For some, January is a time for renewal and fresh starts. For others, it can be a month of isolation, sadness and hopelessness. “Our data at Homewood Health since 2022 has shown a consistent spike in January, specially for requesting services,” Gabrielle Provencher, Homewood Health’s director of enhanced medical care, said. There are many reasons why someone may be feeling “the winter blues.” “Shorter daytime light, the colder weather, we’re also a bit more crammed in the house, [there are] less opportunities to go outside,” Provencher said. In response to the growing need for help, Homewood Health launched a YouTube series dedicated to winter wellbeing. “It really focuses on the reflective effort that we can take during the winter season to slow down during these colder months,” she said. The videos also highlight the idea that it’s ok to not be ok. “I think there’s still a lot of stigmatizations when it comes to seeking support,” Provencher said. One of the suggestions found in the series encourages views to carve out what Homewood Health officials called ‘micro-moments’ for themselves. That could be a quick walk, five minutes of silence or even a sweet treat. Staff at Four All Ice Cream in downtown Kitchener are doing their part to help the cause by hosting a fundraiser for mental health services. Throughout the month of January, a portion of the ice cream shop’s sales are going to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) of Waterloo Wellington. “Just the act of getting ice cream hopefully will brighten your day,” Four All Ice Cream’s marketing manager Courtney Mayo, said. “It goes a step further by actually contributing to supporting mental health services in the community,” Mayo added. The ice cream shop will also be hosting an Ice Cream for Breakfast event on Feb. 7, with additional funds going to CMHA. “We’re really hoping that a lot of people in the community can come out and support mental health services on that day,” Mayo said. In Cambridge, city staff are hoping to raise residents’ spirits with the first-ever Cabin Fever initiative. Starting on Monday, a variety of businesses and organizations will be offering discounts. “We have a real-cross section of industry,” said Alana Russell, the city’s director of communications. “Anything from retail to cafes, to experiences, that type of thing.” It’s all part of a push to bring a little light and levity to what can be a dark time of year. “We always feel like people have it better than us, that people are not struggling as much as we do, and it’s simply not the case,” said Provencher.
