Studies have shown that working from home can have positive effects – and even increase productivity. However, working from home under normal circumstances is very different from being forced to work at home due to a global pandemic. Many of us are now faced with significant shifts to our daily lives and new worries and stresses. Every time we turn … Read More

The pervasiveness of trauma and its impact on our local communities and the world has seldom been so visible. The outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed cracks in how vulnerable and fragile our global community can become. Our thoughts are taken up with concern for loved ones, uncertainty about work and our personal health, and anxiety about what tomorrow will bring. … Read More

There’s a dark and a troubled side of life. There’s a bright and a sunny side too. But if you meet with the darkness and strife, the sunny side we also may view.” – Keep on the Sunny Side of Life Since 1899 when Keep on the Sunny Side of Life was written, artists like Johnny Cash have belted out … Read More

Do you have anything you would like to change? Is there something you do too much of? Or, is there something you do too little of? Would you like to change the way you interact with someone close to you, but feel like you are short on the willpower needed to take action? Maybe it feels like you’re in a … Read More

When did we start believing that expert help is required for life’s stress and struggles? I recently heard a radio segment on eco-anxiety, and at the end of the story, the radio announcer advised people who felt emotionally impacted by climate change to contact a mental health professional. I countered out loud for people to first try building their psychological … Read More

Several months ago, I moved into a new management position at ACHIEVE. After two weeks on the job, someone asked me what changes I had made and what I had shaken up after coming onboard. This conversation left me a little perplexed and somewhat unsettled. Are we really supposed to be disrupters as soon as we start a new job? … Read More

Families are often considered to be a safe place and quiet refuge. Although conflicts may happen from time to time, when they are a common occurrence – or there’s a particularly intense conflict – the family relationship of trust, safety, and support can break down. What follows are 4 tips that can help you move through family conflict. For this … Read More

My grandfather, Amos, died a few weeks ago at the age of 95. We gathered as a family to mourn and celebrate his life. In the week after his death, we spent many hours with my grandmother, sifting through his possessions and reflecting on his life. Amos worked as a masonry contractor for 50 years in a small city in … Read More

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about managing change. For many of us, it’s graduation season. My son graduated last week and will be attending university out of province in the fall. He is the last of our three children to leave home, so my husband and I will be faced with a quiet house, less groceries to stock … Read More

Are there ever times when your self-talk is particularly negative? Maybe you’ve been “shoulding” more than usual (“I should go to the gym,” “I should spend more time with my kids,” and so on), or maybe you have a bad case of “stinkin’ thinkin’” and your inner critic has been particularly harsh lately (“I’m such a loser,” “I always mess … Read More