With the holidays coming up and Black Friday sales just around the corner, it’s important to plan how you’ll be paying for the upcoming season’s extra expenses. If you’ve previously adjusted your budget to reflect the added costs, you should have enough cash already put aside. However, the holiday season can sneak up on us, and many forget to plan ahead financially. If you need to reach for credit, remember there is nothing wrong with using credit cards to pay for your expenses, as long as you have a plan in place to pay back the debt in full, within a reasonable amount of time.

Sometimes we can feel able to handle whatever life brings. But life can bring challenges! When we’re stressed or overwhelmed, it can be hard to bounce back. Maybe we feel disappointed in ourselves – or sad and anxious. Or maybe we feel misunderstood and undermined. What do you do when there’s little left to give? When you aren’t sure you can rely on yourself? What do you do at a practical level, and what do you do with your uncomfortable feelings? Counselling provides a safe and non-judgmental place to talk, to consider options, and to help you proceed with confidence.

All types of acne can scar; some mild, some severe…but all scars are like diamonds; they are forever.
Modern acne scar therapy with skin resurfacing by lasers, radio frequency, and microneedling can reduce the scarring, but usually a 50 percent improvement is seen as a good result, and the cost can be significant. It follows then that early, active treatment of acne to prevent scarring makes the most sense. Yet it is hard to see a dermatologist, even to get a referral, until the acne is advanced, and scarring has been established. The impact of acne is not limited to physical scarring; the emotional and psychological scars can run much deeper…with social, self-esteem, and even employment consequences. Seek help with acne as soon as you can.

It is really difficult for most of us to get through the grey, dark winter days of November to March. Feeling changes such as a loss in energy, focus, concentration, passions, and hope, and increases in feelings of stress, worry, and guilt are typical symptoms of depression. If this is your experience, you have to live through a lot of invisible pain that many people cannot understand. Knowing about Seasonal Affective (or Adjustment) Disorder (SAD) may be a key to happier days. Contact a counsellor, your GP, or the Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.bc.ca) to learn about SAD treatment.

You want your smile to look its best no matter where you are, and having an organized plan for denture care can ensure that it will. Choose your meals and beverages carefully, bring along your own ‘denture friendly’ snacks for flights and long drives, pack the right cleaning products and tools, and remember to stick to your daily routine for the best results. Be proactive by taking the time to see your denturist before you travel. He can ensure your denture fits properly and is functioning as it should, which can help you avoid bigger problems while away from home.