Everyone’s childhood is different. Some people have fond memories of running through a sprinkler on a hot day, playing with siblings and creating recollections that form their behaviours and personalities at an early age. However, as a person grows up and enters early adulthood they are often told to be professional, more mature and to suppress that child-like nature that made them who they are. This suppressed child-like nature is referred to as the “inner child.” The concept was created by psychiatrist Carl Jung, who says that everyone has an inner child.  A person’s inner child is the part of themselves that was created during their early stages of life.…

“I struggled a lot with derealization and depersonalization in my teenage years,” says 21-year-old Lisa-Sophie Berthold, an architecture student from Munich, Germany. “Since then, whenever my head starts feeling cloudy, I make a conscious effort for more self-awareness and evaluate what I can do to feel more like I actually belong to the world instead of just walking on it.”  Self-awareness is defined as the ability to examine oneself with objectivity. Having a high level of self-awareness allows people to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and make better decisions in life based on self-knowledge.  Berthold says that going to the gym has been a beneficial practice for her. “Whenever I…

Nobody can know.  Alexandra Grifone still remembers her parents’ reaction when her middle school guidance counsellor suggested that she should attend therapy to deal with their divorce. They were adamant that nobody could find out, especially other family members.  “They viewed it as embarrassing,” Grifone says. “It was kind of seen as a weakness, as something you wouldn’t be proud of.” Growing up, her parents’ lack of understanding around mental illness left her without the tools or outlets to properly understand what she was going through.  She says that the media’s negative portrayal of mental illness strongly influenced her parents’ conceptualization of the topic, such as the ways in which…

Many people look forward to fall and winter because of the aesthetic of sweater weather, hot drinks, snuggling up on the couch with a book or watching seasonal movies.  Although these elements of the chilly months are wonderful, the changing of seasons can be daunting for some people. The transition into the fall or winter can bring focus to negative aspects like the early dark evenings and the dry, freezing blizzards. A person’s environment has the ability to affect their mood and well being. The changing seasons can result in not wanting to leave bed and having little energy to do any activity at all.  Those that face the changing…

Sleep is something that everyone needs and yet many people do not get enough of it. During the pandemic, there has been plenty of time to binge-watch Netflix in bed until the early hours of the morning or pull an all-nighter for an exam the next day. But these habits throw off our body clock and can cause people to fall asleep late and wake up even later.  Here are some basic tips you can follow to repair your sleep schedule from Toronto-based sleep specialists Dr. Colin Shapiro and Dr. John Peever. Get in tune with your body clock The term “body clock” is just another name for the circadian…

As the semester begins, it is easy to become caught up in the hectic mess of essays, quizzes and other assignments. This can especially be the case when juggling other responsibilities such as jobs and personal matters. The term “burnout” was first coined by German psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger in 1974. He defined burnout as a work-related condition in which individuals experience exhaustion, depression and an overall disinterest in everyday function. Recent University of Toronto graduate J. Wang found himself grappling with these symptoms during his time in school, particularly the loss of motivation. “Not wanting to attend classes, being unable to focus and disassociating from my body,” he says.…

Lindsay Dobson, program coordinator at Hopewell Eating Disorder Support Centre in Ottawa, saw a dramatic increase in clients registering for support group services in summer 2021.  Hopewell is a support centre that offers low-cost accessible services such as group therapy and arts and yoga classes. They also offer educational programs for both those struggling with an eating disorder, as well as friends and family members who are affected. Dobson says that the day she opened online registration to the public, the spots were filled in less than 24 hours.  “Before COVID there was already a high demand for support. Now there is even more,” she says. “This is not going…

Earlier this year, high school student Sophia Ruselle noticed a shift in her close friend’s behaviour.  Her friend was withdrawn and distant. He had no motivation, his outlook on life had become hopeless, he was always sleeping and his moods were all over the place.  Ruselle recognized that her friend was suffering from depression. When he began to self-harm, she notified his family before the situation could escalate.  She knew all too well the seriousness of untreated depression. In November of last year, she attempted to take her own life. Her suicide attempt was a culmination of the stress invoked by the frequent lockdowns and school closures.  A study conducted…

Throughout her childhood, Adriana Bellisomo, 18, watched her mother struggle to quit smoking cigarettes. When her mother finally kicked the habit, she made Bellisomo promise to never smoke. And for a while that was an easy promise to keep. Most of her friends found cigarettes to be dirty, so the temptation never formulated.  Then her friends began to boast about their vibrant vaping devices and liquid cartridges full of delectable flavours like bubblegum and sour berry. Bellisomo was intrigued—these seemed so different from the smelly, cancer causing sticks she had watched her mother puff on. These didn’t feel dangerous or dirty, they felt cool. She wasn’t alone; a study conducted…

I first started travelling when I took a gap year in between high school and college. It was 2015 and I had moved to Whistler, B.C., to work selling ski passes for the mountain. From there, I was hooked. In the years since, I have visited nine different countries and countless cities.  However, a change came in March 2019, when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I spent three days in the intensive care unit (ICU) to bring down my blood sugar after my body had entered Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a complication of diabetes that happens when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones.…

Have you ever wondered why going on a camping trip or spending a weekend at the cottage is so alluring? Why, even during the government’s stay at home orders, a daily walk was not only encouraged, but called a necessity? There is scientific evidence that shows the myriad of physical and mental health benefits of spending time outside.  Mental health issues continue to plague the country, with stress and anxiety on the rise due to the impacts of COVID-19. Statistics Canada released the results of their online questionnaire which showed the decline of mental well-being amongst the general population. The results reported that youth, ages 15 to 24, are suffering the most with almost…

