This time of year always makes me feel more tired and exhausted. It’s come to the point where Daylight Savings is circled on my calendar like a family members’ birthday! During my office work days, I can remember my visits to Tim Horton’s – the Canadian version of Starbucks – increasing as the weather changed and so many things starting up again.

[Once someone yawns, it's like an open-mouth game of dominoes. We all fall down...]

Just thinking about all the activities we commit our time to – job, kids going back to school, fundraisers, driving kids around to extra-curriculars like hockey or piano lessons – makes us all feel so fatigued.

Je suis fatiguee, but why?

Pardon my french, but it’s one of my first french phrases I learned back in elementary school and I couldn’t resist – translation: I’m tired. The U.S. National Institutes of Health defines fatigue as “a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy.” Some causes of fatigue include stress, overwork and not enough sleep. Fatigue is differentiated from drowsiness or sleepiness but fatigue is often accompanied by a desire to sleep. (more…)

On June 14th when I decided to give up alcohol of any kind for 30 days I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.

Originally, the goal of this challenge was to experiment with my body to witness what, if any, affect the absence of even the limited amount of alcohol that I do consume would have on my overall health.

However, this challenge quickly evolved into a battle of wills and the ultimate social experiment before I could say, “I’ll have a virgin Pina Colada please“.

[Sure sheep are cute, and love to party, but it's best to climb out of the pen and think for yourself]

I never realized what a central role “drinks” play in our everyday social environment. When I posted the idea for my challenge here, I received a message from a couple of people undergoing the same challenge.

A Facebook friend said when she read my initial post she believed she was the last person to ever use alcohol as a social crutch, yet during her own 30 day challenge she found herself avoiding all social situations that involved drinking (aka most of them). She said she’d rather “avoid temptation then to suffer through it“.

As I contemplated her message I wondered:

“Are many of us really so eager for group approval that something as “everyday” as alcohol has such an enormous impact on how we function socially?”

Unfortunately, it appears the answer is an inebriated and slurred “yes”!

(more…)