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Health Line
30-06-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Tips That Can Help Good Habits Stick
Breaking a habit or forming a new one can be challenging, but it's possible. Patience, realistic habits, involving loved ones, and consistency in the long term can help make any habit stick. Any behavior or action you engage in regularly counts as a habit. Some habits can promote physical and mental wellness (like washing your hands or positive self-talk), while others might have more of an unwanted impact on your everyday life (like biting your nails or interrupting others). But it's possible to change habits that no longer serve you and create new ones that do. Habits vs. routines Habits differ from routines because habits typically involve little to no conscious thought, while routines typically require some intention and discipline. For example, checking social media whenever you end up waiting in line somewhere would be a habit. Consciously deciding to do a warmup before each workout and a cooldown afterward would be more of a routine. How can habits benefit you? Doing something repeatedly may make you more likely to stick with it, since behaviors eventually become automatic. If a habit benefits your life, the reward can motivate you to stick with it. 'Creating a new habit can be a source of pride because you realize you have the power to improve your life, which can help bring you closer to being who you want to be,' explains Stephani Jahn, PhD, LMHC, NCC. Say, for instance, you're writing a novel. Making a habit of writing a few pages each day or designating a set time to write daily can make your final goal feel less overwhelming. As you continue to make progress, you'll likely feel more motivated to stick with your new habit and keep working toward your goal. 'Positive habits don't just boost your self-esteem, either. They can also reduce stress and anxiety by offering a degree of structure and predictability to your everyday life,' explains Elizabeth Barlow, PhD, LICSW. 'Our brains love stories and patterns,' Barlow says. 'When you engage in healthy habits, your brain has an expectation of what will happen and when it will happen. This can be useful for developing and managing a daily routine you feel in control of.' A few examples Some generally helpful habits to consider are: sleeping 7 to 9 hours per night going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week meal prepping every Sunday maintaining a budget for spending journaling or meditating daily drinking enough water every day Can you teach yourself new habits? You can absolutely teach yourself new habits. The key often lies in 'stacking' a new habit on top of an existing one. This helps you remember the new behavior until it becomes automatic. If you want to start a practice of daily positive affirmations, you might put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror to remind you to repeat them when you wash your face or brush your teeth. Eventually, you won't need the sticky note to remind you — simply going into the bathroom may become the cue that triggers your affirmations. A few more expert-backed tips for reinforcing new habits: Make it realistic: When a habit is more feasible for you, Paige Rechtman, LMHC, says you're more likely to engage in it regularly, and consistency can help make it stick. Make it as convenient as possible: 'The easier you can make your new habit, the greater the chances you'll stick with it,' says Harold Hong, MD. Practice your habit at the same time every day: 'You'll often find it much easier to get into a habit when you do it at the same time because certain external cues can serve as reminders,' says Barlow. Cheer yourself on: Taish Malone, PhD, LPC-S, advises coming up with ways to celebrate small wins to keep yourself motivated, like posting encouraging messages on your wall or fridge about how far you've come. Use the buddy system: 'Partnering up with someone who wants to incorporate the same habit, or even a different one, can help hold you accountable,' Rechtman says. You can check in with each other regularly to track progress and encourage each other if your motivation flags. Give yourself some grace As you try to establish a new habit, it always helps to be patient with yourself. An older study found that it takes about 66 days of daily practice for an action to become a habit. Try not to criticize yourself if you accidentally miss a day or two when trying to form a new habit, Malone says. 'Instead of thinking of this as a failure, view it as an opportunity to take note of the barrier in your way and improve your strategy,' Jahn recommends. What about breaking old habits? Try breaking undesired habits by replacing them with more helpful ones. Let's say you want to stop doomscrolling on your phone before bed. Instead, you can use that time to read a book, journal, or listen to music. 