We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — attributed to Aristotle. We've done so many stroke prevention posts that I've temporarily run out of things to say. So, I'm going to recycle an old post today. But I think it's a really important post on habit formation. There's no point in knowing how to be healthy if we don't act on it and that's where habits come in. Please share your thoughts on how you build healthy habits. *Habit formation Tip 1: Make it Obvious* We usually perform habits after being triggered by a cue. Find the best cues for the habits you want to do and amplify them. If it's eating fruit buy a huge striking fruit bowl and put it in a really obvious place. If it's going for a run first thing, leave your trainers right by the bed so you can't miss them in the morning, even better go to bed in your running clothes too. If it's flossing put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror. Whatever it takes, just make the habit inescapable. We've got billion dollar companies using the exact same tactics to flood us with cues to eat more junk and watch TV, so we need to fight back with our own tailored queues that actually serve our needs.

Good afternoon. Unfortunately, on Monday next week I'm on call for Stroke at Aintree and so can't do the group meeting that we had scheduled for 4pm. As such I have moved it to the Tuesday instead. I hope you can make it then. The purpose of the meeting is to have a space where we can all share how we are getting on, any challenges we have had and to share ideas for how to manage them as well as to how to keep working on reducing our future stroke risk. I look forward to seeing you there.

I haven’t received any NHS Physio Therapy since I was discharged from the ICSS in April and referred to the Community Team apart from two social visits with the OT to introduce themselves . I can’t leave my home yet so my options were limited. Firstly I saw a specialised stroke private physio (once) at home and was severely underwhelmed, I only saw him once. Then after a few months I saw another (non-specialist)Physio and I’m glad I persevered as everything he does seems relevant and although I’ve yet to see any significant benefit. I feel that I’ve a much better chance of a partial recovery than I did sitting on my backside waiting for NHS help. It’s money that I can’t really afford, but then again, I can’t afford to do nothing and if anyone is thinking of spending some money on a private Physio, if you get the right one, it’s definitely worth it. I’m willing and able to do anything I can to improve my situation, but it seems the NHS does not have the facilities to help

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm hoping some of you might be willing to help me with something that's very close to my heart. I'm looking for volunteers who would be happy to spend around 30 minutes chatting with me, either on Teams or over the phone, about your experiences following a stroke. *Why am I asking? Having worked in stroke medicine for many years, I know how much of a difference good care and support can make. But I also know that, despite the dedication of so many NHS staff, stroke services don't always provide everything that survivors and their families need. Sometimes that's because of limited resources. Sometimes it's because we, as healthcare professionals, haven't spent enough time really listening to people who've experienced a stroke and understanding what matters most to them. I want to help change that. But first, I need to listen. I've already had the chance to chat with one or two of you in detail and several fo you have replied to my prior post asking about what you needed after a stroke. This time I want to use the time for the conversation to go a little deeper. I'd love to understand more about your experiences, including: - How did you and your family feel in the days, weeks and months following your stroke? - What were your biggest worries, questions or frustrations? - What information or support did you need but struggle to find? - Where did you turn for answers? - Looking back, what could have made your journey a little easier? There's no right or wrong answer, and I'm not looking for anyone to share anything they feel uncomfortable discussing. Your experiences, whatever they may be, are what matter. *What am I hoping to achieve? My ambition is to make life after stroke a little less frightening, confusing and overwhelming. I want future stroke survivors and their families to be able to find clear, trustworthy information, practical advice and meaningful support without having to spend hours searching or feeling that they're facing everything alone.

Good evening. Just a reminder that we have our catch up tomorrow at 4pm. Link in the calendar section of the app. A chance to share how we're getting on, what our plans are to keep our stroke risk down, ask questions and make friends. If you have any specific questions feel free to share them ahead of time in here and I can prepare answers, or I can answer off the cuff if needed! Have a lovely evening. Nik