If you’re exploring ways to manage your stress, you may have come across the term “intentional living.” What does it mean, and how can it help lower stress? How do you start living with intention? What is Intentional Living? Intentional living involves paying close attention to the choices you make and the things you do, with the goal of bringing…
Burnout is not a new phenomenon, having first been identified in 1974,1, but many are now referring to it as an epidemic.2 The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the profound effects burnout could have on essential workers such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and first responders. As more people become aware of burnout and its effects, we should get better at identifying…
Gratitude is associated with both mental and physical health benefits, including improved sleep1, greater happiness2, reduced symptoms of depression3, better overall wellbeing4, and numerous other positive effects. If you want to incorporate gratitude into your daily routine, this blog is for you. Discover how you can start your gratitude practice with just a few minutes of spare time every day!…
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that typically starts in late fall or early winter and can last through the winter months. SAD affects approximately 15% of Canadians at some point in their lifetime, with 2-3% reporting serious cases1. In this article, we look at the symptoms, causes and risk factors for SAD and talk about how…
Grief is one of the most difficult emotions in life to deal with for both the grieving person and the people who care about them. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that grief can look very different from one person to the next. In the paragraphs below, we will discuss the varieties of grief, how you can help someone…
Digital devices play an indisputable role in modern life. In our private lives, we use them to stay informed, to communicate with each other, to shop, to access services, and to be entertained. In our work lives, they serve even more roles. For all their utility, digital technologies are responsible for many ill effects, including physical ailments such as repetitive…
Burnout and depression have some similar symptoms but different causes, outcomes, and treatments. Knowing how depression and burnout differ is important to getting the right diagnosis and the best treatments. In the paragraphs below, we will talk about the key differences between these mental health challenges and how you can move forward if you have one (or both) of them.…
Starting post-secondary education is very exciting but can also trigger negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, depression, and loneliness. In the paragraphs below, we will talk about the major stressors students encounter when they enter this phase of their education and how you can mitigate the effects to navigate through them successfully. What Causes Post-Secondary Stress? When you’ve been looking…
Have you had symptoms of anxiety when you don’t feel anxious? This can be worrying, especially when you don’t know how to control it. What causes this phenomenon? If anxiety is a feeling, how can someone be anxious without consciously experiencing anxiety? Is unconscious anxiety harmful? We answer these puzzling but important questions in the paragraphs below. What is Anxiety?…
The Link Between Food and Mood: How What You Eat Affects How You Feel The connection between food and feelings is a highly complex one that involves not only the nutritional value of food, but its effects on inflammation in the body, the microorganisms that live in the body, and interactions between different systems in the body. There is a…