By Karin Mizgala, Co-Founder and CEO Money Coaches Canada
To say it’s been a tough last few years is a big understatement. We were finally starting to plan for a more normal summer and wham, we’re now facing the aftermaths of the COVID-19 crisis – sky-high gas prices, rising food and travel costs, and interest rates hikes that are wreaking havoc with the stock, bond and real estate market.
According to a recent LifeWorks’ Mental Health Index report, 46 per cent of Canadians are feeling an increased sensitivity to stress than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting their overall mental health.
With so much negative economic and financial news, it’s not surprising that financial stress levels are on the rise. While there’s no way of escaping a challenging economic cycle, it is a good time to go back to the basics and make sure you are as well-positioned as possible to ride the storm.
At Money Coaches Canada, we pride ourselves on “Taking the Worry out of Money”. We help our clients use their resources to live their best lives and map out how to achieve their highest goals, while respecting their values and preferences and preparing for the unfortunate and unexpected. It involves a good amount of introspection, to understand who you are and what’s important to you and communicate that to your “life team” – your loved ones and the professionals you hire to help make your plan a reality.
So, when we encountered Dr. Daren Heyland, a critical care physician, researcher, Professor of Medicine at Queen’s University and creator of 
Our co-founder and CEO, Karin Mizgala, was recently invited to speak at an event hosted by 
We have had plenty of conversations with our clients over the past two years, and while they were not immune from the financial and emotional turmoil, they have been more financially prepared and resilient than most. 
Money lessons start at home. Children and lots of young adults learn by watching and imitating their grownups. Just like teenage driving lessons, it’s all too easy to absorb mom and dad’s bad habits when it comes to money management. 
Being grateful has been shown to positively impact our lives. Our ability to experience and express gratitude influences our relationships, our emotional and physical health and even our careers. Yet, we also live in a culture that tells us we need more. This tension is never more obvious than during the Christmas season, with so much pressure for the “perfect” holiday.
