POWER moves
It’s no surprise that one of the psychological side effects of living in this COVID-19 world is feeling like we’ve lost control. Facing ongoing uncertainty about our health, our environment, our jobs and our finances leads to enormous anxiety and stress. And when coupled with the isolation that we’ve endured, those feelings can seem overwhelming.
Experts maintain that one way to mitigate such worries is to focus on controlling the things we can. The theory is that, by being able to decide the outcome of a situation for ourselves, we feel more engaged, enabled and emotionally resilient.
With that in mind, this issue we’re suggesting a few ways to steer your own ship. Small but meaningful, these options can make a difference in the way you see yourself and the world around you.
First up is getting a good night’s sleep. For many of us, the ability to easily drift off into dreamland has been elusive, at best, for much of 2020. On page 56 we present tried and true methods and products to get some much-needed z’s. As well, we advocate taking some time for self-care, whether that means shaking up your skin-care routine by joining the L’oréal Paris Revitalift Challenge like beauty expert Julia Mcewen did (see the results on page 26) or trying out some of the latest makeup offerings.
In addition, we’ve got stories about prioritizing your breast health (see “Learning Curves,” page 58), demystifying your credit score (page 46) and adding some trendy shades to your home (page 64). If that’s not enough, in our story “Community Calling” on page 48, we highlight an incredibly inspiring businesswoman, Selene Vakharia, who has achieved success on her own terms (in Yukon, no less!). Perhaps most important, though, is our Thanksgiving food feature (see “Grateful Offerings,” page 88); yes, we’ve got some delicious dishes—this is Canadian Living, after all—but the relevance is that it doesn’t matter how you celebrate this year, it only matters that you do. Feeling connected is a hands-down winner for personal empowerment.
And finally, guess what? We realized that October 2020 marks 34 years since Janet Jackson’s iconic emancipating ode to forging your own path, the song Control, was released. She still may say (sing!) it best: “So make your life a little easier….when you get the chance just take control.”