Since the start of the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression have been going up at an alarming rate. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ancestry, etc. That’s why it’s more important now than ever before to pay attention to your mental health, to know the signs of depression and anxiety, and to build some self-care for mental health into your daily routines.

When my second child was born, I was completely unprepared for the postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety that quickly set in. It changed me, it changed my journey through motherhood, and it changed my career. All of a sudden, my understanding of the postnatal mental health challenges so many women face expanded – and we don’t talk about them enough.

There has long been a stigma around mental health issues, so much so that often people who are suffering keep it to themselves for fear of being judged. That stigma seems to be lifting and there are safe places you can go to get the care you need.

The lyrics to that Taylor Swift song often makes me think of all the new moms out there, some of whom are suffering in silence with postpartum depression or anxiety. Feeling like they aren’t capable of being good mothers and that, somehow, it’s their own fault. It’s not. A major life change like bringing a whole new person into the world coupled with massive changes going on in your body can cause a little or a lot of mental and emotional fog in the early days.

Congratulations! You grew a complete and tiny human in your body and then gave birth to him or her. From the moment you found out you were pregnant, you probably paid close attention to your diet. Tried to hydrate enough, increased your intake of fruits, veggies, protein, dairy, and ice cream. (Maybe the ice cream was just me?)

Your body has been through so much. You grew an entire human being! You labored to bring that person into the world, and now you spend all day every day feeding, rocking, and loving that little baby. Your breasts may feel swollen, your pelvic area is healing, and the space between your hip bones and your ribs just feels like jelly where there should be muscle.

It’s no secret that routines and rituals are restorative. Our nervous system, by design, responds favourably to the familiar. When we know what to expect, we feel safe. It’s the unexpected things in life that can cause confusion and indecision, leading to stress and a nervous system in a state of unrest. Even the simplest of routines performed with regularity can create a sense of surety and safety.

Lakota Wisdom tells us that “In the circle, we are all equal. There is no one in front of you and there is nobody behind you. No one is above you; no one is below you. The circle is sacred because it is designed to create unity.”

You might have noticed a theme this month in our blogs – all those important things we need for our own health and wellness? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our kids need them too. And gut health is no exception.

Few of us live a life exempt from loss or pain. Anyone who has lost a loved one too soon or gone through a bad breakup can recall not only their emotional reaction but their physical reaction as well. The loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia. Heartache is something most of us can relate to, but why? How does an emotional event lead to physical symptoms?

For nearly three years now, our lives have been upended by external events well beyond our control, from a global pandemic to geopolitical strife and so many other things in between. You may have read a number of articles that attempted to articulate how you might be feeling. Were you languishing? Was your nervous system unbalanced due to a period of prolonged stress? Or did you simply feel, like I did, like a prairie dog popping up over and over again to scan for danger. It was like playing wack-a-mole!

Winter is tough for us in so many ways. Fewer hours of daylight can have serious impacts on our mood. The cold means we can’t swim in the lake, grow vegetables in our garden, or barbeque at a pool party. The ice and snow can make it difficult to even leave the house sometimes. On top of all that, it can disrupt our grounding practice.

One of the reasons so many people love the holiday season is all of the traditions that come with it. The merriest celebrants are those who already know what day they’ll take off to go shopping, where they’ll get their Christmas tree and hang the stockings, or whose party they’ll be at when ringing in the new year.

Mindful Movement is the Most…

Satisfying

Beneficial

Calming

We think mindful movement is simply the best.

Do you ever feel as though you are sleepwalking through life? Driving on autopilot and going through the routine motions of your day – brushing your teeth, fixing a salad for lunch, zoning out watching television in the evenings?

Some of the greatest gifts in life don’t come in boxes and aren’t to be found under the Christmas tree. This December, as the year is rapidly coming to a close and the mad dash to the mall and online shopping descend, I want to give you permission to slow down and take care of yourself. Self-love is essential, and I encourage you to give yourself the gift of well-being as 2022 comes to a close.

According to the Autoimmune Association, 50 million Americans - or 1 in every 5 - have one or more of the 100+ autoimmune diseases in existence. These include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and so many others. Perhaps even more startling is that approximately 75 percent of those affected are women.

We’ve been talking a lot about the link between a healthy gut and balanced hormones. If you haven’t been reading along this month, the short version is that our digestive system – or gut – plays a critical role in hormonal health. Levels of serotonin, thyroid, cholesterol and so many other hormones we need to regulate our mental and physical health are dependent on a happy microbiome.

Our bodies are incredibly complex and our systems are interconnected. What happens in one part of the body can have a major impact on what goes on in other parts of the body or even, as we’ve discussed previously, our brain. Nowhere is that truer than in our gut. And its impact on our hormone balance – or imbalance – is undeniable.

Have you ever been so worried about something that you just couldn’t eat? Have you felt fluttery in your stomach when you were nervous about a test result or a performance review at work? These are two small examples of the connection between your brain and ‘second brain’, your gut.