'It's better to have a positive replacement action when trying to stop something you're doing, so you can redirect yourself when the urge for that old habit comes up,' Jahn explains. It may also help to track your daily progress toward breaking a habit in a journal or regularly check in with a friend to share your efforts. A few other tips for replacing unhelpful habits: Be mindful: 'Pay attention to how you feel when engaging in unhelpful habits,' Rechtman encourages. Building this awareness can help you focus on why you want to make the change. Acknowledge the reason for change: Hong says identifying the factors motivating you to make a change can help you stay on track as you try to kick an unwanted habit. Identify your triggers: Recognizing specific triggers can help you create change more easily. For instance, if you know you have the urge to vape after dinner, you might plan to go for a walk instead. Tend to nibble your nails while reading a book? You might consider keeping your hands busy by using a fidget toy or stress ball. How long does it take to break a habit? Keep in mind, it can often take a considerable amount of time to break an unwanted habit. Exactly how much time, though, varies from person to person. How to get support If you're looking to build new, more helpful habits, consider getting support from a therapist. According to Malone, a therapist can help you uncover the root causes or reasons behind your old habits, which can provide important information to help change them. Rechtman notes that a therapist can also help you: come up with ways for making your desired habits more realistic, attainable, and easy to stick with stay accountable for creating change explore any parts of you that might resist the new habit stay motivated by providing encouragement and guidance brainstorm ideas for tweaking your habits when you have trouble making them stick Some unwanted habits can stem from mental health difficulties or trauma, according to Jahn. A therapist can help you unpack those concerns and come up with more productive coping and healing mechanisms. The takeaway Habits can play an important role in multiple aspects of your life, including mental and physical health, productivity, relationships, and self-esteem. It's always possible to build new, helpful habits and change habits that no longer align with your needs. Remember to be patient and compassionate during the process since forming new habits and making them stick takes time. A little extra help can often make a difference, too. A therapist can offer more personalized guidance and support.
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Nonprofit Launches Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for Psychiatric Disability
Nonprofit provides ketogenic metabolic therapy education and support, removing barriers to psychiatric recovery for individuals on disability. 'Our deeper aim is empowerment. Helping individuals realize they don't have to wait for the healthcare system to catch up. We're removing gatekeepers and creating a parallel track to wellness, now.'— Nicole Laurent, LMHC VANCOUVER, WA, UNITED STATES, April 30, 2025 / / -- A nonprofit is expanding access to psychiatric recovery education and support specifically for individuals on government disability. Brain Fog Recovery Source, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2022, has launched the Metabolic Psychiatric Recovery Program, a new virtual initiative helping people implement Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy (KMT) as part of their recovery from serious mental illness. Founded by Nicole Laurent, a licensed mental health counselor and nutritionist with advanced training in ketogenic metabolic therapy, Brain Fog Recovery Source serves individuals who have not responded to standard psychiatric treatments. The program provides structured guidance in using therapeutic ketogenic diets to target metabolic dysfunction in the brain, a root cause increasingly recognized in the emerging psychiatric literature. 'People on disability are often told they will never get better,' said Laurent. 'But when we address the metabolic factors now recognized as playing a significant role in mental illness, we see changes. People stabilize. They start to function again. They return to school and work. The changes we see go far beyond symptom control. They reflect restored function and real recovery.' Over the past three years, the nonprofit has served 60 individuals and their support persons from around the world, primarily from the United States and Canada. Although not providing clinical treatment, it offers structured education and support, allowing individuals to have access to a ketogenic metabolic therapy professional on their treatment team. The people who most need this knowledge are those on government disability because of psychiatric illness. Yet they are often the least able to access it. This approach is not yet standard of care, and many clinicians remain unaware of its application in psychiatric settings. As a result, private pay access remains out of reach for most. With growing public interest, national media coverage, and multiple high profile recovery stories, the nonprofit expects significant demand following its April 30 public announcement. Nicole Laurent, LMHC Brain Fog Recovery Source [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This Therapist Is Going Viral For Sharing The Surprising Thing That Narcissists And People Pleasers Have In Common
