There’s an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that centres around an invisible girl. She went unnoticed for so long and was lonely for even longer that, in this supernatural series, she turned invisible. In the real world, that feeling of invisibility — of being persistently ignored — is called social isolation. Continue reading
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is more common knowledge than ever before. In fact, before mental health became a trending topic over the last couple years, SAD was a concept that most people accepted — even at it’s basest alias of “winter blues.” So it’s only natural that the methods to alleviate the symptoms have become just as sophisticated as people’s understanding of this seasonal issue. Continue reading
This post is sponsored by Capital One.
On paper, some people might say I’m good with my money. I pay my bills relatively on time (key word: relatively), I have a decent savings account, my income is also decent and I’m able to live a fairly care-free life, all things considered. Yet in spite of these financial pros, I find myself keeping a constant sense of money-related stress at bay. I avoid looking at bills right away, I leave taxes until the very last minute, I tap my credit card not knowing if it will decline because I almost always forget to check my balance until it does. These bad habits are so ingrained in me, it’s as though I wouldn’t know how to function properly if I didn’t have these financial anxieties fuelling my work ethic. Continue reading
I’m currently reading Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts in which he writes about “close encounters with addiction,” having witnessed firsthand these accounts while working as a medical doctor in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver — a neighbourhood notorious for its sanctioning of drug use. Although I’m only a few chapters in, I immediately drew connections with his eye-opening insights and the current cannabis climate in Canada. Maté touches on the “war on drugs,” writing how decriminalization can benefit not only the user, but the society he or she resides in. He writes, “Can we imagine the progress we could achieve if a great proportion of the resources now poured Ito the toxic sinkholes of enforcement and incarceration were dedicated to prevention, harm reduction and treatment? That is the possibility.” Continue reading
I just wrapped up a short Arizona road trip, so I know full well how hard it can be to stay healthy while on-the-go. Yes, we packed a lot of healthy snacks, but there’s this thing that often happens when travelling that makes the time move strangely so that all of a sudden you realize you’re starving and haven’t kept an eye out for an ideal food option. Before you know it, you’re at a random restaurant or fast food joint wolfing down whatever comes out the quickest, hottest and most satisfying. Continue reading
The ideology of feminism and the propulsion of female empowerment has, in the last couple years, exploded. Stand silent in the middle of a crowded subway car; walk down a busy street; sit at a sunny patio with more than just bees buzzing around. Listen. Or, as some people might call it, eavesdrop (insert bashful emoji). You might notice how the conversation has shifted. Yes you might also overhear the daily mundane, yet in between those updates and observations are stories with a new type of hero — the empowered female. Continue reading
It’s been 8 months since I wrote my Endy vs. Casper review. 8 months of solid sleeps, necessary naps and a lot of lounging. As a freelancer, I spend a lot of time in bed — more than I even realized once officially partnered with Endy shortly after reviewing its mattress. From sleeping, to watching shows and even writing (case in point…right now!), it’s become my favourite place to relax in my home. This is a key feeling to have when it comes to any bedroom or mattress. Although I do caution being able to do too many things in bed outside of sleeping. As a health advocate, it would be remiss of me not to. Continue reading
Last month I joined Myodetox Performance‘s 30 day challenge: Completing 30 classes in 30 days. I set my own personal goal of 20 classes because I was still doing other workouts, mainly getting back into running and also dropping in at the new Big Hit location. It was a blessing in disguise that I was being realistic because May ended up being a challenging month for other reasons, which meant my schedule was all over the place. Or that I just couldn’t get out of bed. Continue reading
Photos by Ruby Photo Studio
According to Statistics Canada, nearly 50% of people who don’t volunteer have never donated their time “because no one had asked them to, which suggests they might sign up to volunteer if they were approached the right way.” Time might be the biggest barrier to volunteering — read: not enough — but if people were more aware of aligned opportunities to help out, perhaps that wouldn’t be an issue to begin with. There are countless of organizations creating incredible philanthropic programs that appeal to different interests, Lane 6 being one of them. Continue reading
One thing everyone needs to know about me is that I adore my sleep. It’s one of the most important relationships in my life. I’ve spent years nurturing it and while there are so many different factors that play into a perfect slumber, a proper bed tops the list for me. I might not a pea-crazy princess, but as an extrememly light sleeper, physical comfort is key.