Assertiveness is, in my opinion, a topic with a lot of baggage attached. For whatever reason, many of us are hesitant towards assertiveness, based on my own observations and experiences, and quite honestly, I’m not exactly sure where this hesitation comes from. Perhaps some of us shy away from assertiveness because it has a negative … More Understanding the art of assertiveness
Conversation can be an incredibly powerful tool. It is a means to open up to and share with others, learn, communicate and even find solace via expression. Conversation is also a means to seek comfort or advice from someone we know and trust. Some of us refer to this as venting, but regardless of what … More Recognizing boundaries in conversation
The idea of knowing when to say no is one we arguably all should be familiar with. It’s a great mantra to practice as it is a means to lower the possibility of ourselves being taken advantage of, yet despite its importance, I think it’s safe to say that many of us could improve in … More The importance of knowing when to say no
The concept of being adaptable is a rather valuable one, in my opinion. When I say adaptable, I’m referring to ones ability to cooperate, compromise, and be flexible with others in any given situation. It’s a great character trait to possess, and the benefits of being adaptable significantly outweigh the negatives, in my opinion. That … More How adaptable are you really?
I think it is safe to say that time seems to be a concept that is dwindling in its nature the older we get. I’ve certainly noticed how time seems to slip by faster than it did when I was younger, and I think a quickening in the pace at which time passes is a … More Here’s why it’s important to make time for the people who matter
Honesty, as we are all aware, is a crucial component in any romantic relationship. There are a few other musts that typically preside in a relationship, for example, trust, kindness, patience, etc. But, personally, I believe many other important traits in a relationship stem from one pivotal one; honesty. Honesty is similar to transparency in … More Here’s why it is so important to be transparent in relationships
The idea of reaching out to someone and asking for help in a mental health context isn’t an easy one. In fact, for many of us, it’s daunting, terrifying, and relatively undesirable, hence why so many of us choose to remain silent in our fight with mental health, I believe. For a very long time, … More This is why we need to normalize asking for help
Spending time with my parents is quite honestly one of my favourite things to do. I’ve always enjoyed being in their company, but I feel as though my appreciation for the time I spend in their company has only grown as I’ve gotten older, believe it or not. A lot of people are taken aback … More Spending time with parents as a young adult
A few evenings ago, my mom and dad had some friends over for dinner. My sister and I joined them as we enjoy conversing with many of our parents friends, and sure enough, the evening was filled with great conversation and laughter. We were chatting about a variety of things, but we eventually got into … More How well do you think you know someone?
Relationships are something a majority of us are affiliated with. Because there are so many forms of relationships, for example, romantic, familial, and friendship (to name a few), we don’t always dedicate a tremendous level of consciousness to the fact that relationships, in all forms, are subjective and personal. Everyone experiences relationships differently, and ultimately, … More Why do we make other people’s relationships our business?
As I’ve made mention of in a few different posts now, despite the negatives and shittiness associated with COVID-19 and living in a pandemic, there are some definite positives that have come from the situation we’re currently facing. Whether you’ve found yourself able to do some things you’ve never had time for prior, or your … More Enhancing fatherhood via COVID-19
Confrontation is arguably something we should all have some sort of familiarity with. Whether you’ve had to confront someone over something or someone has confronted you, it’s a concept that has significant relevance for a lot of us. Considering how prominent confrontation is for so many of us, I find it interesting that it is … More Keeping calm with confrontation
Friendship is a concept I sincerely hope all of us have been privy enough to experience at some point in our lives. It is a wonderful thing to be great friends with people who are important to us, and even more gratifying is having friendships that have been in existence for an extended period of … More Figuring out failed friendships
The experience of recognizing when we have been left out is not a pleasant one. Acknowledging that we are being left out of something or excluded makes us feel unwanted and alone, and it’s a difficult sensation to grapple with. Unfortunately, many of us can relate to the feeling. It seems to affect a lot … More How to deal with being left out
As we all know, today is Father’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate dad’s everywhere and recognize everything they do for us, and ultimately to show our appreciation for them. Whether it be biological dads, step-dads, foster dads, adoptive dads, or father figures, today is for them, and for good reason. Dads are pretty awesome. … More Here’s to dad’s everywhere
