Stressed out? Ill-tempered? Burned out? Maybe it’s time that you need a mental-fitness routine. For months, therapists have reported a significant increase in clients who are becoming anxious, worried or depressed due to current events—the COVID-19 pandemic, economic woes, and lockdown. According to Dr. Roland Cortez, chief of the National Center for Mental Health in the Philippines, every day, ever since the ECQ took effect in Luzon in March, they are receiving more 200 calls in their hospital to address people’s mental health issues. “Mood disorder, as prime characteristic of depression, is on the rise. Many people feel sad...

We are only less than 2 weeks away through 2020, and as cliché as it sounds — it’s the worst year ever — beloved celebrities have died, natural disasters occurred, our daily routines have drastically changed — we literally experienced events we thought we would never have. Although we acknowledge the harsh reality of an incredibly difficult year — many have lost their loved ones, many are struggling, many feel sad, scared, frustrated and broken — there’s also nothing wrong with looking at the brighter side of this year, because despite all the bad news we witnessed, there are still...

This year is unlike any other, and literally the worst year our generation has ever experienced — even the Times Magazine claims that. So, we should not treat 2020 the same way as we did to any other — counting up your accomplishments, and failure like you usually do at the very end of the year. You shouldn’t compare everything you’ve done this year to the years in your past. You shouldn’t feel guilty about all the things on last year’s resolution list that failed to come to execution this year. You should be gentle on yourself when you’re looking...

For busy moms, time is important. There are moments when you don’t get enough of it especially if you have so much work to do at home. Priorities like work, family, and kids take most of your time, and having a pause for yourself is usually at the bottom of the list. But do you know that it would do more harm to you if you don’t take some time for yourself? There’s stress, burnout, and even illness you might get if you aren’t giving yourself a break to get what you need. To pave way for a few minutes...

Many things happened during quarantine — lost lives, lost livelihood, lost careers, and lost dreams. Some people have it worse than others, but we can all agree that everyone was affected by the pandemic one way or another. I, for example, had changes in my daily routine because of the many months of quarantine. This may not be that bad of an effect during quarantine, but it did affect my life significantly. My daily weekday routine starts with a 7AM alarm to prepare for work. I eat breakfast, take a shower, dress up, then leave the house at 8AM and...