Plants reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Plants have shown an increase in creativity, both in school and the workplace. They found plants brought a 37% reduction in tension and anxiety, a 58% reduction in depression and a 44% reduction in anger and hostility. Studies showed an improvement in preschooler’s memory, and cognitive function when participants walked in nature. Children with ADHD had better concentration after a walk in the park than after an urban neighborhood walk. Taking breaks to view or be in nature helps restore everyone’s attention.

The physical work of gardening, preparing soil, planting seeds, watering and weeding produces good chemicals in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine. Garden work can also help reduce blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels. Low cortisol levels keep inflammation down and manages carbohydrates and blood sugars. Being physically active through gardening provides lasting wellness benefits. Physical exercise – digging, hoeing and watering uses balance, muscles, and strength. While all physical activity is beneficial, your emotions benefit too!

Living in or near green spaces, spending time in both natural settings, and cultivated green space can improve mood and reduce the negative effects of stress. Other positive outcomes include reduction in aggressive feelings and enhancement of overall well-being. Studies have found that exposure to indoor plants improved feelings of well-being in participants. Plants are the lungs of the planet, drawing in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. One of the best things about caring for indoor plants is the beautiful exchange that happens because plants depend on our care, and in turn, they take care of us by improving the indoor air quality we breathe.

SRWC is a unique, welcoming, recovery-oriented community, accompanying individuals, families and friends affected by substance abuse in their journey towards recovery. We offer, group individual, couples counselling, and family counselling and education programs during the day and evening, co-ed and gender specific programs and support for individuals and their families. The Access, program for those awaiting a program of their choice, Exploring Options participating in a recovery plan, gender specific Continuing Recovery Program, or our co-ed evening Work Sober Program focusing on recovery maintenance. We support your recovery by helping you find the services you need.

The transition to remote and hybrid work and back to the worksite has been difficult for many reasons, and one consistent issue the idea of taking breaks. Taking breaks benefits both health and performance markers, such as energy levels, morale, and vigor, while decreasing job burnout, fatigue, and work stress. A bulk of research shows the best way to boost productivity is to take microbreaks every 60 minutes away from screen time. Try standing up, moving around, stretching, or practicing mindfulness and deep breathing exercises to keep you motivated during your work blocks.

Roughly 16% of couples in Canada experience infertility. This number has doubled since the 1980s, Traditional Chinese Medicine can help to reverse these numbers. Some studies have found that acupuncture may help with things like sperm quality, motility and counts in men, and increased blood flow to the uterus, with an impact in their quality of their eggs and regulation of hormones in women. Acupuncture has been used as a protocol all over the world when couples going through IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment, as it may increase the number of follicles produced and studies showed that the patients who received acupuncture before and after IVF transfer increased significantly their outcomes.