To the dear people I have come to know and care for! Happiest New Year. 2020, a new day, a new year, a new decade even. It brings with it so many promises and possibilities. When I was living in Ghana twenty years ago, our organization was working hard to meet the U.N.’s 2020 targets […]
The new year is upon us and with it the ubiquitous New Year’s resolutions. And since, for many, a goal in the new year may include a renewed commitment to physical activity, this article by Canadian science writer Bob Holmes published in Knowable Magazine is definitely worth sharing. “…exercise is both powerful and wide-reaching, affecting […]
What you were told as a child may actually be true, at least when it comes to giving. The age old adage that “it is better to give than receive” now has some scientific backing. In a study published by Science Magazine, researchers examined how income effects happiness. The researchers hypothesized that spending money on […]
The skills needed to succeed in our parent’s generation differs from the skills needed to succeed in our generation. Likewise, skills to succeed for our children are likely going to be different as well. In this short video, Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician, author and leader in early education and public health offers some ideas […]
Thursday, October 10th is World Mental Health Day, which is observed to raise awareness of global mental health issues. The day of awareness is organized by the World Federation for Mental Health and supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year’s World Mental Health Day focus is on suicide prevention. On average, someone losses […]
With the start of the federal election campaign well underway, I’d like to take a brief look at a several common psychological strategies that politicians and campaign managers use during the election season. These strategies are used by any party and is something that may be interesting to look out for over the next 4 […]
As many of parents with kids of all ages know, the obsessive features of screen time and modern video games would come as no surprise. I often have to remind myself that my relationship with my screen, be it a phone/tablet/computer, is part of what my children are learning from my example. And so it […]
In my last blog post, I wrote about the Alberta wildfires and the effect smoke and pollution has on people’s physical and mental health. Since that time Calgary has had clear, smoke free skies and a return to warmer summer-like weather. We should be reminded that, like the smoky skies, difficult times in our lives […]
As I look outside, I see what can only be described as an apocalyptic view of the city. The smoke that has landed in Calgary the last few days from the wildfires in northern Alberta negatively affect the cardiovascular and respiratory health of everyone, especially children and the elderly. Less discussed, however, are the psychological […]
During a recent road trip with my family, we passed a truck on the highway with a clever bumper sticker that read: “If you don’t like passing big trucks on the road, don’t buy so much stuff ! ” While I know trucking is an essential industry and the profession is very demanding, the saying […]