Older Adults & Gambling

Tips to finding success (from people who are doing it!!)

What people have said that worked well for them can be a great resource of information that you can really use. You will find answers to: “What can I do?” “What steps should I never skip?” “How do others stick to their goals?”

1. “Journal… Keep a written record of your thoughts, feelings and of what you are doing each day." One of the greatest advantages of journaling is that it allows you to look back over past weeks to assess your progress and identify what has been working well for you. You will also find the answer to “what’s not working well for you”. "Learn to forgive yourself if you make choices that set you back - the fact that you've chosen change your behaviour, means you care about you."
2. "Plan activities for the week. That way you'll have things to look forward to and less time to be bored.”
3. "Stay active. Exercise, walk, dance, swim, volunteer ... just keep moving!"
4. "Don't let small setbacks completely sabotage your entire journey. Take time to look at what you learned form the setback”. Remember that setbacks are a normal part of changing any behaviour. Find new ways to measure your success."
5. "Develop a support system that works for you, - listen and share concerns and coping strategies." Support can provide you with the motivation that you need to keep going, a shoulder to cry on, and laughter just when you need it most and help you to celebrate your successes.
6. "Stop and breathe before you react…give yourself time to think and then make the choice that’s best for you…a choice that gets you closer to your goal.”
7. "Know what you want and why you want it. What will be different for you when you reach your goal? How will you feel? How will you know that you’ve reached your goal?
8. "Find new ways to have fun.” Think of one thing that you always thought you’d like to do…and then try it!
9. “Replace negative messages with positive ones. When you feel tempted to say “I can’t” or “It’s too hard” say, “I can!” instead.
10. “Look in the mirror” and give yourself praise for all of your accomplishments so far. You’ve made a decision to change. You’ve started to make positive choices for yourself.