Mental health during the holidays can feel really hard. The holiday and Christmas season is often packaged as this picture-perfect time of joy, connection, and festive cheer. To be fair, many of us enjoy much of what the holidays has to offer. But let's be real: even in the best of times, the holidays can bring periods of intense stress, anxiety, depression, and even loneliness depending on our social situations.

SAD is a type of depressive disorder that is linked to changes in seasons, most commonly it presents in the fall and with symptoms continuing through the winter months. Less frequently, SAD can onset in the spring or early summer, resolving in the fall or winter months. 

So given the shortening days in Calgary, Alberta, we figured this was the right time to cover what SAD is, what causes it and what strategies that you can do to help manage depressive symptoms as you navigate the winter months. 

In our fast-paced world, it seems like we are constantly juggling a thousand things at once leading to burnout. From careers, supporting children, trying to pursue hobbies, staying on top of tasks, supporting aging parents, trying to stay connected to friends and trying to take care of our health – it is a lot, and it is easy to get overwhelmed and burnt out. 

There are few experiences more painful than not being able to fall asleep at night, staring at the clock and wishing desperately that you could overcome sleeplessness and insomnia.

In this blog post, we break down what the mood congruence effect is, how this can impact people with depression, and what you can do with this information to help break out of depressive symptoms.

Have you ever caught yourself stuck in a pattern of thinking that no matter what you do, it just never feels like enough? Maybe you blame yourself when things don’t go right, but brush it off as luck. If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and it might be a sign of learned helplessness.

Grit is the ability to persevere and overcome challenges, especially in the face of difficulties. It is a significant predictor of success. In this post, we explore what grit is, its importance, and how to cultivate it.

What happens when we get too stressed out? And what is toxic stress and how do we manage it? We will cover these questions and more in this post on toxic stress.

In this post we discuss the upsides of virtual counselling, recognizing that this format increases accessibility, reduces barriers and improves convenience; all of which increase the opportunities to connect and for people to improve their mental health.

Among the most important steps you will take in your journey to improving your mental health and wellness is selecting the right counsellor. Building a strong connection with a counsellor can be immensely rewarding as it can create a space where you feel heard, respected and seen.

In the field of mental health, the terms counsellor, therapist, and psychologist are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing when you are trying to find the right professional to suit your needs.

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment, without judgment. It involves intentionally paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, or the surrounding environment.