Episode 5 The Practice of Staying on TrackUnderstanding the Maintenance Stage of Change

In today’s episode we continue exploring the Stages of Change model developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente.

This episode explores the maintenance stage, the stage where change is sustained and gradually integrated into everyday life.

Maintenance is often misunderstood as the point where things become easy, but in reality it is an ongoing practice of continuing to show up for yourself long after the excitement of change fades.

In this episode we explore:

• Why maintenance is an active and ongoing stage of change
• The myth of “arriving” in healing and recovery
• Why peace and stability can sometimes feel unfamiliar
• Learning how to live without old coping mechanisms
• Nervous system regulation and sustainable healing
• Identity shifts and building long-term self trust
• Romanticising old behaviours and coping strategies
• Social pressure, relationships, and changing environments
• Why maintenance is about consistency, not perfection
• Daily practices that help support long-term change

We also talk about how maintenance is less about becoming perfect and more about learning how to remain connected to yourself through all seasons of being human.

This episode is an invitation to explore what it means to build a life you no longer need to constantly escape from.

Journal Prompts & Reflection

• What practices genuinely help me stay connected to myself?
• What environments or relationships make it harder to maintain the changes I’ve made?
• Where am I romanticising old coping mechanisms instead of remembering the full picture?
• What does support look like for me in this season of life?
• Am I expecting myself to never struggle instead of learning how to support myself through struggle?
• What would it look like to build a life I don’t constantly need to escape from?

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