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Between October and December, a large number of holidays from a variety of traditions take place. Holiday celebrations are a time of joy, tradition, and relaxation (hopefully). For post-secondary students, they offer a much-needed break from the stresses of studying. Holidays often represent an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends and to enjoy a reprieve from cooking and laundry! However, the reality of the holidays often contrasts with the idealized portrayals in movies; while they can be joyous, they can also evoke excitement and anxiety, especially with respect to family relationships. As Dr. Albers notes, “hometown anxiety isn’t a diagnosis, but it’s a useful term” (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).

Losing someone or something we hold dear can be an incredibly challenging experience. Whether it’s the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the loss of a cherished possession, the feelings of grief and sadness that accompany such events can be overwhelming. Grief is something we all face, but don’t often talk about (Jakoby, 2014). Although grief can be difficult to understand, it is important to know that grief is a normal developmental process that humans go through when faced with either traumatic loss (e.g. a death), ambiguous loss (e.g. entering a new phase of life such as starting university /a new job, or immigrating to a new country), or symbolic loss (e.g. loss of a dream or goal) (Testoni et al., 2020).

Care farming, which uses farming activities as therapy, provides therapeutic benefits by promoting responsibility towards animals and the land and often integrates mental health treatment within social, stigma-free settings. A 2017 review by Gorman and Cacciatore found that care farming can benefit those experiencing psychological distress, suggesting it as a potential non-medicated support for individuals dealing with traumatic grief.

Information on research on resilience in a post-secondary context.

Recipe of the month for September is Apple Crisp!

Change is an inevitable part of life, and how we handle change can significantly impact our well-being and success. While there are people who seem to sail through significant upheaval unscathed, most of us find it more challenging to adapt to change.

Recent research from Hatice Gunes (University of Cambridge) and Batuhan Saysis (Universitat Pampeu Fabra) found that robot-assisted journal writing improved student mood more than voice-assisted technologies

The peak season for cherries usually runs from late June through early August. July is often considered the height of cherry season, particularly for sweet varieties like Bing and Rainier cherries. In season, cherries cost approximately $5/kg (that is a lot of cherries!)

Sweeten up your summer BBQ with this delicious Cherry BBQ sauce recipe!

The peak season for cherries usually runs from late June through early August. July is often considered the height of cherry season, particularly for sweet varieties like Bing and Rainier cherries. In season, cherries cost approximately $5/kg (that is a lot of cherries!)

This month, start your breakfast with a cherry yogurt parfait. Although technically you could simply add cherries to your yogurt, the recipe below creates a delicious cherry syrup that has both depth and

Researchers have been exploring the power of expressive writing as a tool to support well-being and recovery since the mid 1980’s (Pennebaker & Evans, 2014). Expressive writing (writing that focuses more on thoughts and feelings than on events) has been shown to reduce anxiety, increase emotional regulation, manage depression, help individuals process trauma and negative experiences, improve student grades, lower stress, boost the immune system and lower blood pressure (, 2018).