We did it! We made a stand for our health.
After two months of standing, moving, and embracing new habits, we’ve reached a significant milestone in the BeUpstanding program.
But this is just the beginning of a journey toward happier and healthier lives.
In weeks 6 and 8 of the program, the focus shifts to reinforcing the benefits of sitting less, celebrating our collective achievements, and setting the stage for lasting change.
But what makes this part of the program so effective?
Let’s explore how BeUpstanding, with its foundation in behaviour change theory, uses strategic messaging in weeks 6 and 8 to keep momentum strong and ensure sustained success.
As discussed in our previous blog, BeUpstanding is grounded in robust behavioural change frameworks like the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), composed of the COM-B model, and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).
These models help guide the design of the program, ensuring it addresses not just individual behaviours but the broader social and environmental contexts that influence those behaviours.
Here’s how BeUpstanding uses theory to keep workers engaged towards the end of the program and in the future:
Capability
As we near the end of the program, it’s crucial to reflect on the progress we’ve made—both individually and as a team. Previous weeks of the intervention have highlighted common hurdles and facilitators to overcome excess sitting. Therefore, weeks 6 and 8 are all about reinforcing the benefits of breaking up sitting, targeting workers capability to maintain these healthy behaviours. Messages like, “Embrace a stand-and-move lifestyle to lift your mood, creativity, and energy” and “We are on the way to a healthier, happier team” build on the TDF domain of knowledge. These messages provide information about health consequences of moving more and sitting less, a Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) used for sustaining new habits long-term.
Opportunity
A key part of the messaging in these final weeks is acknowledging the group’s achievements. By celebrating the collective effort, the program taps into the power of social support, a critical facilitator in sustained behaviour change. Messages like, “We’ve been Upstanding for two months”, and “We’re on our way to becoming a healthier, happier team,” reinforce the importance of teamwork. This speaks to the TDF domain of social influences, showing how a supportive team environment can create opportunities for continued movement and less sitting. This sense of shared commitment and social support is crucial for maintaining behaviour change within the workplace.
Motivation
As the end of the program approaches, maintaining motivation becomes even more critical. BeUpstanding’s messaging in weeks 6 and 8 focuses heavily on reinforcing the TDF component beliefs about capabilities, helping workers believe that they can continue sitting less and moving more by increasing their self-efficacy. Messages like, “We’ve been standing and moving throughout the day for two months now” and “let’s keep going!” aim to strengthen workers’ willpower and self-discipline common barriers to sustained change. This taps into verbal persuasion about capability and habit formation, key BCTs, reminding workers that they have the ability to continue breaking up their sitting time.
These messages also get at the TDF reinforcement. By highlighting the benefits of sitting less and moving more, the behaviour in reinforced incentivising workers to continue to engage in the behaviour moving forward.
By targeting the three elements of the COM-B model—BeUpstanding ensures that its messages are both practical and effective.
Specifically, weeks 6 and 8 engage three of the nine intervention functions outlined by the BCW:
- Education: Increasing knowledge by explaining the benefits of standing and moving and showing how these small changes lead to better health.
- Enablement: Providing the support needed to reduce barriers, particularly through the power of social support in the workplace.
- Persuasion: Using communication to strengthen workers’ belief in their ability to continue sitting less and moving more.
These intervention functions are delivered through policy categories like Communication/Marketing, Guidelines, and Social Planning, ensuring that the program’s messages reach workers in a variety of ways, from posters to email templates to team discussions.
The BeUpstanding program may be wrapping up, but the benefits of standing up and moving more are just beginning.
By reinforcing these behaviours through a solid theoretical foundation, BeUpstanding sets workers on the path to a healthier, more active future.
Outstanding upstanding!
This blog was written by Sophie Caruana as part of a fourth-year Psychology placement with the BeUpstanding team.