The Wellness Proposal

     As time moves in circles on the clock, whipping and foaming each moment into sticky molasses, sheltering in place feels like solidifying in the unsettling churn of everyday silence. Ennui sits heavy on my chest especially when four walls are the only things real enough to be touched and felt. This unwarranted stillness often amplifies the disquiet in my head; it breathes life into my anxieties and insecurities and then hands them a power bar. In my self-loathing pity-party, almost daily do I meet these newly animate foes. They dip their slimy fingers into the sticky gelatinous quarantine-day and swirl it around absentmindedly as they belch out their unsolicited opinions about just how badly I am. After hours of catering to the needs of my guests, at dusk, fatigued, I fall into a post-party stupor while my foes quietly glide away promising to come back at the very crack of dawn. On some days they come back in fewer numbers. Once in a while, they leave me alone as they go after a ju

  Hi, my name is Paul. I am an undergraduate in UBC who’s also trying to pen a novel, and you will soon find out how that’s panning out. Comparing self to others is tantalizing. We want to feel a sense of accomplishment by comparing ourselves with others——an attempt to reassure ourselves that we are doing fine. The result is often disappointing. As to no one’s surprise, people only present their good side to the public. Social media bombards you with people having more than you, being more successful than you, being more in love than you? The point is everyone seems to be living their fullest life, while you read your phone alone at home. I rarely use social media, but I still had my fair share of self-comparison. I read online articles and novels for enjoyment and practice (I want to write a novel). As I scroll through blocks of highly polished writings, I sometimes feel the need to close the window and open my work in progress. In comparison, my sentences are insufferable, making me

  One of the most important factors of being a healthy individual and living a long and prosperous life is getting a good night’s sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, adults (18 – 65 years old) need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, sleep is often seen as lost time that can be used to do more work, watching TV, going out with friends, or study a bit more and is seen as a barrier to success and happiness. As a result, many adults are sleep-deprived and that can cause long-term health problems such as insomnia, weight gain, and heart attacks. Now is the time to take back the lost time of sleep, put on your pj’s, and snooze your way to a better life.  Go to sleep and wake up at the same time. Hearing the morning alarm clock is the worst sound in the world so why not go ditch the late-night Netflix tv show or movie and go to sleep? Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time so that you will be able to fall asleep and get better quality sleep at night. It will also make it e