Dear Diary, Today’s push-up target number is 140. Oh snap! The highest number so far! Apparently , moving your body can increase your wellbeing by 14%. Fourteen percent? I’m not buying it. Every time I move my body, I feel 140% better. This afternoon, for example (still a little congested, still not feeling 100%) but I stepped into the hot room for the 12pm class (because hot yoga is the best) and just started breathing. Heat dilates blood vessels. Muscles soften. You s

50%, 46% and the Secret Smoker Dear Diary, Yesterday’s push-up target was 50. Fifty push-ups for the 50% of the world’s population who will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Half. Let's look at a packed Super Bowl stadium as an example. Average attendance? Roughly 65,000–70,000 people. Imagine half of them. Over 30,000 humans silently battling something internally. That’s not a small number. That’s not “a few people.” That’s half of us. And yesterday, I

87 Push-Ups, Pets, and Triceps on Fire! Dear Diary, Today’s push-up target is 87, representing the 87% of pet owners who report improved mental health thanks to their pets. I guess the other 13% don’t realize that pets are not just pets. They’re roommates. Routine keepers. Emotional support. Furry friends. Family. I don’t currently have a pet, but back in my single days I had a cat named Buddy, a tabby with big energy. Buddy only lived 6.5 years, but in that short time he

100 Push-Ups, 10 Minutes and Mandatory Mindcare Today’s push-up target number is 100; representing the fact that just 10 minutes a day of mindfulness can positively impact mental well-being. Ten minutes. Not an hour. Not a retreat. Not chanting on a mountain. Ten. Manageable. Minutes. I’ve been doing 10-minute meditations almost daily for the last six years, after reading an article at the time that said 10 was the magic number. Sometimes it’s 12 for me, sometimes it’

Why Push-Ups? Why this move. Why simple beats fancy. What push-ups expose. Dear Diary, Today’s push-up target is 75! Not because I love suffering (really I don’t,) but because over 75% of lifelong mental health conditions develop before the age of 25. That stat hits. Harder than the 50 reps I did so far today. It shines a light on early awareness and how having support really matters. CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) notes that catching things sooner can prevent

Push-ups, Panic and Pressing Restart! Dear Diary, Today marks Day 1 of the Push-Up for Mental Health Challenge and I’m super pumped! (For now, until my arms fall off.) But until then, I will keep reminding myself of my why and I trust that will push me through. I have an amazing crew on my push-up team (still space for more) and generous supporters who’ve donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association. This makes my heart so happy. Thank you!! Having this supportive

A 23-Day Strength & Mindset Challenge Dear Diary, I’m sitting down to write a blog post for the first time since Covid days. I can’t believe that all actually happened. It feels a bit wild to even type. That chapter feels like yesterday and also like a lifetime ago. So much has changed. So much hasn’t. Clearly, the blog took a very long Savasana. My initial blog posts (pre-Covid) were mostly about my single life and dating adventures. Sadly, (or not) they got lost in c

Dear Diary, As mentioned in my previous blog, (where I re-introduced myself to the world), there's a lot I want to talk about! Very...

Dear Diary, As you know, writing has always brought me a sense of peace, even as a young child. Something about putting pen to paper,...