Dr. Joti Samra, R. Psych. Organizational & Media Consultant

(by Mike Hager, The Vancouver Sun)   Never mind the professional athletes: Can Canucks fans recover from the traumatic 8-1 shellacking dished out by the Bruins Monday night?   The Canucks’ biggest loss in the team’s post-season history, combined with the return of gloomy weather, had some fans feeling downright depressed Tuesday.   “I think [...]

(by Cathal Kelly, thestar.com)   They’re still leading the Stanley Cup two games to one, but since this is Vancouver, the whole city is already in therapy.   And also because it’s Vancouver, everybody’s decided that tossing a rod over one blowout loss isn’t just explainable, it’s, like, a really healthy thing to do.   [...]

(by Mike Hager, The Vancouver Sun) Never mind the professional athletes: Can Canucks fans recover from the traumatic 8-1 shellacking dished out by the Bruins Monday night?   The Canucks’ biggest blowout loss in the team’s post-season history, combined with the return of gloomy weather, had some fans feeling downright depressed Tuesday.   “I think [...]

(by Luke Brocki, OpenFile) According to many seismologists, a mega earthquake is overdue to decimate the Pacific coast. While OpenFile is covering this story from many different angles today, Vancouver reporter Luke Brocki talked to a local anxiety expert about what all this bad news and constant worrying is doing to our mental health. Dr. [...]

(by Dr. Joti Samra, for Lifespeak)   We all talk about “how stressed” we are, but we are not always clear about what exactly stress is. Stress can very simply be defined as demands on us (emotional, cognitive, physical) that at any point in time exceed our resources to deal with those demands. Stress comes [...]

(by Stephanie Overman, Benefits Canada)   Employees who have remained on the payroll after the most recent economic downturn may be feeling the stress of decreased resources and increased burdens. Some may still even carry “survivor guilt.” Emotional strain can also rise through factors such as unrealistic expectations, workplace politics or ill-defined goals.   No [...]

(by Christopher Poon, The Georgia Straight) Psychologist Joti Samra believes that excessive gaming can be a symptom of other illnesses, such as depression.   Josh Caney used to sneak out at night to get his fix. The next day would be dominated by thoughts of how to get his next one. Early on, it was [...]

(by Chris Freimond, The Globe and Mail) Click on the following link to read the full article:  Healthy minds at work_The Globe and Mail  

(by Dr. Joti Samra, for Lifespeak)   About 30% of employed Canadians, approximately 3 million, work shift—non-standard work hours that cover a wide variety of work schedules. Shift work can consist of fixed shifts or shifts that rotate or change according to a set schedule. About 30% of employed Canadians, approximately 3 million, work shift—non-standard [...]

(by Emily Landau, OHS Canada)   A 2002 federal report on mental illness in Canada determined that anxiety disorders — a blanket term that covers more than a dozen conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder — are the most common of all mental illnesses. So why are [...]