Police wellness checks are performed when someone whose mental health or well-being are a potential danger to themselves or others. Officers are called to assess the person’s mental health, as well as to ensure that the person’s living situation is healthy and stable.  However, more often than not, wellness checks become violent — and not just at the hands of the vulnerable person. Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee, a psychologist and the founder and director of Slim Centre for Mental Health in Toronto, said she thinks that police should not be the ones conducting these wellness checks. “I definitely think it shouldn’t be police,” she said. “It’s not their jobs. I think…

Kind Mind is a health and wellbeing column committed to sharing stories of recovery, transformation, healing and hope. Columnist Simone Côté is a Master of Arts in Education and Society graduate from McGill University. Her Master’s thesis focused on art and wellness. A personal essay by Simone Côté It took me the majority of my Master’s program to figure out why so many young people are at such a great risk for mental health problems. Other people often agreed with me about the severity of the issue, but, like myself, weren’t able to give scientific language to the problem. At one point in my research, I had discovered that not…

January 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of Bell Media’s mental health awareness campaign, Bell Let’s Talk, which has fundraised over $100 million. The trend-setting hashtag #BellLetsTalk maximized the virulent nature by which information spreads on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, to create over a million interactions on the topic. The awareness campaign has set new records on the sheer amount of discussions about mental health awareness and curation held in the decade that the hashtag began trending. Some people, however, feel that the success of the campaign is a poisoned fruit and suspect the true motives in which Bell launched the campaign to be less than altruistic. Bell…

Kind Mind is a health and wellbeing column committed to sharing stories of recovery, transformation, healing and hope. Columnist Simone Côté is a recent Master of Arts in Education and Society graduate from McGill University whose Master’s thesis focused on art and wellness. The ongoing reality which today’s youth find themselves in is unsettling and increasingly stressful. Throw in a pandemic, and we’ve arrived at the present day. Statistics Canada says youth employment continues to lag behind in Canada’s COVID-19 economic recovery. Unemployment remained high in September, with its rate currently sitting about ten per cent lower than what it was in Feb. 2020. Recent research from Elsevier publishing highlights the negative psychological…

While it is common to see first aid kits for physical health, it is not as common to see first aid kits for mental health. This is where Tina Chan’s company, PASS Inc., comes in handy.  PASS — which stands for Panic, Anxiety, Stress, Support — aims to provide physical resources catered to mental health, through their PASS kits. “[The kits are] inspired by the idea of the physical, traditional first aid kits that were always there in workplaces and especially schools, to treat in the moment, non-severe burns, cuts and wounds,” said Chan, who is also pursuing a master’s degree at the School of Public Health and Health Systems at…

Kind Mind Introducing Kind Mind, a health and wellbeing column committed to sharing stories of recovery, transformation, healing and hope. Columnist Simone Côté is a recent Master of Arts in Education and Society graduate from McGill University whose Master’s thesis focused on art and wellness. Throughout the years, my counsellors have always commended me on how actively I engage in my treatment, how willing I was to try what they recommended. Journaling, scrutinizing negative self-talk with opposing evidence, listening to music I enjoy, creative writing, meditation, yoga — these were all things I practised in order to work out the intense trauma-based fear responses I had learned in childhood. It…

Most colleges and universities in Ontario are holding all classes online during fall semester, which means that post-secondary students won’t have easy access to school gyms or reason to walk around campuses. Much of Ontario moved to Stage 3 of reopening in late July, which allowed gyms to reopen. However, many students normally use school gyms, and some may feel uncomfortable going to public gyms, for risk of their own or their family members’ health. As classes resumed online this month, many students are spending their days doing coursework from home.  That makes it crucial for students to stay active, says Jess Takimoto, a third-year commerce student at Queen’s University…

As we enter the sixth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for accessible and affordable mental health services in Canada and Ontario is accelerating.  “Everybody is recognizing the impact that this virus is having on their wellness, and that includes their mental health wellness,” said Helen Fishburn, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington. In the early stages of the pandemic, half of Canadians reported their mental health worsening.  A report by the Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) suggests that young adults below the age of 40 are more likely to experience moderate to severe anxiety, binge drink, and feel lonely and depressed as a result of…

From tuition to textbooks, university students are often bombarded with burdensome fees. With little money to spend and even less free time, maintaining a healthy diet can be troublesome and easily abandoned in favour of cheaper, often less nutritional options.  One of the most common misconceptions about veganism is that going vegan is too expensive. According to an article on Live Kindley.com, a survey by the Humane League found that cost was the second-most commonly reported barrier for students who wanted to go vegan. The article noted that “meat, dairy and eggs are often among the most expensive grocery items.” The misconception that veganism is costly typically serves as a roadblock…

As Canadians adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, using technology has become essential for communication and entertainment. However, this increased screen time has taken a physical and mental toll on many users. As companies embrace telecommuting, for many, the average workday now consists of eight hours at home sitting at a computer. Leisure time has also become increasingly digital, with a July health report by Statistics Canada stating that two-thirds of Canadians increased their consumption of TV and internet since March shutdowns. At first, the effects of these changes may have passed unnoticed, but as weeks turned to months, people have felt many physical and mental symptoms of extra screen time, including digital…