By: JACK M. Go to college or university for four years, work your ass off for a subsistence wage for another four years, and those of us lucky enough to actually land a decent career are expected to put in…
Body Vs Mind
How sending your kid to daycare will make them stronger and more successful
By: Adrian Smith Daycare has long been noted for its academic benefits, particularly long term. For example, studies have shown that high school students who went to a high quality day care as kids earn better grades and keep themselves…
Rock Steady Boxing helps Parkinson’s patients battle their disease
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Linda Porter, a 72-year-old grandmother, shows up at the gym to continue her training. She punches the bag with determination and precision, switching left to right, building her stamina and strength. Porter is training for a very…
You’ve never seen the night sky quite like this blind astronomer
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Born with cataracts and undergoing surgery to remove the lenses from his eyes, Tim Doucette was pronounced legally blind. Although discouraged as a child because of his condition, he refused to give up on his passion for…
These teens want you to know how social media is deteriorating our mental health
By: Jocelyn Schwalm “How many likes did it get?” “Maybe you didn’t post it at the right time.” “Don’t worry, it’s only been up for 20 minutes!” It’s an art form knowing when and where to post something to get…
This incredible documentary on brain trauma shows us that self-identity isn’t fixed
By: Jocelyn Schwalm What is it that sets us apart as people? Is it our core values, intentions, actions, beliefs? What if these things changed in the blink of an eye? Would you still be you, or would you be…
How a city monk taught me to silence the outside world and listen to myself
By: Adrian Smith Photos by: Eric Zdancewicz Those who want can now use meditation apps on their smartphones to help them meditate at home or in the office. Apps like Headspace, Meditation Time and Breathe guide users through mindfulness techniques,…
Freud’s 7 distinguishing psychological characteristics of dreams
By: Adrian Smith Caption: Anyone who behaved in real life the way their dreams represent them would be considered insane. Dreams often seem extremely incoherent. They display ridiculous storylines and produce the weirdest impossibilities. Our dreams represent us in ways that…
Toronto Police are incorporating mindfulness into their duties
By: Adrian Smith New recruits from Ontario’s Peel Regional Police attended a lecture on mindfulness last month at the West End Buddhist temple in Mississauga. Bhante Saranapala, or the ‘urban city monk,’ as Toronto’s youth call him, led two dozen…
If you’re a sarcastic smartass – you’re probably a better person
BY: Jocelyn Schwalm “It is said that truth comes from the mouths of fools and children: I wish every good mind which feels an inclination for satire would reflect that the finest satirist always has something of both in him.”…
Music is now being used in the treatment process for cancer patients – and it’s working
By: Jocelyn Schwalm Music has the special ability to resonate at our very core. Even when we feel like we are at our most vulnerable, it can console us. Now music is being linked to helping individuals who are undergoing…
Meet the 69-year-old ordained minister opening America’s first weed dispensary for seniors
BY: JESSICA BEUKER At 69 years old, Sue Taylor is extremely healthy. A former catholic school principal and ordained minister, the mother of three attributes her good health to eating right, lots of exercise and cannabis. Last month, the city…
Having a mental breakdown is actually good for you
BY: Adrian Smith Society expects the best of people—making us work long hours throughout the week with an emphasis on being responsible, levelheaded, and, above all, normal. But this video from ‘School of Life’ expresses a different view, revealing why…
These 8 things are holding you back from living the life you want to
By: Adrian Smith As you get older, you begin to realize the problems that make you unhappy are a product of the habits you’ve formed over the years. These habits hold you back from having what you want, thinking the…
Turns out that seeking adventure is actually in our DNA
BY: Jocelyn Schwalm Living a routine life has never appealed to me. The idea of repeating the everyday, seeing the same people everyday, is a glorified depression disguised as a life. Two years ago, I decided that I needed to…
Research shows that a busy coffee shop is the best place to spark creativity
By: Jocelyn Schwalm Coffee shops have long been considered a second home to creative types everywhere, but fundamental aspects that make a coffee shop a coffee shop are now changing. Like cafés, they are quintessential “third spaces” of the…
A Recovering Bulimic Explores the Growing Prevalence of Eating Disorders in the United Arab Emirates
BY: Victoria Heath Sitting on the dorm room floor, its cheap carpeting scratching my knees, I held a cold, aluminum trashcan in between my hands. I asked myself that weighted question, “How did I get here?” My personal lapse…
How talking to strangers could benefit us all
By: Jocelyn Schwalm Talking to my friend the other day, an interesting topic came up. She told me that an unfamiliar woman had tried to talk to her on the bus, and her immediate reaction was to simply ignore…
The pain you feel is a crucial element in the creative process
By: Jocelyn Schwalm The price of creativity is often extremely high: the more pain, the better the artist, the saying goes. This is essentially the backdrop for the idea of the tortured artist. A certain neurosis seems to be…
If you’re trying to get shit done, multitasking won’t help you
By: Adrian Smith Obviously, today’s society is obsessed with being as productive as possible. We try to maximize every minute of the day by squeezing as many tasks as we can into one. While we eat lunch we’re also…