Learn how noticing when your habits become automatic, identifying daily triggers, and practicing mindful awareness can help you transform habits into choices.
Tip #1: Notice When Your Habits Have Become Automatic
Most of the time, when we engage in unhealthy habits, we do it automatically. In fact, our minds are generally preoccupied with thinking ...
Mindful breathing is a powerful exercise that can help you stay focused on the present moment. Combining a mindful breathing exercise with meditation can help you focus and relax. Read the instructions below to familiarize yourself with the experience. Set a timer, and as you get more accustomed to using this technique to help you relax, you can set the ...
As we head into 2023, we have an opportunity to explore well-being tools and resources that can help us pursue activities, choices, and lifestyles that can get us closer to the most vibrant version of ourselves. Our team compiled some fun resources for the third year in a row to help you explore your version of well-being. The Best of the ...
1. Connect your new habit to your best self
Deep motivation for change comes from connecting your habits to what you most want for optimal health and how that supports you in being your best self.
2. Create a 3-6 month goal
Three to six months is long enough to achieve a healthy goal or ...
A person typically takes around 22,000 breaths per day. So, bringing your attention to this occurrence for a few minutes daily can provide many health benefits. Furthermore, pausing for a short breathing break is a great way to enjoy a quick refresher during a hectic day. Conscious breathing or ‘breath awareness’ means paying attention to your breath instead of trying to ...
By: Christine B. Tenekjian, MPH, RDN, LDN, NBC-HWC, Dietitian Clinician, Duke Lifestyle & Weight Management Center, and Kim Ha, Dietetic Intern at Duke Hospital. The holidays seem to be right around the corner as the weather becomes colder and the leaves are changing color. With this, there may be mixed emotions of anxiety, joy, and confusion around food. Anticipating and ...
The “Three Good Things” exercise is a powerful positive psychology technique. From a biological perspective, our brains are hardwired to reflect, notice, and remember the negative as a survival mechanism and a way to avoid that which causes physical and emotional discomfort. This tendency to focus on the negative can feed depression and burnout. Taking time to reflect upon three ...
By: Duke Integrative Medicine Psychotherapy Team It is natural to feel afraid, exhausted, and overwhelmed as we continue to navigate these uncharted waters of life during a pandemic. Maintaining mobility in our bodies and a sense of connection to self and others will help us to ride the waves of our varied emotions rather than crashing with them. Check out our ...
By Duke Integrative Medicine Psychotherapy Team We can easily let go of our healthy routines and boundaries when dealing with crises. During a crisis, we may let go of important practices that cultivate the four pillars of a stable mood: nutrition, connection, movement, and rest. During highly stressful times, it's important to do what we can to maintain and bolster ...
By Duke Health & Well-Being Programs Team How many of us have had the experience of eating an entire bag of chips or a pint of ice cream without even realizing it? When this happens, most (if not all) of us notice and appreciate the full taste of our first few bites but can hardly remember the rest. Mindless eating can ...
