In January, it’s common to hear friends and family talking about the ways they want to get healthier: Starting therapy or eating an apple for every slice of pizza. Resolutions usually revolve around physical, mental or emotional health. Sexual health is forgotten, or if it’s not, those of us making sexy resolutions are staying quiet. […]
Well Being Guide
Posted inLifestyle
Five ways to break a winter sweat
1. Skate There’s nothing a dose of vitamin O can’t fix. The Oval—AKA the most joyous place in town this time of year—has you covered when it comes to free-for-all ice surface, also no-cost skate rentals, a warming room, top 40 radio and so many cute families and dates and brand new skaters. There are […]
Posted inLifestyle
High-speed connection
My first breakup happened the summer before grade nine. I answered a late-night phone call from my best friend, who told me matter-of-factly that I didn’t have the social capital needed for her attempt to launch herself amongst the popular girls. We could, she offered, still hang out outside of school, but lunchtimes discussing weird […]
Posted inLifestyle
New year, same you
January, arguably more than any month of the year, is when we are the most focused on ourselves. This can be a great thing: What are our goals? What are the changes we want to see in the coming year? How can we do better? It’s pretty much “me” month, which makes this well-being guide […]
Posted inLifestyle
What exactly is forest bathing?
You’re stressed, over-caffeinated and filled with an existential dread whenever you check the news or your to-do list. Exhaustion fizzles and cracks from your joints as if you have some weird, fatigue-fuelled form of the bends. The diagnosis seems inescapable: You’re a human in 2019. So what, then, does it take in this very online, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Men, boys and mental health
Recently I was on a hike with a male client who was sexually abused by his father and was currently struggling with chronic depression, an addiction to prescription drugs and under-employment. Walking side-by-side this particular morning, we happened across a bullfrog—likely injured from some predator—dragging a bloodied limb behind. He stared for a while—tears appearing […]
Posted inLifestyle
Six ways to stay warm and chill out this winter
Sauna Nova Scotia Sauna Nova Scotia’s Erica and Devin Brook built their mobile sauna with Nova Scotian winters in mind. And after spending some time as a roving, wood-fired source of self-care and socializing, they’ve parked in Musquodoboit Harbour, teaming up with Worthington Place Oceanside rentals, meaning if you want to turn your sweaty session […]
Posted inLifestyle
Fat is not a failure
The new year symbolizes a fresh start, a chance to shrug off last year’s bad choices. But it also rings in prime season for diet culture. Almost as soon as that clock strikes midnight we’re inundated with weight loss ads, gym promotion, “fitspo” and a sea of before-and-after pictures, all there to remind us that […]
Posted inLifestyle
What I learned from living a bigger life in a smaller space
I blame Marie Kondo. I was sitting on the kitchen floor, surrounded by kitchen utensils. After deciding that I only needed one cheese grater, I held each of my three cheese graters up to my heart, as the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up advocates, and pondered which one brought me the most […]
Posted inLifestyle
The neuroscience of ritual
I t’s the pour-over coffee/unicorn mug/crossword routine that starts your morning, and those lucky underwear you put on when your team is in the playoffs. It’s the route you walk to work, and the weekly Skype-and-popcorn date with your sister. Whether you realize it or not, your life is full of ritual. Nope, ritual isn’t […]
Posted inLifestyle
Noon Hoops is anyone’s game
“Game!” a booming voice yells out with a hint of pride laced with exhaustion. At that moment, 22 people playing basketball end three simultaneous matches in the middle of a Friday work day. It’s Noon Hoops at the Dalplex and the four letter word signals that it’s time to switch it up and start a […]
