The reason we're struggling like this, according to Dr. Lily Brown, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, maybe because our fight or flight is in overdrive lately. When our limbic system is consistently triggered by stressful information or events it overrides the executive functioning part of our brain, which is where rational and clear decision-making occurs. The more that override happens, the more we struggle to focus, motivate, think clearly, or control impulses.

And smiling is good for us. A study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, American psychologists analyzed nearly 50 years of data from more than 100 studies that each tried to determine whether facial expressions can affect people's moods. The studies, which included more than 11,000 people worldwide, concluded that smiling does makes people feel happier, while scowling makes them feel angrier, and frowning makes them feel sadder.

For anyone who has been hard hit financially by COVID-19, my suggestion to take a vacation may seem tone-deaf. But hear me out. First, we tend to think of taking a vacation as attached to travel, but they actually hold two distinct meanings. Taking a vacation really just means to take a break – something we all desperately need after so many months of stress. It doesn't need to cost anything if you take a staycation – basically a stay-at-home vacation.

As employers push to get everyone back together in a physical office, employees are becoming increasingly anxious. Most wonder, what does a "new normal" actually look like? For companies attempting to put the toothpaste back in the tube, they're in for a rude awakening as employees are making their feelings known by jumping ship to companies that embrace workplace flexibility.

According to Jennifer Moss in her recent HBR article “Beyond Burned Out,” today’s level of burnout is the result of an existing problem made exponentially worse. But by knowing the organizational signals of stress, we can course correct for the future.

Research studies have shown that our brains crave certainty, something we are lacking right now, and some experts say this is the hardest part of coping with the pandemic. Our brains don't like uncertainty. It's like a type of pain, something we want to avoid. Certainty, on the other hand, feels rewarding, and we tend to steer toward it. It's all about the burst of dopamine we get when a circuit is completed. It makes us feel better.

Famously, we've been encouraged for years not to sweat the small stuff. But what if I told you — it's not that easy? Our nervous system isn't very good at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats. Our body can react to everyday stresses just as strongly as to a true life-or-death situation, like what we are dealing with now during COVID-19.

Well, it sounds horrible, but it does actually come from the Swedish word döstädning — which is just a hybrid for death and cleaning. But as morbid as it sounds, it's actually just the process of cleaning the house before you die, so you don't leave it up to the loved ones to have to deal with it.

There are 1.7 million Canadian households who live in "core housing need," and their experience is extensively different. This is unfortunate, as these Canadians may live in a home that is undersized or too expensive, or the place they live in is structurally hazardous, or their neighbourhood is just dangerous. These people may not have a home at all.

Did the news put you in a bad mood? You are certainly not alone! We call this "Headline Stress Disorder." This is a real issue, and it is not going away any time soon. According to researchers, an increase in news consumption increases stress among many people and makes them worse partners with more unhealthy habits. But the solution may not be to turn off the news.

Strong communities possess this particular trait: the "special sauce" that helps them bounce back from something like a tornado — or from an industry picking up and leaving town. Resilient communities don't just survive an emergency; they bounce back stronger than before! These are the cities that refuse to waste a predicament.

Have you noticed how hard it has been to return to our ‘normal’ lives, especially after we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic? You’re not alone! Although we are still very much in the control of the pandemic, many of us are sensing that an end is in sight. That gives us hope. But a recent survey found that despite the excitement for a return to normal, people are also feeling concerned about what "normal" will look like. Let’s talk about it.

Let's be honest: So far, 2020 has seen a long list of disappointments and it's weighing on us. It feels like it's a daily effort to try and make things suck a little bit less each day for ourselves and for others. But as the disappointments wear on, our coping skills have begun to wear out. It isn't easy. We've definitely run the gamut of disappointments this year and as a coping mechanism we're normalizing them.