Words that comforted me the most — I’d thought that being in an abusive relationship was the hardest thing I could ever go through. Until I lost custody of my daughter. I’d seen it coming. In the years after I fled the abuse, it was the one threat that was used against me. …

It’s more than weight loss — I’m 19 years old and it’s 5.45 pm on a Wednesday. I’m seated outside my house with my friends. Our faces aren’t buried in gadgets like the kids do these days. TV stations open at 6 am and close at midnight. The selection is limited. We’re at that awkward stage…

It’s all about the long game — I was 26 years old when my partner first assaulted me. We’d barely walked in through the door when he descended on me with insults, kicks, and punches. He was angry at me for questioning his actions while at the club. I was fresh out of uni at my first…

Depression is real but it’s treatable — Depression is a soul-sucking monster. It drains your energy; exhausting your body at the cellular level. It fills you with shame and apathy; decaying your hopes for the future. It cuts you off from the rest of the world; leaving you disoriented and alone. As it ravages through you; it…

Your good intentions may be having the opposite effect — Have you ever said something to your teenager about their weight because you felt it would benefit them in the future? Have you tried to get them to lose weight because you thought they’d be better off if they were skinnier? You didn’t do it to ridicule or hurt them…

A revision of common myths — There’s no shortage of advice on building a fitness habit. Buy this brand of shoes, this celebrity workout is the best, use this protein and get the body you always wanted. When you’re new to exercise, it can be difficult to see through the haze of trends that pop up…

The brutal lessons I learned too late — It all goes by so fast. One minute, you’re peeing on a stick, your future hinged on the appearance of an extra line on a tiny screen. Next thing you know, you’re yelling at them to turn the volume down and finish their homework. But when you parent after an…

These 4 tips will help reduce your discomfort — Do you know the mixed feeling when you simultaneously feel the need to get back to running and the fear of failing to stick to a consistent routine? Do you feel the urge to prolong your break with the hope your interest will return on its own? When you haven’t…

The intersection of abuse and poverty — The effects of trauma are far-reaching. It shatters your sense of self leading to low self-confidence and a distorted view of the world. Trauma causes feelings of fear, helplessness, and a mistrust of others. Survivors often have difficulty regulating emotions — an effect we know as ‘emotional dysregulation.’ …