Can journaling be life-transforming? Maybe. Can it improve your mental health? Most likely. Are there endless misconceptions and myths about journaling? Definitely.  Besides eating disorder recovery, journaling is another topic that’s close to my heart. I’ve been keeping a journal for over 20 years, ever since I was seven years old. It’s even played a part in my recovery journey.  As I’ve grown my business from eating disorder recovery blogging to doing more speaking and workshops, I’ve discovered that my journaling workshops are one of the most popular requests. Whether for stude ..read more

I can’t believe it’s been two years since I started my eating disorder recovery blog! It’s surreal to think of how far I’ve come since that first blog post, where I explained my rationale for talking about eating disorder recovery during the pandemic. I can still remember how nerve-wracking it felt to hit “publish” for the first time. I remember wondering if people would view me differently for being open about my eating disorder or if anyone would even read my blog.   Well, neither of those fears came true. If anything, I’ve been praised for my vulnerability and openness. The reality ..read more

For people with eating disorders, awareness events like February’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) can bring up mixed feelings.  On one hand, we’re glad that a highly misunderstood and stigmatized mental illness is getting recognition. Eating disorders seem to fall outside of “mainstream” mental health conditions because they’re hard to understand and people with EDs are often blamed for causing the illness themselves. The latter of which is completely untrue – but it’s a stereotype that persists nonetheless. So EDAW can be an important time to address those stigmas head-on. But ..read more

What a year to be a mental health blogger! It’s safe to say we’re all a bit tired and weary. Challenges aside, 2022 was also the year I added a few extra titles to my blogger title: I’m now a business owner, workshop facilitator and speaker! With 2022 coming to an end, I wanted to share a recap of the year, including some of my favourite projects, blog posts and events.  I also want to show the not-so-glamorous side. This time of year is when we see so many highlight reels. Trips abroad, new babies, wild nights out, gruelling hiking adventures and other impressive feats. There are ..read more

Men’s Health Month is nearing its end this November, and with it, we’ve seen the flood of Movember hashtags and moustache selfies. While a lot of focus is placed on statistics surrounding men’s depression and suicide rates (they account for nearly 75% of suicide deaths in Canada!), we can’t forget about eating disorders, a life-threatening mental illness that is still feminized and misunderstood.  Despite stereotypes depicting thin, white females with anorexia, about 1 in 3 people with an eating disorder are male. They face additional hurdles in getting help due to self-stigma, lack of ..read more

Boo! Are you scared of candy more than haunted houses? Does dressing up give you goosebumps? You’re not alone. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know how much I love a good Instagram poll. Earlier this month, I ran one about Halloween stressors. I wanted to know what stresses people out most: Is it a) body image, b) candy, c) diet culture or d) none of the above?  Turns out body image is the #1 stressor, with candy and diet culture coming in close seconds. For those who voted that nothing causes you stress during the spooky season, good on you! It should be an enjoyab ..read more

Of all the awareness days and events around mental health, October’s Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) seems to slip through the cracks. Yes, there’s the notorious #BellLetsTalk day in January, then there’s Mental Health Awareness Month in the spring, but MIAW gets sandwiched between the busyness of back-to-school and Thanksgiving festivities, taking place over the first week of October. I wonder: Is some of the weariness around Mental Illness Awareness Week because of its name? There still seems to be an unexplainable ick factor associated with “mental illness.” Mental health, on the other ..read more

It’s been a while since I’ve put together a resource guide for all things related to eating disorder recovery. However, with the back-to-school fall season in full swing, I figured this makes access to mental health resources a timely topic, since major life transitions can be an especially tricky time for folks with eating disorders.  This theme is one I’ve even noticed in two of the memoirs included in this round-up. Both books touch on the return to school, resulting in unsolicited comments on the authors’ bodies and worsening ED behaviours. The mental health toll of life transitions ..read more

Although I still occasionally get mistaken for a college student, it’s been a good ten-ish years since I was a first-year student in university.  I remember feeling very excited and a bit nervous after moving to campus. I was eager to make new friends, live away from home and experience the so-called “best four years” of my life. But on the inside, I was still clinging onto a lot of lingering eating disorder behaviour, like body-checking and restricting.  It wouldn’t be long after Frosh Week — when the excitement of back-to-school festivities died down — that I’d begin to slowly s ..read more

Does a book a day keep the therapist away? Like journalling (which I’ve written about in a previous blog post!), I find reading to be cathartic and surprisingly great for my mental health.  My brain has a tendency to race with anxious thoughts, so reading lets me focus on something other than worrying or overthinking. An article from Psychology Today explores the ways reading benefits our mental health by creating connections and community. There’s even a name for the therapeutic use of reading to alleviate mental health challenges: bibliotherapy. It’s no wonder past therapists hav ..read more