Does this sound familiar: by the time you’ve finished work, meals, and everything else on your to-do list, you wonder how to possibly squeeze in something to benefit your mental health? The good news is that even a bit of time every day can have a positive cumulative effect. It can be tempting to say […]Continue readingTake 5 minutes for your mental health

June 2018 was the beginning of the Summer from Hell and not because it was a particularly hot season.  By Catherine McMahon With our youngest of three turning 19, a pattern of drug and alcohol use (now legally sanctioned), spending sprees, and off-the-rails behaviour commenced. The emotional temperature in our home rose quickly with incidents […]Continue reading“‘Are you looking after yourself’…whaaatttt?”

Illustration by Harshita Jha: https://harshitajha1.wixsite.com/website   The word “empathy” comes up a lot when talking about mental health and supporting others, and Dr. Brené Brown has become a leading expert in this area. She emphasizes how empathy – putting ourselves in others’ shoes and appreciating their perspectives and feelings – drives connection and is key […]Continue readingConnection, responses, and empathy

“Oh no! I forgot to call that person back! I always forget everything. I’m never going to remember to call anyone.” Does this sound like you or someone you know? It’s a great example of overgeneralizing, a thinking distortion that involves drawing broad conclusions based on limited occurrences or experiences. It often takes the form […]Continue readingOvergeneralizing: How “always” and “never” can take over

Where the Refreshing Benefits of Nature Meet the Nurturing Words of a CYC Guest post by Kathryn Small, CYC (Child and Youth Care)   Hello!  And welcome to the Enchanted Forest- “The Most Magical Place on Earth!”  No, wait…  that’s Disney World…  Welcome to the Enchanted Forest- “Where Dreams Come True!”  Wait, that’s still Disney, […]Continue readingThe Enchanted Forest

Guest post from CMHA National Before we talk about how to improve your mental health, let’s make sure we agree on what we’re talking about. At the Canadian Mental Health Association, we notice that people use the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” interchangeably, but really, they mean different things. Mental illnesses are disturbances in […]Continue readingMove to improve your mental health

Guest post from CMHA National: www.cmha.ca A lot is being said about stress these days, and it’s no wonder. The pandemic has brought with it countless sources of extreme stress. But there has been relative silence on a topic that would help us get through the stress. And that topic is “resilience.” Maybe that’s because we all know what stress is, and what it feels like. And maybe we are less familiar with the […]Continue readingHow to turn a difficult life event on its head

This blog is by our friend Denise Waligora with Mental Health First Aid Canada at the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Read more of their blogs at www.mhfa.ca/en/blogs. Well, the time has finally arrived across our country…dogs and humans alike have been groomed and patios are open for business. While most Canadians are excited to return […]Continue reading1:1 Conversation with Yourself

Guest post by Millie Howard You adults are probably finding quarantine pretty rough – you have to find ways to entertain your kids, work has become more of a hassle, and you’re probably bored most of the day. I get it. But do you ever wonder what quarantine is like from a kid’s perspective? I […]Continue reading“We’re dealing with a lot too”: COVID Life Through the Eyes of a 14-Year-Old