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So you or someone you love is a student working online….at the clinic we find that students have been hit pretty hard with mental health challenges since the pandemic including increased anxiety, loneliness, and even hopelessness. It’s been hard to adapt to online learning and stay inspired! For online learning, you have to set boundaries, limits, and goals for yourself. It’s up to you to design the structure in your daily life for your studies, physical movement, and social connection. Now, this is way more responsibility than pre-pandemic learning time when much of this was built into daily…

Relationships. This is what research is showing us: “People who work on their relationships and stay in relationships are happier”, explains Dr. Waldinger in summarizing the Harvard Study of Adult Development that followed more than 700 men from 1938 until now. The research found that: The social connection appears to be a strong predictor of health and longevity. Isolation and loneliness on the other hand appear to be toxic. People experiencing more isolation have health decline earlier in life and brain function decline sooner. Relationships high in conflict are also bad for your health…

Here are some tools to help manage the uncomfortable sensations and thoughts that accompany anxiety. 1. Acknowledge and accept your anxiety. Fighting and judging your anxiety will only increase your discomfort and distress. Allowing the sensations of anxiety while telling yourself that, “this is in fact okay”, may seem counterintuitive but worth a try. Breathe and notice that you are okay regardless of the discomfort. Do not hesitate to seek professional help for anxiety therapy, and try implementing some Stress Relief Tips whenever you can. 2. Exercise Numerous studies have shown that regular…

Now, perhaps more than ever, we need to look after our mental health and equip ourselves with the information and strategies to manage our mood, anxiety and calm our bodies. “How is quieting my amygdala going to help me?” you may be asking.The amygdala is found nestled in the midbrain, two small almond shaped clusters who’s primary role is to process emotions and memories associated with fear. It’s primary role is to regulate our fear response. Our amygdala, when over activated, acts as a ‘short-cut’ and can override our rational thinking brain. This can cause a lot of anxiety! Yes, this can…

Anxiety and stress are natural and healthy responses to uncertainty and perceived danger; there is no reason to be “alarmed” about feeling alarmed! A normal response to COVID-19 is distress, the Fight Flight or Freeze response (FFF Responses). This occurs in the oldest part of your brain, the limbic system. The amygdala is the key player, a small almond-shaped area in the mid brain that helps you respond to threat. However, it cannot differentiate between real and imagined! So, if you focus on perceived threat, the amygdala will focus on FFF response….and your anxiety will increase! Let’s…

To say these times are challenging is an understatement. We are facing the complexity of a pandemic, political unrest, socio-economic uncertainty, and a diverse set of other related stressors all at the same time. Many of the associated life changes have been out of our control. Increased discomfort and anxiety are a normal response to lack of control and certainty! So, how are you responding? Here’s a few things that will build resilience and help you not only respond to stressors with a greater degree of strength, but also with a sense of personal growth. Resilience is the ability to cope…

Most emotional eaters dread the holiday season with its treats, food focused social events and hyper buffets. That’s because food is the socially acceptable addiction, compulsion and even obsession. For emotional eaters, this can make the holidays a time of self-loathing, complexity and strain. We hope these few tips can help you more successfully negotiate this seasonal food-fest: 1. Plan, Plan, Plan! And write down your danger zones. Danger zones are those times, people and places that are most challenging for you; when you find yourself walking away feeling out of control and beating…

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health conditions in children according to Statistics Canada. It is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, although these symptoms vary. ADHD usually arises in the preschool years but is typically identified in the elementary school grades. Drop out rates for these kids are higher. Proper assessment of ADHD and dealing with the disorder are critical because approximately 75% of children will continue to have the diagnosis through adolescence and over half continue into adulthood. So how do…

You have decided to make the difficult step to separate. You’ve decided to be mindful and collaborative in your separation. Now, how do you tell your children? Here are some sound guidelines to follow when speaking with your children about your separation. Be prepared. Timing is important. Once you have some concrete plans in place, you are ready to take the first step. Try to iron out as much of the detail as possible so when your children ask you questions, you are prepared with solid answers. Your kids will respond better knowing how their day-to-day lives will be impacted by this change…