A Puppy Pandemic: Unleashing the Mental Health Benefits of Having a Pet
Growing up, I never had a pet dog. My parents, both working professionals, had to balance their employment schedules with raising four children, and it was simply not in the cards for our family. While we had fish, birds, and even turtles, my siblings and I attempted to use our best persuasion skills to convince my parents that we could somehow manage to take care of a dog whilst being in school all day. This, of course, was unrealistic and we instead turned to the [...]
Pandemic Protection: More Than Just Masks
Please Note: The names of the clients have been changed to protect their privacy and confidentiality. During a regular follow-up with my 17-year-old client, Lily, she was thrilled to inform me that against all the odds of the lockdown, she had matched with, and fallen for, an older guy, Jack, on a dating app. She exclaimed that this was her first “real relationship”. Even though her parents had firm expectations around COVID-19 precautions, Lily was determined to spend time with her new boyfriend. To [...]
How Living an Active Lifestyle can Improve your Mental Health & Well-being
By: Nicholas Commisso Physical Exercise (PE) is commonly associated with physical and aesthetic fitness. People who regularly partake in PE typically appear more fit, carry more lean muscle tissue, have greater cardiovascular health and are more likely to excel in athletics. However, there is so much more to fitness than this! Arguably more relevant and vital to today’s climate, PE can drastically improve the quality of a person’s mental health. Continue reading to understand some of the reasons that an active lifestyle can improve [...]
Tips for Healthy Social Media Use
With the use of social media growing, so is our dependency on it. In Canada, 84.9% of internet users visit social media sites, spending hours online which can lead to negative metal health impacts. So how can we fight this?
A Reflection on School Anxiety
How many of you have heard sentiments like these? “I can’t bring myself to get to school”, “I’m staying home”, “I can’t get out of bed”, “My anxiety is really high.” These are all common remarks that I, as a clinician, hear in child and adolescent mental health settings. Typically, students who refuse to attend school due to anxiety are not a rebellious group of individuals intent on boycotting their responsibilities. Rather, for these students, the process of leaving home and going to school [...]
Coronasomnia: The second pandemic that is sweeping the nation
The COVID-19 pandemic has led health experts across the world to credit a second pandemic known as coronasomnia. Coronasomnia has been labelled as the insomnia individuals are experiencing because of the pandemic and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Since several lockdowns have occurred in Ontario, there has been a growing concern regarding lack of sleep. COVID-19 has created an environment in which disrupted routines and constant uncertainty have led to people reporting a lack of sleep. Studies have suggested mothers, essential workers, [...]