Viruses don’t only affect the immune system, they also interact with the brain and nervous system. Research points to several overlapping mechanisms: • Neuroinflammation: The immune response to infection releases inflammatory signals that can temporarily alter brain circuits involved in mood, motivation, and emotional regulation (Dantzer et al., 2008; Miller et al., 2009). • Stress-system […]
Your nervous system is constantly scanning your environment for cues of safety or threat, and sound is one of the fastest ways it does that. This means the background noises in your home can quietly influence stress levels, mood, and sleep, even when you’re not consciously aware of them. White noise vs. low-frequency noise Not […]
I wish I knew about the 7 types of rest when I started my career. When I experienced burnout as a case manager and child and youth worker, I kept coming home and zoning out on the couch, too depleted to do anything else. Even after a full night’s sleep, I still felt exhausted. My […]
Quality sleep is essential for physical and mental health. As a psychologist, I frequently discuss sleep problems with my clients. On the surface, many of the habits I mention below will seem like they could be helpful. However, they are disruptive to processes such as circadian rhythm and sleep drive, which are essential for quality […]
Burnout is a form of emotional exhaustion that can occur in response to persistent and unrelenting stress. Since COVID-19 lockdowns, many people struggled to establish boundaries between work and home, and, in some cases, to juggle the twin demands of work, home school and childcare with no supports in place – the perfect combination of […]
We often think of sleep and anxiety as separate struggles — one physical, the other emotional. But in reality, insomnia and anxiety are deeply intertwined, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break. Whether you’re lying awake at night worrying about tomorrow, or waking up feeling emotionally raw and restless, understanding how sleep impacts […]
That cycle of nighttime anxiety can be exhausting—both physically and mentally. It’s like your brain suddenly decides that bedtime is the perfect time to replay every worry, analyze every mistake, or catastrophize about the future. And the more you struggle to sleep, the more anxious you become about not sleeping, creating a frustrating loop. The […]
Is it hard to quiet your worries and turn your mind off? Stress and anxiety can drain our physical and psychological resources, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Take this quiz to see how you are coping with stress in your life: Does it feel like you can’t turn off your mind and stop your negative thoughts […]
If you’ve ever been told to “just think positive” or “get out and do something,” this is for you. Because if you’re living with depression, you know it’s so much more than just feeling sad. Depression is invisible, but it changes everything: your energy, your thoughts, your body, your hope. It can feel like your […]
Choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming. A quick Google search brings up endless options — CBT, EMDR, somatic therapy, breathwork, hypnotherapy, trauma-informed, holistic, transpersonal — and many people are left wondering: How do I know what’s right for me? What’s interesting is that people today aren’t just searching for “therapy” anymore. They’re searching for specific […]
