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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,...

When noticing comments in the news, articles and social media, stating the need for us to “be strong”, it reminds me that there is a lot of misperceptions around that word which needs to be redefine. In our culture, when we perceive someone in a position of authority such as a boss or politician, as being “strong”, we typically see them as confident and self-assured.  That in turn can create a covert assumption of them being competent. But in reality, that “strong” person is more likely suppressing a lot of emotions and putting up a wall of defensiveness to appear invulnerable and avoid being “caught off guards”. That illusion can partly explain why some remain loyal to bosses or politicians even when they are acting way out of ethical/lawful norms. In times of...

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...

At Alpine Counselling Clinic in Vancouver, through my full counselling/coaching practice, I have been even more acutely aware of the ripple effect of the pandemic on many people’s nervous system.  One such impact is that the inner window of tolerance for our, normally wide, range of feelings and reactions starts to narrow. A common expression that captures part of that concept is when we say someone has a short fuse, meaning they are quick to anger. More than this, when someone has a small rather than expanded window of tolerance, it usually signifies that their nervous system has become either hyper aroused or hypo-aroused.  Let me explain… As results of trauma or traumatic stress our nervous system becomes hyper-aroused meaning the part of our brain that is in...

The ornate, beautiful, and magical gateway in this image is meant to inspire you to think of how you will lead yourself through the gateway of your own transformational practices and aspirations in 2021. On the larger scale, the last major event across the border infuses us with renewed hope. What a momentous 2021 already, with historical events in North America, from the horrific riot on the US Capitol of January 6, to the Inauguration of Joe Biden as the new President of United States on January 20th.  With this new leadership and everything decent and progressive Biden and Harris stand for; we are experiencing something akin to a huge reset, or course correction of human evolution on this continent. And this return to decency feels even more poignantly...

As I captured the moment of this bee approaching a giant thistle flower, I noticed the largest of the two flowers had a bee nestled in, filling up on nectar. If you are beyond your middle years and have been thinking about “retirement”, consider re-engaging instead.  What will be your new opportunity to approach and dive in?  How will you immerse yourself into new sources of fulfillment that will be your life’s nectar? Over the past decade of leading retirement seminars and providing one-on-one coaching for this major work/life transition, I have observed numerous limiting beliefs acting as barriers in the minds of many pre-retirees. These have been identified and addressed in live seminars across the country and currently in webinars (info included on this at...