For many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the month of May signifies new beginnings and fresh starts. Spring, thanks to its warmer weather, brings a chance to embrace the great outdoors and soak up the sunshine. While countries in the Southern Hemisphere are heading into winter, very few of them are bitterly cold and snowy, since the sun still regularly makes an appearance throughout May, despite the chill in the air. Read More

A social support system refers to a network of people we can turn to for emotional and practical support. This group can include anyone ‒ family members, friends, peers, coworkers, professionals. Social support networks are different from a formal support group that typically meets to assist people in a shared traumatic experience; rather, they’re informal, with no preset framework, and can be tapped for any type of experience you need support with. Having these support networks in place before, during, and after times of struggle can make managing stress and other negative emotions easier. Read More

According to the United Nations, roughly one-third of the food produced globally for human consumption – approximately 1.3 billion tons – gets wasted every single year. In the United States alone, 30% of food grown and purchased is thrown away each year. Wasted food also has a negative environmental impact; wasted food means wasted water, fertilizer, and other resources for growing as well as extra methane gas that’s produced by rotting food in landfills. Read More

Have you ever decluttered a room and felt an overwhelming sense of calm? That feeling isn’t a placebo effect – it’s feng shui. According to the principles of feng shui, clutter is a negative obstacle that must be fixed in order to promote the flow of natural energy. This is even rooted in psychology, with the belief that leaving a room cluttered leaves the brain feeling frustrated, anxious, and overwhelmed. Read More

Self-love is a way to appreciate yourself, stemming from actions that support our psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. Loving yourself means holding yourself in high regard, taking care of yourself, and being happy with where you are in life. It also means putting your needs first and not sacrificing your well-being to make sure others are happy. On other words, you don’t settle for less than you deserve! Read More

A resolution is like a goal ‒ for example, someone might state that they want to lose weight or get a new job. Resolutions are a firm decision to do or not to do something. They’re strict, with no wiggle room. You either stick to them or fail, which is why most of our resolutions are distant memories by February. An intention is a practice that requires us to be present rather than stuck in the past or too focused on the future. It’s something you aim for, an idea or concept you mean to carry out or embody. Intentions are open-ended and relatively vague, allowing more room and grace for growth. Simply put, intentions define the actions we take today, while goals and resolutions are future focused. These concepts are great in theory but cause significant stress, especially when we “fail” to achieve what we’ve set out to do. Read More