Margaret is a Certified Professional Life Coach, Certified Professional Recovery Coach and a Certified She Recovers Coach. She holds a B.A in Psychology, a Masters Degree in Education and has worked in the field of Education for over 30 years.
Margaret Nimigan
How Much Alcohol is "Safe" For Me To Drink?
The latest publication from the Canadian Substance Abuse and Addiction (Update of Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines) is sobering to say the least. The last time these guidelines were updated was 2011 when it was reported that safe drinking for women was no more than 10 drinks a week and 15 drinks per week for men. Now, it's a very different story.
Margaret Nimigan
Sobering Thoughts During Dry January
Almost 9 years ago I removed alcohol from my life. I can honestly say my main motivation wasn’t for “health reasons.” I was not particularly worried about my physical health. Not directly, anyways. Yes, I had noticed that alcohol helped me fall asleep, but not stay asleep. And I knew that poor sleep made me more irritable and anxious. But I can honestly say that I didn’t understand that there was a link between alcohol and major diseases. A bit of light bulb went off for me in 2006 when my mother had a “catastrophic” stroke on an otherwise ordinary...
Margaret Nimigan
Finding Your “Why” During Dry January
Finding your "why" during Dry January can set you up for success. Before you begin any kind of self-imposed challenge, it’s always helpful to find your motivation. For most people, the reason for going alcohol free is highly personal and somewhat unique to each individual. Here are some reasons people have shared with me over the last few years: Curiosity: Would I feel better? How hooked am I? Would I find it easy or hard? Overall Health & Wellness: With or without the science, most people know alcohol isn’t a component of healthy living. Irritation With the “Habit”: Some feel slave to...
Margaret Nimigan
How Can I Improve My Mood in the Winter?
Spring renews, summer warms, and fall provides relief from the heat of August. But winter… many struggle to find much joy in the season beyond the initial sprinkle of a few snowflakes in early December. And yet, over time, I’ve learned to do more than just tolerate our Canadian winters. I’ve learned to accept winter as an inevitable rest period from the “garish light of day” (for all you Phantom of the Opera fans out there). Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) should not be ignored, however. It is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as “a type of depression that is triggered by...
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