WELLNESS

Tis’ the season for all things Santa, shopping and snow! Bodhi Day, Pancha Ganapati, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Omisoka, and many more holidays or religious celebrations are also observed in December!

The holidays can be a great time of excitement, joy, and togetherness. They can also be quite stressful and lonely. There are great personal and financial demands that can arise. Planning ahead and preparing for what may come your way can be the best way to set yourself up for success.

Say no and be realistic. Choose a few things to focus on, rather than overloading yourself, and only do things that bring you joy. Give yourself permission to say no to stress and conflict. Set a budget (and stick to it). If you cannot afford to pay cash (or use your debit), don’t buy it. Acknowledge your feelings; sadness and grief are normal emotions during this season. You cannot force happiness just because it is the holidays- and that is okay! Don’t abandon healthy habits. Your usual self- care routines are more important than ever this month. Reach out! Don’t let your feelings of sadness, grief or stress keep you isolated. Reach out to trusted friends or family members. Seek professional help if you need it.

Wishing you a warm and safe holiday season, and a very Happy New Year..

Talisa Haskins Registered Psychotherapist www.talisahaskins.com 519.800.5602

Can you believe the holiday season is right around the corner? In the spirit of giving, I was hoping that we could start by giving something to each other! If you’ve seen me in the magazine and read through some of my articles, first of all - thank you! I hope that you’ve been able to get something out of any of the articles I’ve written. What I would like to give you is content that you would really find useful. My approach has always been to look at things from many different perspectives and find new ways of understanding old things.

The idea of wellness is so broad that throughout the year, my focus drifts from one thing to another. I always considered myself a “jack of all trades, master of none” and as such my drifting reflects a personal state of constant change. I’ve learned to accept this fact of constant change and that point of view has been useful in finding forward momentum in my life.

Being associated with the idea of “jack of all trades” has seemed like a bit of a negative thing, but interestingly, I learned that the full saying goes: “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” - a new way of understanding old things. That expanded perspective really changes the meaning of something that is commonly understood in a different way.

The idea of constant change can seem daunting and uncomfortable to many people. When faced with new change, the sentiment of wanting to go back to the way things used to be can crop up. But once things have changed, going back to the way things used to be is a change again, and would require another period of adjustment - how uncomfortable! That discomfort is often a good sign though, as it indicates growth and expansion. We often do not grow in situations where we are completely comfortable.

Speaking of changing trades, in the last three years, I’ve gone on a journey of learning and discovery which ultimately resulted in a change in what I spend my time doing on a daily basis. Three years ago, I was a pharmacist who owned a retail pharmacy business. Full stop. In the intervening time, I have been certified as a hypnotist and left a thriving business to follow a passion to teach and mentor about what I know. Some of the most rewarding work that I have done in my career is helping others move past their own limiting beliefs to achieve the success and change that they want in their life.

What I would like to give you is value-packed content to help you move past any limiting beliefs that you might hold. The context of limiting beliefs can apply very broadly and have real consequences on our personal health and wellness. Many issues related to our personal wellness can be tied back to one or more beliefs that we hold about ourselves. Beliefs like “I’ll never lose weight”, “I’m just a bad sleeper”, “ I am an anxious person”, or “I can’t…” are all beliefs that one may hold, even if they don’t need to.

To better understand the best value that I can deliver to you, I would appreciate it if you could take a couple minutes to fill out the survey at the link below. I would be so grateful for you to share some of the topics that you might get the most benefit from.

And the first question to ask yourself the next time you catch yourself voicing a limiting belief is “how does that belief serve you?”. I’m looking forward to delivering you a year full of articles to help you feel truly well. As a thank you for filling out the survey, I will share with you one of my favourite techniques for reducing stress and anxiety. Happy Holidays!

Find the survey at https://jnthn.ca/survey2021/

Jonathan Nhan Co-Founder, Curate and Upgrade