Article From 2008 August Heuga Central Newsletter
I want to lose weight. I want to exercise more. I want to communicate better with my family.
Are these desires familiar? Have you succeeded in building these desires into reality?
One of the goals of The Heuga Center’s programs is to establish a positive cycle of achievement in people living with MS where each achievement leads to higher goals, better performance and enhanced self-efficacy1.
Based on this goal, The Heuga Center has worked with Dr. David Engstrom, 16-year Heuga Center program staff member and psychologist, to incorporate Dr. Engstrom’s self-motivation strategies into The Heuga Center’s JUMPSTART program. Dr. Engstrom is a specialist in motivational solutions that promote healthy lifestyles in people with chronic illnesses.
According to Dr. Engstrom, a person must be internally motivated to achieve their goals. Goals are too often hard to achieve because they’re too big, complicated or vague. They’re often not specific or time-based.
The Heuga Center’s one-day JUMPSTART program is offered at no charge for people and families living with MS, providing them with strategies they can implement immediately. The program emphasizes the importance of taking action, what ever that action may be, based on people’s lifestyles. Participants are introduced to techniques in how to deal with cognitive and fatigue issues, set realistic goals, manage stress and stay motivated2.
Program participants learn that the foundation of improving their lives is through education and self-motivation. This will help establish their goals. They’re given unbiased, practical knowledge and direction to help them identify what they want to accomplish. Then they can identify their first step in creating their self-improvement plan.
Jimmie Heuga, Heuga Center founder living with MS, strives to maintain his positive attitude through self-motivation and goal-setting so that he’s prepared to overcome the challenges of MS.
“After attending a Heuga Center program, people’s lives don’t change,” said Heuga. “Their attitudes change. They realize they’re better because of life’s challenges.”
How are you maintaining your healthy attitude? Find out your motivation personality by completing a two-minute quiz.
1. Self-efficacy refers to one’s degree of confidence in one’s ability to perform behaviors or management strategies related to a specific situation or condition. Thus, it reflects a perception of capability rather than measuring the actual performance of the capability.
Defined by: Carolyn E. Schwartz, ScD, Linda Coulthard-Morris, MA, Qi Zeng, MS, Paul Retzlaff, PhD in a 1996 article Measuring Self-Efficacy in People with MS: A Validation Study
For example, a person with high self-efficacy may engage in a more health-related activity when an illness occurs, whereas a person with low self-efficacy would result in feelings of hopelessness.
2. The one-day JUMPSTART program introduces The Heuga Center’s health and wellness program. At The Heuga Center’s five-day CAN DO program, the techniques learned at the JUMPSTART program are more developed based on each participant’s goals and needs.
