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It’s already 2 weeks into the new year, and I’m excited to get back into routine and work on my goals. Unfortunately, it’s been hard to find motivation again after the holidays. Whether you’re in the same boat as me right now or are reading this later in the year, the truth is that creating your own motivation can be tough. Luckily, I know a few tricks that are sure to get you moving in the right direction sooner rather than later. 

The Power of Habits

Before I let you in on the secret to creating your own motivation in five minutes or less, I can’t miss out on the opportunity to talk about the power of habits! Once you create a habit (good or bad) and perform the habit, your body gets a hit of dopamine. That’s right - your brain actually rewards you for doing the same things over and over. That’s the reason why you may find yourself reaching for the ice cream tub each night at the same time, but it’s also why once you get in the...

Happy New Year! (Or whatever time of year you’re reading this.) My daughter has gone home after the holidays, and my husband, son, and I are resting after several days in the snowy mountains. We are also starting to think about our goals for the coming year. If you’re like most people, you are, too.

Before you jump into setting those New Year’s resolutions, take a step back and think about how your New Year’s resolutions usually go. As most of us have experienced, setting a goal just because it’s January first isn’t enough to make it stick. That’s not because resolutions are bad, but if you want to reach health, career, or even relationship goals, it’s best to make your resolutions more meaningful and specific. 

So how do you make sure that happens? Start by asking yourself these three questions: 

1. What habits would make the biggest positive impact on my daily life? We tend to overestimate how much we need to do to reach our...

When you’re trying to follow through on good habits or make changes in your life, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “I have to”. I have to prep my meals. Or, I have to get a workout in. The trouble with the phrase “I have to” positions the task as a chore, which your brain obviously doesn’t lean into very hard. Here’s a different way of thinking that will flip a switch in your brain to make keeping your good habits easier.

A Simple Mindset Shift

Our brains love routine and comfort. That’s why once a habit is established, it’s so much easier to keep going. You actually get a dopamine hit for following through on your routine. But it also means that when you try to introduce a new habit or push outside of your comfort zone, your brain sees it as a disruption and tries to resist. 

This is where the “I have to” thoughts sneak in; your brain is trying to sabotage you! Luckily, you are in control of your...

This is the time of year where winter and holiday plans and traditions seem to take over. Do you bake gingerbread men or get that workout in? It’s easy to push off the things that are important to you for holiday shopping, cooking, visiting, or decorating. I love a good family tradition myself, but it’s also important to me to keep my goals front of mind, too. If you feel the same way, here are tips to find your balance this season. 

Make Your Own Traditions

Just because “everyone else” is doing something, it doesn’t mean you need to! It can be hard to remember that when your social media feed is filled with other families’ traditions. For example, I know a lot of people choose to get their Christmas tree the week after Thanksgiving. For us, that just doesn’t work. We usually like to have our tree up through Three Kings Day (January 6th), which fits with my husband’s Dutch upbringing. We don’t do anything special that day,...

The holiday season is a whirlwind of activity: parties, family gatherings, and countless opportunities to socialize. For extroverts, it’s often the most wonderful time of the year—energizing, exciting, and full of connection. But for introverts, all those invitations can feel a bit overwhelming. As someone who proudly identifies as an introvert, I get it. The holidays can be tricky to manage, but with some planning and self-awareness, they can also be genuinely enjoyable.  

Introvert vs. Extrovert: What’s the Difference?  

First, let’s debunk a common myth: being an introvert doesn’t mean being shy or antisocial. Introversion is about how you recharge. Introverts draw energy from solitude and quiet reflection, while extroverts feel most alive when surrounded by people. It’s a spectrum, of course, and most of us fall somewhere in the middle. You can be an outgoing introvert or a reflective extrovert—it’s all about...

The election here in the United States is finally over, and it’s been distracting and exhausting. Politics isn’t something I normally talk about, but I’m deeply disappointed in the outcome. Lifting women up and helping them to be the best they can be in their health, relationships, and lives is important to me, and I won’t let anything change that. It’s been hard to ignore, though, so I’ve been trying to focus on what makes me feel good: food and family! 

Focus on Gratitude

I’m leaning heavily into gratitude these days, noticing how lucky I really am. I’m grateful for  my family and friends, for the beautiful place I live, and for the food I’m privileged to cook and put on the table for my family. From looking through my gratitude journal over the past few years, eating together as a family has always been important to me, and now that my son is nearing graduation, I want to savor this time we have together. 

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There is such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables out there, yet I think most of us stick to our tried-and-true favorites. I’ve been trying to up my own intake for a variety of reasons, and I think I’ve found a fun way to get more plants into my diet. I bet it will work for you, too. 

Why I’m Trying to Eat More Plants

It’s been a busy week for me. My husband is out of town, and I always think I’ll have less to do when he’s not here, but that’s never the case. While there is one less person to feed, there is also one less person to help! If you manage your household on your own, I give you kudos - it’s a lot of work!

I’ve also got involved with cyclocross, and spent the weekend at a local event. It’s really fun (and hard!) but it’s helping me with my goal of being more motivated to ride my bike. It’s also been great reconnecting with old friends and making new ones surrounding our hobby. 

Between...

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of learning about how our body systems all work together. It truly amazes me how each system has its own purpose, yet is intricately intertwined with the entire body. Here is yet another one that sounds a little “woo-woo”, but makes sense once you think about it. Did you know that stress can make your hips tight? And here I just thought it was because I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk. 

How Stress Makes Your Hips Tight

Have you ever been in a yoga class and seen someone break down or tear up during a deep stretch? Or maybe you’ve experienced your own unexpected emotional release during a hip-opening stretch yourself. The reason is that your hips are directly connected to your fight-or-flight response via the psoas muscle. (Pronounced so-as.) 

This muscle connects your spine to your legs, and it’s activated when you’re in a stressful situation. The problem is that most of our modern-day...

I recently turned 55 and I’m more conscious of taking care of my body (and mind) more than ever. Part of the reason is so I can keep living an extraordinary life far into the future; but it’s also about making life better here and now. One way I’m doing both is by reducing stress with exercise. 

What Happens When You’re Stressed

Right now we’re having conflict with a neighbor over a shared fence we’re replacing and it’s been really stressful. When I’m stressed, my stomach tightens up, then it spreads to my chest, and eventually I get a headache. In the worst times I end up with a migraine. 

I went to bed feeling all tight inside and the feeling was still there this morning when I woke at 4:30am. Not a great start to the day, for sure. I considered meditating which sometimes is helpful, but I knew that my busy mind would just take over. When dealing with stress, common reactions are to: 

• Think your way through it
• Numb...

I think it’s probably obvious that I enjoy exercise and active hobbies; but I also love to curl up in bed with a good book or on my comfy old couch to watch bike racing on TV. There have also been (many) times where exercise was the last thing I felt like doing, but I knew I had to get moving in some way. 

If you’d rather do anything but exercise in your free time, I have great news for you: you can increase your physical activity level without working out! Staying physically active every day is important for your health, even if you hate the gym.

The Importance of Physical Activity

Being active helps fight diabetes, age-related muscle and bone loss, heart disease, some types of cancer, obesity, and a long list of other ailments that you may haven’t thought of in your earlier years. (Menopause, anyone?) At the same time, being active boosts your mood, improves your sleep, and helps fight stress.

Even with all those amazing benefits, 36% of adults (more than a...