Ever have a free moment and think, “now I’ll let myself relax” only to find it nearly impossible? Your mind gets loud about all the things you should be doing or starts to allow in feelings you’ve been avoiding. Sometimes even just the expectation that right now is the only window you have to recharge can put you on edge!

Here are three of the most common challenges I hear from clients when they are looking for some peace. And I’ve included what to do to manage them!

The “one more thing” trap

We are all busy and have things we need to get done, but these mental or literal lists can create a lot of clutter as you jump from one thing to the next. You might even believe that you aren’t allowed to rest until you’ve crossed everything off your list. But it is unrealistic to set everything up perfectly before you can relax. Instead, try meeting yourself in the middle: identify one to two things you want to get done before you allow yourself to relax. This creates a clear expectation—what ...

Do you ever feel relief when your work day is done? Maybe it’s when the clock hits a specific time or when that last thing on your to do list is crossed off. It is when you can transition from work life to personal time, but that isn’t always an easy transition.

No matter how you commute, work from home or do shift work, here are five strategies you can use to train your brain and body to know it is time to shift out of work mode.

Inventory. One great way to stop thinking about your day is to reflect on how you felt the day went. Identify what you liked, didn’t like, what went well, or didn’t. This can be a clear time for you to shift through all of these thoughts, evaluations, and worries before you get to your front door. If you find these thoughts spiral, try picturing placing them in a cabinet or chest and mentally locking them up. Sometimes it can even be helpful to remind yourself you’re not being paid for your worry time!

Snack. The time from lunch to dinner can be long and t...

As I have been researching more strategies to calm a nervous system, one thing I keep seeing repeated is how routines or regular rituals can really help bring a sense of calm to your days and weeks. I have already written about what building blocks you need to create a supportive routine, but I wanted to come back to this topic because…

…the most common feedback I hear from clients is that these routines feel overwhelming, like another thing to add to your ‘to do list’, and that can have the opposite effect of calming your system.

Below I outline a number of small examples of routines and rituals you can try out and see if they work for you. And remember: you don’t have to be perfect at this! For one person, doing something every day can be helpful because of the frequency, for someone else doing one thing weekly gives them the wiggle room (aka permission!) to show up when they can.

• In the morning, create a routine that takes you from sleepy to energized. This can look like freshe
...

I have been doing a deep dive into regulating a nervous system and how it can support myself and my emotional eating clients. But the thing I have found as I researched is that there is a lot of talk about the benefits of a regulated nervous system, but not a lot on the specifics of how to actually do that, so I wanted to break this down with real strategies you can use when you need them!

Your nervous system is a complex and important part of your body, but at base it is a communications highway (your brain, nerves, and spinal cord are all part of it, so it even kind of looks like a highway!). This means it gathers information from our senses, processes all this information, and then has the body react as it thinks appropriate.

It’s an important tool to keep us alive because it turns this information into action—from literally running away to digesting the meal you just had. But it can also jump to conclusions based on past events (like traumatic experiences) and immediately slip in...

The winter months can bring low mood, even depression, as the cold and dark seem never ending. I’ve shared before some strategies to support yourself through this season, but I wanted to give you some things you can do to change your thought patterns or actions in a moment.

The best part? I’ve divided them based on level of effort. So, no matter if you have very limited energy or need to take a big step to change things up, think of the bullets below as a menu you can use whenever you need! Make sure to bookmark this post to come back to (these won’t just be helpful in the winter, but whenever you need to shift or shake your energy).

Low Energy

• Drop key words, a single line, or doodle in your journal.
• Close your eyes and take 4 to 5 slow belly breaths.
• Text a friend (you can keep it light like sending a link to an article or sharing something funny).
• Slow down and brew a cup of tea. Use your senses: smell the leaves, hold the warm mug in your hands, consider the taste as you si
...

No matter what you do for work, chances are it is a stressor in your life. Even if you enjoy your job, there might be tasks or colleagues you’d rather not deal with. Work is a necessity not just for income, but also purpose, goal setting, community, and future planning.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful.

Below are a number of ways you can support your mental health as a worker.

Basic Maintenance Goes a Long Way

You might already know that routines, rituals, and structure can support your well-being, so focusing on identifying working hours (and rest or play hours), practicing good sleep hygiene, and implementing boundaries around your work phone or logging in can be incredibly helpful for supporting your mental health. It can also be helpful to create a transition ritual where you let your nervous system know that you are changing from work you to home you. Listen to a meditation app on your commute or change clothes as soon as you are home. These can signal to your body that it...

Setting boundaries with other people can feel very challenging. It pushes against our desire to keep the peace, challenge those we love, out of fear of rejection. But they are an essential part of maintaining your well-being and healthy relationships.

Benefits of Boundaries

Your boundaries are personal to you—they’re the guidelines you set to protect your body, mind, energy, and lifestyle. That’s a pretty powerful thing. For example, setting boundaries with others can include how frequently or quickly you respond to calls and texts, saying “no” when you don’t have time or interest in something, or pushing back on critical comments.

While you might feel uncomfortable to set boundaries, doing so can support your mental health, financial stability, help you feel more confident, and even create healthier relationships. Often others will respect you for knowing what you are and aren’t comfortable with, and stick with it.

While you may need to communicate your boundaries to others, you d...

Routines don’t have to be boring! One of the best ways to create certainty and predictability in your life is to have routines, structure, and rituals. These can be big or little things: taking the same route to work or buying the same shampoo so you’ll know how it will smell. It can be having Taco Tuesday’s or reading 30 minutes before you turn the light off for sleep.

Here are three key ways routines can support you:

Helps support your sleep. This is probably one you’ve heard of, but a good routine or ritual before bed can help you get a better night’s sleep because it keeps your body on the same wake-and-sleep ‘clock’. Try lowering the lights (even lighting a candle), putting your phone on silent, or watching your favourite comfort show.

Creates a sense of safety and reduces stress. The predictability of knowing what comes next is a great way to calm your nervous system. Consider the times you worry or are anxious about a situation, chances are you can’t predict how it will turn ...

There are many benefits to being able to bring a sense of grounding into your day-to-day life! You don’t have to be someone who has high levels of anxiety (although the strategies below can be helpful), grounding can also make you feel more present, grateful, and connected.

Emotional eaters use food as a way to escape their body, to avoid experiencing certain feelings, either as distraction or numbing. Learning how to ground yourself can help lessen the intensity of these emotions that lead you to use food to cope and even help you emotionally eat less frequently. Try one or all of the strategies below and see what works for you!

Deep breathing. This can be as simple as taking slower, deeper breaths at your own pace or finding a patterned technique that works for you. This is such a great strategy that you can use in a meeting at work, around the dinner table, or just before bed.

Be in nature. Take off your shoes and feel the earth beneath your feet, turn your face to the warm rays ...

Often here at the Centre for Emotional Eating we talk about how your patterns and habits with food are influenced not by the cravings themselves, but the root cause behind what makes you act.

For many, the root cause can be found in childhood or adolescent experiences. This is because as our brains and bodies grow, we are learning and are influenced by examples displayed around us—to finish what’s on our plate, diet talk, stuffing down emotions, just to name a few. We learn from parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, siblings, and friendship circles! But not all of these lessons will serve you as you grow into your own adulthood, some might be downright painful or destructive.

It is incredibly common to reach a point in your adult life and know things need to change but not know how. This is where therapy can be a very helpful tool in helping you sort through your thoughts and feelings, gain confidence to make your own decisions, and help you feel more resilient.

And one effective ...