b'Life with MSaware of habits, such as using caeine as a conversation, and nonalcoholic beverages.pick-me-up and then nding it keeps you up This proved to be just as relaxing. However, ifatnight,canbemanagedsuccessfullyby substance use had been excessive, dangerous,using a sleep and intake diary. I remember a or the person was resistant to change, moreperson who couldnt sleep well whose diary structuredinterventionwouldlikelyhaverevealed he drank quite a lot of diet colalots been needed. of caeine and often a bladder irritantand Habits are most eectively changed whenonce that was adjusted, his rest improved they are replaced with something. That maydramatically. Ive also heard many creative mean new activities and friends to take theapproaches in peer groups for how to recognize place vacatedbythediscardedhabit.Ivean issue, explore options, and create a support seen this happen when a group formed tonetwork to navigate the desired change. exercise together invited a yoga instructor toI also have a less useful habit of taking on work with them. Soon the program was somore tasks than reasonable and switching successful they asked healthcare and wellnessfrom one activity to another. What was once professionals to provide some educationalan asset to be able to juggle many things at sessions. Such programs are now promotedonce is now a bad habit. I have to work at widelyandencouraged.Manyareoeredstaying focused and making reasonable to- virtually and include more participants. Peerdo lists. Some of my habits that originated as support and self-help groups not dependenta way of handling stress became stressful in on transportation have proven so benecialthemselves. Uncovering the source of that that many have vowed to continue after thestress and acknowledging it was the rst step constraints of the pandemic subside.towardchange.SonowIdliketoshiftto Another example of adapting to change inlooking at some ways to address habits that behaviorsandhabitscanbeseenintheno longer meet our needs. switch to online meetings and even wideAdapting to change acceptance of telemedicine. Unable to getin behaviors, habits together in person, groups have formedIn the popular movement toward decluttering, online to oer interaction and camaraderieMarie Kondo in her best-seller The Life- and a sense of community. HealthcareChanging Magic of Tidying Up teaches us to providers have adapted exams so successfullydetermine if things should be kept, donated, they will likely continue as an option after thegiven away, or trashed. To be retained, an coronavirus crisis ends.item needs to be useful, in working order, or Cigarette smoking is an example of a habitloved. I think the same criteria applies to our thatishardtobreakandoftennolongerhabits. If something is no longer meeting our brings pleasure, and the negative health andneeds or harms us, getting rid of it is in our longevity consequences are well-known.best interest. An example would be a person Cessation programs oer many ways to breakwho drank alcohol regularly, but with balance the habit but support and adding new, moreissues felt unsafe doing so. Close calls showed positive activities, seem to make successfulhe was at risk to fall. I suggested instead of quitting more feasible. There is no shortagecocktails an evening ritual with relaxation, of advice, excellent publications, and socialmsfocusmagazine.org 24'