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Live Smart Resiliency Blog

There are two blogs on this website. The Live Smart Resiliency Blog provides tips on helpful ways to cope with everyday life stressors. Scroll below to discover resiliency and wellness strategies that will lead to more joy, success and meaning in your life.

The second is the Work Smart Wellness Blog which addresses workplace challenges and strategies to promote a comprehensive workplace wellness program. Discover more about these strategies by clicking the green Work Smart Wellness Blog button.

Have a specific topic in mind? Use the search button to find posts that address specific stress or wellness issues.

Depression Screening Day: How To Tell If It Is Depression?

October 10

What Is Depression Screening? Before screening for depression, we need to understand what Depression is. Depression is a biochemical disorder that causes changes in a person’s mood, behaviour, and feelings. Symptoms include: sadness fatigue sleep and appetite disturbances difficulty concentrating feelings of hopelessness restlessness or decreased activity loss of interest in usual activities aches and pains with no other medical cause thoughts of death or suicide We all have experienced some of these symptoms at one point or another, but, it may be considered the illness of Depression when the symptoms last for more than a couple of weeks, and they start to interfere with your home or work life. Depression Screening evaluates these symptoms and how much these symptoms...

Healthy Workplace Month: How Healthy Is Your Workplace?

October 2

Welcome to Healthy Workplace Month Healthy Workplace Month is designed to introduce workplace health to organizations, and support those that are already promoting healthy workplaces. Why Healthy Workplace Month? Healthcare Isn’t Cheap NQI reports that healthcare costs are increasing at twice the rate of inflation. In Canada, more than 50,000 strokes and 75,000 heart attacks occur every year. Eight percent of workers are taking medication to treat depression, and mental illness costs the Canadian economy over $50 billion each year. Why do we talk about Healthy Workplace Month? Because mental illness costs the Canadian economy over $50 billion each year. Beverly Beuermann-King Click to tweet So What Can Employers Do To Promote Healthy Workplace Month? A healthy workplace is one in...

De-Mystifying Delusions and Hallucinations

September 30

Delusions And Hallucinations Repeatedly, when we hear someone refer to hallucinations or delusions, our mind conjures up images of a person who is crazy and who is a threat to our safety. Often we think of someone with Schizophrenia. However, these two symptoms can be a part of a variety of illnesses. Delusions and hallucinations are the psychotic symptoms that someone may experience when the brain is not functioning properly. They can be a part of the illness of Schizophrenia, but can also occur in someone who is experiencing deep Depression or Bipolar Disorder. Are Hallucinations And Delusions The Same? Hallucinations and delusions are not the same thing, but can play on each other. Delusions are ‘false beliefs’ that distort...

Slow Down And Pause Often

September 21

“It Is All about The Pause” The ‘Pause’ reminds me of the Costa Rican greeting ” Pura Vida” meaning pure life. Wikipedia goes on to say that contextually it means something approximate to “Full of Life”, “Purified life”, “This is living!”, “Going great”, or “Cool!” It can be used as a greeting, as a word of farewell, or to express satisfaction. Some outsiders view the phrase as an expression of a leisurely lifestyle, of disregard for time and wanton friendliness. However, Costa Ricans use the phrase to express something akin to a philosophy of strong community, perseverance, resilience in overcoming difficulties with good spirits, and enjoying life slowly and celebrating good fortune of magnitudes small and large alike. Don’t pause...

Remove Stigma: Shine A Light On Suicide

September 10

“A permanent solution to a temporary state.” We often don’t hear about the suicide attempts or completions of those around us. They are masked because of guilt and shame or for fear of it being ‘contagious’. Because we don’t talk about it, those around us can suffer in silence, unaware of the supports that may be available to them. There is little funding because there is no public outcry. We distance ourselves by thinking of these people as crazy or weak. But the issue of suicide touches us all – whether directly or indirectly. What Does World Suicide Day Have To Do With You? World Suicide Prevention Day is held on September 10th each year and is co-sponsored by the...