Posts by isabelle@inspiredmomentum.com

As we are mostly beyond the pandemic, some people have settled into a new normal of being less active, more sedentary and isolated. In my coaching and counselling practice, I’ve also observed increasing rates of depression and while this may decreases motivation towards self-care, it’s clear that we all need self-care to thrive. Among the best self-care practices, one that is becoming better known is called forest bathing or forest therapy.  In a recent article in the UBC Magazine on this topic, professor Guangyu Wang states that research  shows considerable physical and psychological benefits from forest therapy.  Among specifics, Wang named lower blood pressure, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and increased activity of the body’s natural “killer cells,...

While leading a webinar on re-engaging rather than retiring recently, I talked about the needed soft skills for, and the occupational hazards of, this major work-life transition. Looking at the lingering side effects of the pandemic, we can see its impact on most people’s social life.    Evidently, while isolating during the peak of the pandemic, we had no choice but to adapt to a drastic reduction of social contact.  Sure, we had Zoom, emails, texts, and phone calls but, as many say: “it’s not the same”. For those living alone and retired, social isolation can become more intense, and even intolerable. As the pandemic gradually subsides, those on the lighter end of cautiousness have started to return to a near normal life with increasing social contacts and a...