You walk in the door after a busy day at work and immediately greet your cat. Fluffy looks up briefly and then lays her head back down. Her typical hello. You change into comfortable clothes and start dinner. When it’s in the oven, you plop down next to her on the couch and begin stroking her head. She climbs on your lap, starts to purr and you can feel yourself begin to relax.Why is that?

Progress rarely happens in big flashy fireworks moments. It’s usually made in tiny incremental steps that are often subtle and unremarkable. But putting all those tiny wins together can show extraordinary growth and accomplishment. If you don’t take note, you might miss the fireworks altogether.

It’s not as hard or as boring as you may think to change your behaviors and live your best, healthiest life. It’s not just changing what you do, it’s changing your mindset. Here are five simple ways to invest in your health.

You can start to feel your heart race, your heavy breathing and your muscles tense. There it is right in front of you. A spider. You don’t know why your body reacts that way, it just does. Every time. Should you run away or should you squash it? You choose to walk away and leave the tiny 8-legged scary beast to go about its business of living its short life.

Both quitting smoking and smoking less are better for your health, and there’s more than one way to get it done.

Although people with OCD may know that their thoughts and behavior don't always make sense, they are often unable to stop them.

Quitting smoking is hard for anyone. If you're also dealing with a mental health diagnosis, it can feel even tougher. But here's the good news: quitting is possible!

Our minds can play awful tricks on us. Just because your mind is telling you that you are a “fraud,” “failure,” or “unworthy” does not make it true.

Substance use disorder is a pattern of substance use that leads to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. 

It's easy to get caught up in trying to "fix" problems for someone in recovery, but true support lies in helping them help themselves.

Opioid-use disorder is a life-threatening condition that has become all too familiar in the United States over the past two decades.

If you think someone is considering suicide, it’s OK to ask them, but how will you know?

Whether it’s relational, romantic, or work-related, rejection hurts.

The symptoms of schizophrenia can make it difficult to participate in usual, everyday activities, but effective treatments are available, allowing many people to maintain their independence and personal relationships. 

Sometimes, people, because of their medical situation, are not able to understand the need or importance of medical attention.

When your doctor prescribes a medication, following the instructions carefully gives you the best benefit and avoids additional health problems.

Gambling disorder is a mental health condition that can affect anyone, regardless of their background.

Do you have a friend or loved one coping with a mental health diagnosis? With one in four Americans diagnosed with a mental illness, the answer is probably ‘yes’.

One in five adults in the United States is diagnosed with anxiety disorders that have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.

Mindfulness is a great way to get out of your thoughts, worries, and incessant planning for the future and ground you to the here and now.