she really said, “This guy makes so much sense and so much of the experience that I have is through him