My father, Howard Kleinberg, passed away at the age of ninety-five on December 9, 2020. His death at the time came unexpectedly and happened quickly. He did not suffer or require extensive medical intervention, and for that I will forever be grateful. Due to strict Covid-19 protocols in place at the time of his passing, my father and mother were both confined to their apartment in the retirement residence in which they lived. Family and friends were unable to visit in person

“The most damaging phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way’.” - Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper There is so much that is uncertain in these times of pandemic. So many have tragically died, and many have suffered. Millions of people are experiencing growing economic hardship as a result of worldwide lockdowns. We have learned new phrases such as, “social distancing”, “flattening the curve” and “personal protective equipment”. We are quarantining, self-isolat

“Fear makes us feel our humanity.” - Benjamin Disraeli I read that approximately 4.5 billion people are currently observing one form or another of sheltering in place during this COVID-19 pandemic. That’s a staggering statistic! More than half of humanity is currently engaged in the battle against the coronavirus. By staying at home, you are protecting yourself and everybody else and helping to flatten the curve. The good news is your efforts are making a difference. Many c

“… And whoever saves a single life is considered by Scripture to have saved the whole world.” (Sanhedrin 37a, Babylonian Talmud) On April 15, 1945, my mother was liberated by the British Army in the Bergen-Belsen death camp. The camp had been divided between men and women. My mother and her aunt searched among the dying and dead on the men’s side to possibly find relatives who may have survived. Recognizing a familiar face, my mother told her aunt that she had known this youn

“ We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” On June 4, 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill roused the British people with this

What I find surprising when I go to corporate offices to talk about the perils of sitting is the fact that most people are simply not aware of the risk of long-term sitting. Most office workers stay in one position for too long and take infrequent breaks. The physical and mental strain continues to build day after day. The health risks are numerous. The good news is that there are some very basic activities that you can do every day to reduce the stress on your body and your

Are You Sitting Too Much? After a long day of sitting at the office, commuting for two hours and eating dinner, you are thinking of sitting on the couch and watching your favorite TV series on Netflix for the next 3 to 4 hours. Think again! All that sitting adds up and it is not good for you. Here’s Your Wake-Up Call Over the past few years, major research studies on the effects of long-term sitting have come up with some very disturbing findings. All those hours sitting at

People are sitting for longer and longer at work and at play. Population-based research studies are now telling us about the harmful effects all this sitting is having on the human body and our health. The new buzz word headline in media is “Sitting is the New Smoking” . In the 21st century it is estimated that most North Americans sit an average of 12-15 hours a day. Daily commuting, sitting at work, working/playing on computers and smartphones, and watching TV keeps us st

“Time = Life; therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life!” – Alan Lakein “The bad news is time flies. The good news is, you’re the pilot!” – Michael Altshuler “I don’t have enough time!!” Do you say this to yourself or others? Do others say this to you? People are so caught up with the necessities of work and life, they may feel that they never get to spend time on their own well-being, personal growth and important projects. Peop

“You can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside”. - Wayne Dyer In my previous blog post I highlighted the increased amount of stress that people are feeling in the workplace today. It’s not hard for people to succumb to feeling overwhelmed with all that’s going on in their daily lives. It can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety and even depression. It’s also important to recognize that there are a lot of things that employer

“It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye One of my patients recently shared with me how much stress she feels at work on a daily basis. Over the past year her company has let a number of key people go and they have not hired anybody to replace them. There is no difference in the workload and as a result she is doing more work than ever before. There are more demands on her time and she constantly feels pressured by senior management. On top of a

“Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” - Margaret Cousins Giving and receiving thanks should be a regular part of your daily life. How often do you say thank you for the service or kind gestures done to you by others? Do you give thanks to relatives, friends and co-workers who have helped you, continue to support you and have made a difference in your life? Do you acknowledge yourself or thank yours

Tina (not her real name) goes to work every day, so to speak. Physically she is present. But in so many ways she is absent. Tina has chronic neck pain as well as tingling and pain from her right forearm to her fingertips. She is suffering all the time. She tells me this disrupts her work and makes it difficult for her to get things done on her computer. She also has aging parents who she is constantly taking care of. She has a son who has learning issues and is not focused in

Summer has quickly moved into fall. It's a good time of year to review your personal well-being priorities!

“Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart.” - Steve Jobs I recently read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This is a fascinating biography about one of the most influential human beings of the past 50 years. There probably isn't a home or business in the world that doesn't contain one of the products that Steve Jobs inspired and conceived. Steve Jobs was a complex person. There were multiple layers to his personality