My previous post on March 24, Coping with COVID-19, mentioned four strategies I use to “stay sane in self-isolation.” Apart from my obvious personal interest...

Have you been feeling way more stressed out than usual, like you’re teetering on the edge of a breakdown with all the uncertainty around coronavirus? For tho...

In a previous post, I talked about WHY daily routines are so crucial to maintain mental stability. To recap quickly, it’s because routines help to regulate o...

Humans are a naturally smiley species. We appear to begin smiling even while we’re still in the womb. There are so many emotional and health benefits to smil...

In my previous post, I explain how my type-A personality contributed to the development of my bipolar disorder, and – ironically – to my recovery from mental...

One of my several bookcases of binders I used to pride myself on my total type-A personality. Over-achiever, control freak, wannabe wonder-woman who took on w...

A version of this article first appeared on the Nonfiction Authors Association’s blog on May 23 2019. Beyond my budget! Problem: As a member of various write...

Today is Social Media Day – a day to mark and celebrate the global impact that social media has had on the lives of all of us. What an incredible tool it has...

This post originally appeared on the Nonfiction Authors Association’s blog on March 4 2019. We all have a story buried somewhere within the years of our tumu...

The concept of a “mental health gym” I’m a big believer in going to the “brain gym”: taking steps to actively (and proactively) maintain my mental health. Me...

It’s Mental Health Week here in Canada! This year’s theme, chosen by the sponsor, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), is “#GetLoud about what ment...

Seasonal change is a trigger When I was first diagnosed with bipolar, my psychiatrist warned that sleep deprivation, together with stress and a heavy workloa...

We’ve all heard it a thousand times: exercise regularly; exercise is good for both your physical and mental health; exercise every day… But it’s like recomme...

At the local World Bipolar Day event, I toasted participants and urged them to take active steps to protect their own mental health. Celebrating World Bipola...

Time to get educated March 30 is World Bipolar Day! Do you know someone struggling with bipolar disorder? Ever wondered what it must feel like to experience ...

Celebrating International Women’s Day with my daughter, Tami Hammond-Collins (to my left), and other women from around Montreal. Chicken-and-egg? Recently, I...

A portrait of me that my daughter, Tami Hammond-Collins, painted during one of my depressive episodes. Ouch! In mid-January, I was out walking in extreme win...

How to analyze your bipolar triggers If you missed Part 1 where I explain what triggers are, you can read it here. I learned the hard way! I now look at my b...

What are bipolar triggers? Triggers can cause full-blown bipolar symptoms. They may be people, events, emotions, circumstances, or places. If you don’t learn...