For many seniors, living alone may directly affect how often they engage in social activities. Social interactions often decrease as we age, which is why it is important to be involved in social activities as often as possible. The more active you are, the better you will feel in many ways both physically and mentally. If you are finding yourself lonely, while living on your own, you may want to connect with others by joining groups such as, volunteering with organizations including a local senior centre. Another solution is to consider moving to a seniors’ residence which is ideally suited to create many opportunities for social interaction and fun daily.
Community News
Alcohol Free Elixirs
Ancient wisdom describes an elixir as a magical or medicinal potion designed to cure. Solbrü has redefined a modern elixir as a liquid infusion of herbs that serves a function in the body. They have soulfully infused a blend of balancing herbs and adaptogenic mushrooms, to raise vibes and ground souls. Their Brü replaces alcoholic spirits in a sophisticated way, with its own unique flavours and novel functionality, delivering a bold authentic bite without the hangover. Drink it as a shot, sip it on the rocks; or enjoy it in an AF (alcohol-free) cocktail. Pour over a glass of nut or oat milk or mix it with orange or grapefruit juice for an extra Vitamin C punch.
Boost Mental Health & Performance at Work
During this global pandemic, the need for mental health support has increased fourfold. As an employee, the best thing you can do for your mental health is to be vocal. If you are struggling, speak up or use the Wellness Together Canada free resources. Waiting causes longer term damage impacting productivity and quality of life. If you are an employer, ask how you can support your team every day. Then, make or get a Mental Health First Aid kit and put it somewhere visible to demonstrate mental health is just as important as physical health. Include things like motivational cards, mindfulness colouring sheets, stress balls, breathing exercises and general resilience tips.
Stay Young at Heart
CardioFlex Q10™ is a proprietary collagen precursor formula designed to promote the body’s natural ability to produce collagen and repair connective tissues to support cardiovascular health. Each serving contains 2000 mg Vitamin C, amino acids and other nutrients that help build structural elastin and structural collagen, maintain cardiovascular health, reduce the recurrence of herpes simplex virus/shingles, maintain proper muscle function and generally maintain good health. Excellent for supplementing vegan diets and made in Canada by Innotech Nutrition, a family company.
Clean Eating Recipe
Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins: INGREDIENTS: 12 large eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup chopped spinach, 3/4 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced onions. INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Add sliced avocado, salsa and crumbled feta or a shredded cheese before serving. This recipe freezes well for future easy healthy breakfasts.
Book Club: Beyond the Label
Beyond the Label offers a unique perspective on mental health: it shares the author’s own recovery from four major mental health conditions: anxiety, depression (attempted suicide), bulimia, and bipolar disorder type 1. The book outlines a detailed, step-by-step plan for how others can achieve optimal mental health. A combination of practical clinical experience and years of lived experience, the book shares insight into how diet, exercise, and sleep can be optimized for improved mental wellbeing, as well as strategies for coping with negative thoughts and emotions, and building self-love and compassion, among other skills.
Help for Mask Anxiety
Face mask conversations seem to go one of two ways — a debate about why people should wear one or a debate about why they won’t wear one. But there is another stance that we might not be taking into consideration. For some people, the thought of wearing a mask can cause a great deal of stress or even panic. This is known as mask anxiety. Mask anxiety is a very real thing for people who have anxiety disorders, who suffer from trauma, or sensory processing. Simply wearing a mask is not as straightforward for everyone. If you could benefit from a mask-anxiety coaching session, please connect with me.
Using our Gifts to Better the World
‘Tis the season to give and receive, yet this holiday season will be like no other. Many are tired, overwhelmed, exhausted and anxious for this to end, while navigating a pandemic with many restrictions, limitations and emerging needs. How can we best use our own gifts and talents to serve and nurture our relationship with self, others, material things and our changing world instead of filling up with more “stuff”? We are being called to diligently examine and discern what is most important and in need of deep repair, healing, and loving while bringing in more ease, kindness, compassion and light moving forward into 2021.
Mental Health This Winter
Winter months can be difficult for those experiencing a mental health challenge or illness, especially during and following the holiday season. There are, however, a myriad of evidence-based ways to boost your physical and mental well-being. One important tool is vitamin D. Research clearly shows the benefits of this powerful vitamin for improving body and thereby brain health. Our bodies synthesize this nutrient through exposure to the sun. However, during reduced daylight months we are unable to get what we need from our solar source. If low mood persists, contact your healthcare provider or local CMHA for additional information and resources.
Supporting Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a noticeable impact on the mental health of Canadians, and the federal government has taken some good initial steps towards addressing this with an economic recovery plan and the free Wellness Together Canada portal. However, about 1.6 million Canadians were living with unmet mental health needs before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Mental Health Association is working to expand and adapt its virtual services and supports countrywide, and is also calling on the federal government to take further action to support Canadians’ mental health needs. For more information, please visit:
The Gift of Gratitude & Reflection
As we move into the darkest and shortest day of the year on December 21st, we enter a month of reflection and appreciation for what we have and who we have in our lives. Creating a gratitude list, sending notes of thanks and appreciation, taking inventory of the significant moments of our past year in review. Taking the time to reflect, sets the stage and allows us to better figure out where we want to put our energy and move towards the new year to come.
