We all want to make positive changes in our life, and Dr. Daniel Amen provides an encouraging roadmap of how to reach our goals and make them stick.

“If you have come to the decision that you want to make changes in your life, you probably want them to happen NOW! But after nearly 30 years of helping patients navigate the change process, I have learned that taking a gradual approach is the surest way to success.

So many people try to change all at once, but this almost inevitably invites disappointment and failure. You don't have to change dozens of behaviors at once. Start with a few vital behaviors—the ones that will have the biggest immediate impact—and go from there.

Here are 5 essential tips to retrain your brain to make the long-term changes you want most.

1. Focus on your successes. 
Rather than dwelling on the habits you haven't managed to change yet, focus on the positive steps you have made. Are you drinking more water? Terrific! Are you...

When we think about making lasting changes in our health, we are convinced that all changes begin with a renewed mindset…

Want to eat healthy? Get your mind right. 

Want to build relationships that nourish you? Get your mind right.

Want a fitness routine that you enjoy and actually do? You got it— Get your mind right!

When we trade our old thinking in for new thinking, true transformation can begin. Proverbs 4:23 says to be careful what you think, for your thoughts run your life. 

And Romans 12:2 goes on to say that we are actually transformed by the renewing of our minds. 

It’s our thoughts and attitudes that determine what we feel. And our thoughts, attitudes, and feelings then ultimately determine what we do.

So let’s bring more focused attention on our thoughts, as we bring in the good and put aside any negative thinking that may creep in to derail our attempts to get healthy.

We thought a good way to renew our mindsets would be to start...

Does your life seem overwhelming at times? Personal responsibilities, taking care of family and managing a career, all at a non-stop pace that can get the best of even the strongest person. Fortunately, there is a way to prioritize yourself without diminishing the commitments you have to others. It all starts in your brain by working on your mental hygiene—a daily practice that is just as important as washing your hands.

We are huge fans of Dr. Daniel Amen and his wife Tana! The decade we spent working together on the Daniel Plan left an imprint that when it comes to our health, change is possible and with intentional effort, long-lasting results can be our reality.

We loved their focus on brain health and mental well-being, with the emphasis that we are not stuck with the brain we have. There is always room for improvement! As we jump into our week, we thought we’d take a deeper dive into Dr. Amen’s daily practices to protect and revitalize our...

We’ve been obsessed over the past years to learn everything we can about the science of behavior change. From all our work with the Daniel Plan and in the Corporate arena, it’s been a central focus. Why? We want to soak up the wisdom, and then impart those life-giving learnings with YOU!

Bottom line, when we find important keys to lasting change it’s a treasure to be able to share those…

...in fact it’s one of our greatest joys!

So this week we wanted to feature an excerpt from the bestselling book Atomic Habits by James Clear, as it is one of the best texts on how to transform our lives one simple step at a time. It’s been transformative for us and we know it can be for you as well.

"We all want to become better people — stronger and healthier, more creative and more skilled, a better friend or family member.

But even if we get really inspired and start doing things better, it's tough to actually stick to new behaviors. It's more...

There is a lot to be anxious and worried about these days and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Indeed, these are normal human reactions to adverse events, but the good news is that we don’t have to be controlled by these feelings.

We thought it would be great to check in with an expert in the field of neuroscience and focus in on the latest research to proactively manage anxiety. Check out Dr. Caroline Leaf’s 5 practical strategies… 

“We can’t always control the circumstances of life, but we can learn to edit what has happened to us.

We have the power to determine how these emotions impact us.  

In fact, everyone experiences a level of anxiety from time to time; this is completely normal. Often, there are times in our life where “stuff” accumulates, and it is okay to be anxious when this happens. However, if left unmanaged, this “stuff” can progress to a point where we feel so...

You’ve probably heard the word “resilience” pop up more often recently—and for good reason. With so much uncertainty and change in the world around us during the past couple of years, many people—young and old— have been struggling with high-stress levels.

So, what is it that makes some people seem relatively calm and collected when faced with adversity, while others become completely overwhelmed?

It’s the degree of emotional and psychological resilience they have.

We checked in with Tana Amen, whose newest book The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child is filled with insights on how to cultivate resilience. Here are a few highlights…

“When serious stressors, crises, and trauma occur, resilient people can recover more quickly and adapt to the changing circumstances more easily. This doesn’t mean they don’t experience emotional pain and distress about bad situations, but rather they employ helpful...

Hi my name is Sean….
and I am a recovering Health & Wellness Professional!

Let me explain.

For years I have been teaching individuals how to improve their personal fitness, health and wellbeing and all the while I was suffering from a sickness I really didn’t know I had.

Exhausted, on my knees….I was done.
Have you ever been there?

You see, over the last 30 years as a health & fitness author and coach I’ve spent the majority of my professional career training others to strengthen and improve their physical fitness, health and lives.

It was on this day it hit me, I saw aspects of my own life, beginning to unravel.

I was suffering from a condition I really didn’t know I had.

I had been reading a book titled “Margin”-Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives written by Richard Swenson MD. As I was perusing the pages I kept finding nuggets of information I thought would be helpful for many of my...

We thought it would be a perfect way to start our week by looking at a few practical ways to find peace when chaos is running high and how to cultivate hope (even now!)

Science has proven time and time again that stress is the biggest strain on our ability to cope with the challenges and changes we face. Panic can often bring with it uncontrollable fear and anxiety which narrows our thinking, and makes us an island of one at a time when we need each other more than ever.

Our takeaway today is to focus on the things we can control instead of the main circumstances outside of our ability to change. It’s a perfect time to slow down and be more aware of God’s presence in our lives, even when our focus is being diverted away.

When it comes down to key insights of how to soak in more of God’s presence, we have loved the insights from John Eldredge in his book, “Get Your Life Back”. He highlights a few wonderfully simple practices, or what John calls...

Are you an overcomer? Resiliency is a critical part of emotional wellness for us all. No matter what your age people can overcome obstacles, imagine new possibilities all while enjoying life regardless of what they have to face from day to day. Humans are resilient! Everyday there are powerful human interest stories being told about how people have overturned all the odds against them. 

Resilience is so important when trying to navigate and succeed in our complicated world. Research shows stress is growing across the lifespan, through social media, faster moving information with often quickly intensifying news media, and a myriad of life’s pressures. Knowing how to cope with life and become resilient is critical to one’s ability to overcome stress and become more resilient in our lives.

TIRED.

If you ask just about anyone how they’re feeling right now, you’ll probably end up with some version of the word “tired.”

But it’s more than just...

Desmond Tutu said, “ Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” It whispers “You’ll overcome this hardship.” It reassures us, soothing our minds by reminding us, “life will improve.” Our lives are infused with pain and suffering. Some people experience more of these regrettable symptoms of the human condition than others. Our Monday Motivation article by Dr. Caroline Leaf sets the stage in reminding us we can overcome hardship with hope. Hope provides us with strength to conquer misery and despair, caused by misfortune.

“I am going to talk about how hope is a thought “insurance policy” that can help you move through challenges and deal with hard times.

During my 30 plus years as a clinical practitioner and researcher, I have seen my share of tragedies. From traumas to toxic thinking habits, I have come face-to-face with numerous forms of hopelessness. In many cases, for many of my...