How to Adopt Healthier Habits

Juggling a family, a career, a social life, and a healthy lifestyle is a challenge for many people. And when faced with choices like whether to head to happy hour or to hit the gym, whether to stay up late working toward a deadline or tucking into bed early to get enough rest—well, greater temptations often push health to the back burner.

News reports are seemingly constantly coming out about habits that we should change, from avoiding sitting too long to getting enough sleep to exercising enough to eating all the right foods. Many of us feel bombarded by this steady stream of behavior-focused information, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start to adopt healthier habits.

Plus, once we develop an unhealthy habit, it can be incredibly tough to shake. In his 2012 book The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg writes, “When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit—unless you find new routines—the pattern will unfold automatically.”

But forming good habits is possible, even for the busiest people. Kathleen Zelman MPH, RD, will help you get started with her upcoming web seminar on healthy habits for wellness. Register for the seminar at source4women.com, and learn simple tweaks you can make to lose weight, feel better, and improve the health of you and your family.