While the terms people-pleasing and narcissism have become more widely known as of late, they are not often thought about as having similar personality traits. For instance, people-pleasers are often defined as individuals who may put their own needs aside to please others to avoid feeling abandoned, whereas narcissists are defined as people who have an inflated sense of self that they ignore the needs of others. However, Matthias James Barker, LMHC, psychotherapist and the CEO and co-founder of the Trauma Institute, says these two psychological traits have more similar attributes than people may realize. His claim? That people-pleasers and narcissists both "perform" to soothe their insecurities. He further explains in a video he posted on Instagram: "People-pleasing is 'I'll clean up, I'll cancel plans, I'll do whatever you want — just don't leave me! It's anxious underneath. And if I fail, I fall into panic." As for narcissism, it isn't anxious like that, Matthias explained. It's shame-driven. "They believe if I'm not the best, if I'm not desirable, if I'm not perfect, then what am I? I'm a loser; I'm nothing. I need you to acknowledge how great I am, or I crumble inside." He further explained that, in the event of failure, narcissists won't panic. Instead, they'll fall into a deep depression or rage towards themselves or toward themselves. The thing is, both of these personality traits are dealing with insecurity, he said. "People-pleasing is 'I'm trying to fit myself into everyone else's expectations. Narcissism is 'I'm trying to fit everyone else into my expectations." To dive a little bit deeper, according to PsychCentral, some examples of people-pleasing are: • Conforming to harmful behaviors. • Disregarding your self-interests for the sake of others. • Attempting to maintain closeness by self-sacrificing. • Telling others what they want to hear to avoid conflict. • Having challenges with advocating for your own needs. • Exhibiting a lack of personal boundaries. • Apologizing excessively to others. • Rarely expressing criticism and rarely disagreeing with others. As for narcissism, this behavioral trait falls on a spectrum. While we technically all have elements of narcissism inside of us, some may have the mental health condition known as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). According to MedicalNewsToday, people with NPD typically: • Have a grandiose sense of self-importance. • Feel they are special and expect special treatment. • Deliberately manipulate or exploit others for personal gain. • Develop tactics to conceal or justify their behavior. • Lack empathy. After Matthias posted the video, a lot of people praised his explanation. But I'm curious: what do you think about this? Do you know someone who behaves like a people-pleaser or a narcissist, and does this sound right to you? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This dad says his wife comes before their kids—and the internet has thoughts
When you have kids, your relationship can start feeling like the last thing on your priority list. Between school projects, sleepless nights, gymnastics classes, and playdates, parenting quickly takes over. And if we're being honest, a lot of us take out our stress and exhaustion on our partners. I know my husband and I have had plenty of moments where we turn on each other instead of tackling the chaos as a team. But one dad, Stevie Hendrix, is making waves for his take on family priorities—arguing that his marriage comes first, even before his kids. In a clip from The Long Game podcast that's now viral on Instagram, Hendrix explains why he openly tells his kids that his wife is his number one priority. 'I came home, I would tell my kids, 'I'm spending time with your mom, and she's first. And you guys can play for a little bit, but I'm gonna sit on the couch, and I'm gonna hang out with your mom,'' he says in the video. His reasoning? When kids see their parents prioritize each other, they actually feel more secure, not less. 'By loving your spouse, you are actually even, by extension, loving your kids,' he adds. Related: This dad explains why he prioritizes his wife's need for alone time after kids Naturally, people have opinions about this. Some commenters were all for it. @art_by_nico shared, 'My parents were like this with each other… never made me feel hurt. Just taught me the importance of prioritizing my partner. I always felt 100% loved and prioritized as a child.' Another agreed, with @drbrittlashua commenting, 'I love that you're saying this!! There is research that supports this! ' Others, however, weren't sold. 'No. I'd much rather he prioritize our children. WE can have our time later,' wrote @jenbuneee. As a stay-at-home mom, @alexag1720 had a different perspective: 'As a SAHM, please greet the kids first. Hang out with them first. They've missed you too. We can make time for ourselves after. That greeting committee (as we call it) is one of the best parts of my husband's day and mine. So sweet to watch my hubs embrace his kids and spend time with them.' Meanwhile, @anitaashahhh had a more direct take: 'Partner is always a priority, period.' I work with (neurodivergent families), this would simply not work,' they wrote. The idea of prioritizing your partner over your kids isn't new. Experts have debated for years whether it actually benefits the family unit in the long run. Some marriage counselors argue that a strong relationship between parents provides stability for children. Greg Douglas, LMHC, explains, 'The strength of your marriage is actually the first priority and the needs of your children come second. By prioritizing your marriage, you are providing tons of benefits.' Dr. Donna Novak agrees, saying, 'Having a strong connected marriage allows you to get the support you need to face all parts of life, including the life journey of parenthood.' At the end of the day, what works for one family might not work for another. Some kids thrive seeing their parents put each other first, while others might struggle with feeling second place. Like everything in parenting, balance is key. Related: The honest truth about how my marriage has changed since having kids Would you openly tell your kids that your spouse comes first? Or does this approach feel outdated? Let us know in the comments.
