Jessica Samuels, Author at CMHA Kelowna

Winter Blues 101

November 2, 2020 By Jessica Samuels 2 Comments

Winter is coming, and depending on where you live, it may already here. As Canadians we know that our winters can be tough. If you’re feeling like your mood drops with the temperature, you’re not the only one.

While cold brisk days and snow can bring some people cheerful thoughts of hot cocoa and winter sports, it can also sprinkle the winter blues on some of us this time of year. And when you consider that we are in the midst of a global pandemic…some of us may mean more of us.

legs and brown winter shoes standing in the snow

So, what are the winter blues?

The winter blues are a wave of low emotions that come with these cold, dark days.

If you’re experiencing the winter blues, you might feel the need to sleep a bit longer, indulge more often in comfort food, and spend more time with Netflix than with your friends and family.

You may have heard people referring to this as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but the winter blues and SAD are two different things.

The difference between the winter blues and seasonal affective disorder:

About 15% of people in Canada experience the winter blues, while only about 2-3% of people in Canada experience SAD. [1]

SAD is a widely researched condition of regularly occurring depression in the winter season that can impair one’s daily life. Treatment can include light therapy, counselling, medication, or a combination of the three. A professional can help determine if you are experiencing SAD. [2]

Find out more about SAD

Here are some ways you can improve or maintain your mood this winter:

1. Let the light in

Get outside during the day if you can, keep your curtains open, and when indoors, spend as much time as you can near the windows. Even if it’s cloudy, getting some daylight can help boost your mood.

2. Get physical

Even though hitting the gym might not be possible, physical activity is always a great tool to help you manage your mental health. Start small- short walks around the block are a great first step

3. Try to keep a normal sleep schedule

It might feel like your bed is the only one who understands this funk you’re in but over-sleeping can actually worsen the symptoms of the winter blues.

4. Connect with those closest to you

Spending time with friends and those outside our immediate family can be hard to navigate right now. COVID-19 has reduced the ways we can connect with others but there are still opportunities to do so. If virtual isn’t for you – try the phone! Bundle up and physically distance an outdoor activity. Connecting with others is both good for your mental health and for theirs

5. Give yourself a pat on the back – you’re doing great.

Battling low moods is no easy feat, and it’s important to be kind to yourself. You’re stronger than you think!

Remember to have regular check-ins with yourself, and to spend that extra time on self- care if you need to.

NOTE: This article originally appeared on the CMHA National Website and is for informational purposes only and should not be used in place of professional advice.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or need immediate help, please call 1-800-784-2433

[1] Levitt, A.J., Boyle, M.H., Joffe, R.T., & Baumal, Z. 2000. Estimated prevalence of the seasonal subtype of major depression in a Canadian community sample. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 45(7), 650-654.

[2] Magnusson, Andres, and Diane Boivin. “Seasonal affective disorder: an overview.” Chronobiology international 20, no. 2 (2003): 189-207.

Now is the time for universal basic income

September 16, 2020 By Jessica Samuels Leave a Comment

When the covid-19 pandemic caused sudden and unprecedented job loss, Canada moved swiftly. The covid-19 economic recovery plan – of which the CERB is a part – provided temporary income support to workers who lost jobs due to the pandemic. In the process, it may have changed the way we think about income, job loss and poverty.

Canadians are now asking themselves, and their leaders: What if everyone had enough to live, all the time?

Enter an idea that has been circulating for a long time: the Universal Basic Income.

Here’s what it is:

The idea of a Universal Basic Income is to provide a no strings attached payment to all Canadians of working age to cover their basic needs. It would be a minimum income provided to everyone, rich or poor, employed or not, and funded by our progressive tax system.

The Canadian Mental Health Association has taken a position in support of the creation of this benefit. Here’s why:

Poverty has long been shown to negatively affect mental health. With a Universal Basic Income, poverty essentially disappears, and with it, the mental health effects of being poor. At the same time, having an adequate income actually protects health — both mental health and physical health – and increases our quality of life. Not surprisingly, health-care costs would be expected to plummet and so, too, would hospitalizations related to mental health.

There is a big mental health case to be made for this old idea, and CMHAs across the country are making it. Maybe it’s an idea whose time has come. You can read the CMHA’s statement calling for a Universal Basic Income here.

*This article originally appeared on the CMHA National website

Mental Health For All Means Eliminating Racism

June 5, 2020 By Jessica Samuels Leave a Comment

A Word From Our Executive Director

It’s not an easy time right now. It feels as if our world is turning upside down and we see and experience so much suffering. The increasing unrest that is unfolding in the US, and even closer to home, as a result of the death of George Floyd and too many others has been occupying much of my thoughts. I’m sure yours too. It’s hard to know what to say and how to respond but I am compelled to reach out to you today to speak about the world in which we now live. I feel that to be silent is to be complicit.

At CMHA Kelowna, we believe in “Mental health for all”. That means all people, no matter their age, skin colour, sexual preference, gender, culture or beliefs, deserve good mental health. We are champions of the very things that “eliminate the barriers that can prevent people from thriving.” Injustice and inequality do not eliminate those barriers – they build them up. They are not agents of good mental health. Neither is racism.

It seems unthinkable that in the midst of COVID-19 and the overdose pandemics, we are facing a third pandemic filled with the toxins of intolerance and discrimination. Yet here we are. As an organization, it is our responsibility to stand up against racism, inequality and injustice and we are committed to doing so. Now more than ever we must try to be an ally.

There is so much to be hopeful about because of what change can bring. I encourage every one of us to reflect on our relative privilege and take steps to act with love and compassion.

Join us as we try to be agents of a mentally healthy community. One that stands together with common attitudes, beliefs, and goals so that everyone feels that they belong, that they are not alone, and that they matter. When we stand together in that community, we will feel better about ourselves and the world we’ve helped create.

Together in wellness,

Shelagh Turner
Executive Director, CMHA Kelowna

Winter Blues 101

So, what are the winter blues?

The difference between the winter blues and seasonal affective disorder:

Here are some ways you can improve or maintain your mood this winter:

Now is the time for universal basic income

Mental Health For All Means Eliminating Racism

A Word From Our Executive Director

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