Miscommunication is something that has likely impacted all of us at some point in our lives. It’s relatively easy to unintentionally obscure a clear message while communicating, however the effects of this obscurity can have consequential outcomes, depending on the context of the situation. Misconstrued communication can result in problems in our romantic relationships, familial … More How to be a better communicator
I’ve been having a bit of a rough go as of late. In addition to grappling with the daily stress associated with the pandemic we’re facing, and also the variety of emotions that have presented themselves as a result of years of racially-fuelled police brutality, I’m also dealing with a bummed hand, a urinary tract … More Here’s how to calm yourself down when you’re feeling overwhelmed
It is disheartening to acknowledge that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and wellness, for many of us, has taken a beating. Perhaps you have been struggling with a condition that has been intensified as of late; maybe you’re experiencing the onset of a type of mental illness because of the pandemic … More The importance of mental health check-ins
We all know it isn’t necessarily the best practice to make assumptions, but in terms of high probability in this particular context, I think it is safe to assume that all of us are familiar with the notion of avoiding internalizing emotions. We are told that it isn’t the best practice to avoid discussing how … More Finding relief through conversation
Kindness is an interesting concept. We are all aware of what kindness is and what it stands for, but I would argue a lot of us struggle to practice its meaning on a day-to-day basis, especially lately thanks to the whole pandemic and all. Because of the state of the world right now, I thought … More Be kind
Fighting with loved ones sucks. It is difficult to battle it out with someone you love and to hear and dish out hurtful words, and even more so when that particular person is an immediate family member. A couple of nights ago, my family and I got into it with each other. The argument, at … More Working through familial conflict
The coronavirus outbreak that has plagued the globe throughout 2020 has garnered a lot of anger and hate. Many of us are scared, anxious and concerned about the state of our future considering the damage this virus has done to our world already, and I can’t say that these emotions are unwarranted. Despite the shittiness … More It’s time to seize the day
I firmly believe that jealousy in an inevitable concept in a majority of relationships. When you are in love with a person, it is normal to feel threatened or insecure when you believe someone else is trying to earn their attention. What isn’t so normal, however, is when healthy jealousy turns into toxic jealousy and … More Healthy jealousy vs. toxic jealousy in relationships
The sensation of feeling as though we are inferior to someone or something in any given context isn’t a nice one. Yet, despite the shitiness of feeling undervalued, I would argue it’s somewhat inevitable among many of us at some point in our lives. Rather than discuss how much it sucks to be made to … More How to grapple with feeling insignificant
Not too long ago, my sister and I, being a little bored with limited entertaining options in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, thought we would play a game together. We googled some games to play with two people and came across a series of pretty deep questions to ask each other, and I have … More Get to know yourself better with these questions
As we are all more than aware, the state of the world right now is questionable. Negative news seems to be coming at us from all angles, and with the amount of unfortunate news seemingly increasing with each passing day, it is easy to understand how and why we might be feeling a bit down … More Finding positives amidst chaos
I’m sitting down to write this after a rather chaotic day at work. By chaotic, I mean absolutely batshit crazy. Because of how nuts my shift was, I thought I would take the opportunity to delve into the topic of maintaining our cool when poop hits the fan, at least to the best of our … More Here’s how to keep your cool under pressure
The idea of giving someone criticism isn’t exactly something that brings most of us comfort. At least, I would hope it doesn’t. Being critical of someone can be kind of awkward, and, depending on who the person is that you’re criticizing, it can be a little tense, too. But, constructive criticism is something all of … More Giving constructive criticism: a how-to guide
Communication is an inevitable component of daily life. Whether we’re at Tim Hortons ordering a coffee, paying for some groceries at No Frills, or seeing our doctor for our routine checkup, it’s nearly impossible to avoid communication when we’re out and about in a public setting. For a lot of us, communication is second nature. … More The importance of maintaining communication with your partner
There is a belief that suggests bartenders are some of the best free counselors in existence, and since becoming a bartender at my current job, I can say with complete certainty that I support this belief. I’ve been bartending for a couple of months now, and it is somewhat mind-blowing to consider the amount of … More Making the most of everyday life
