Healthy habits for MS: realistic strategies that actually stick | S8E11

Making lifestyle changes with MS is one thing. Making them stick is another. In this episode of Living Well with MS, we speak with pharmacist-turned-health coach Dr Amy Behimer about why healthy habits can feel so difficult, especially when fatigue, stress and unpredictable symptoms get in the way. Drawing on her own experience of living with primary progressive MS, Amy shares a compassionate, evidence-informed approach to building habits that feel realistic, flexible and supportive in daily life.

Together, we explore the role of mindset in behaviour change, how to avoid all-or-nothing thinking, why perfectionism can backfire, and how to create routines that work on both good days and bad. If you feel overwhelmed by lifestyle change, this episode offers practical encouragement to help you start small and keep going.

Watch this episode on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.

02:25 Amy’s MS journey and why habits became her focus 05:05 The six areas that shape health with MS 09:46 Why healthy habits are harder than they seem 13:38 Building habits when fatigue and symptoms are unpredictable 16:03 How mindset and emotions shape behaviour change 18:29 The real secret to living well with MS 22:25 Why perfectionism makes healthy habits harder to sustain 25:25 Can self-talk affect day-to-day energy and symptoms? 29:18 Creating flexible routines for good days and bad 30:53 Common habit traps and how to avoid them 33:10 Redefining health when you cannot control your diagnosis 34:58 Where to start when lifestyle change feels overwhelming 37:57 A simple daily practice to make change easier

• Take Amy’s habit quiz
• Listen to Amy’s podcast
• Learn more about Amy’s work
• New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
• Visit the Overcoming MS website

Follow us on social media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

Don’t miss out:

• Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
• Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

Support us:

If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing [e-mail].

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.