Author Archive: Admin

The Benefits of Routine

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Each life contains at least one repeated rhythm. For adults, most of these occur at work, where a routine can be anything from taking lunch at the same time to performing an entire list of tasks before going home. For parents, the idea of personal routine is often left at work and from the moment they arrive home, it shifts to revolve around their children. This is a noble sacrifice as routines are especially beneficial to youth. 

Kids display a fear of the unknown that can prove to be rather intense. They frequently refuse to try new foods and may panic at the slightest notion of change. The truth is that a young body is constantly growing and changing. In what seems like the blink of an eye, an infant learns to speak and is potty-trained. They abandon their bottles and pacifiers and are faced with the prospect of “growing up” everyday. Establishing routines where everything remains the same can provide kids with a sense of security. 

It is rather common for children to have set bedtimes and mealtimes, however, adults often sleep and eat at irregular times. Though we tend to lose touch with them as we grow older, routines will never lose their importance. That sense of security is just as important to mature bodies as it is to younger ones. Life may be too hectic to accommodate a detailed schedule, but even small amounts of loose planning can spark big changes. For example, when your body is programmed to rest and rise at certain hours, you develop a healthier sleep cycle and may find yourself requiring less caffeine in the mornings. Also, if you can train yourself to take your meals at roughly the same time each day, you can also regulate how much you eat, resulting in less snacking throughout the day.

 Finally, you may be able to incorporate routines into your common errands. Dedicating a specific day every week to go to the grocery store, for instance, may not only save you from running out of items you need; it could also save you time that you would normally take out of other shopping trips in order to restock your kitchen. When order is added to average tasks, it can provide stability, which plays a key role in lowering stress.  

A Sign of Strength

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Whether you are stressed about debt; depressed because your partner left you; or completely overwhelmed with trying to raise and provide for a family – we are becoming more aware of how important it is to keep our minds and bodies healthy. However, for many people, asking for help with our thoughts, emotions, and relationships is often one of the most difficult things to do.

Many people find this difficult to do because we all worry about how others view us. Most of us want to be seen by others as being strong, healthy, attractive, happy … and so on. So, we may fear that admitting to having problems with our thoughts, emotions, and relationships may lead others to judge us or think we are weak and broken. In reality – the opposite is true. Asking for help is a sign of health and strength.

When you are looking for a professional to help you improve the health of your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and/or lifestyle, it can be important to know what you are looking for. People in this field can go by many different titles – counsellor; therapist; life coach; social worker; psychologist; psychiatrist; mental health worker; addictions specialist – are just a few of the ‘job titles’ that may be held by professionals in this field.

So how do you know which type of professional can meet your needs?  The first place to start is with knowing what you want. Ask yourself:

  • What do I want to change?
  • What issues do I think I need help with?
  • Why am I seeking help now?
  • What types of things have I tried in the past to deal with this situation?

Then, start calling around to see who might be available to help you improve your current situation. You can start by calling local counselling agencies to see what type of professionals they have available. Being clear about the issue or situation you want help with should make it easier for the professional to assess whether or not they can help you prior to even getting you to come in for an appointment.

Some questions that might help you find the right type of person to help you are:

  • What is your educational background?
  • Do you specialize in helping a specific type of person or problem area?
  • Have you been successful in helping other people with situations or issues similar to mine?
  • What is the fee for this service? or How do I find out if my health insurance will cover this service?

If you start to see a professional to help you improve the health and well-being of your mind; emotions, relationships and/or lifestyle it is important to remember:

  • Making changes can be very difficult and can take a lot of practice.
  • The only person you can change and take responsibility for is yourself
  • You will only get the changes you desire if you are fully committed to doing the work required to make them happen.

Some warning signs that you might not be getting the right kind of help are:

  • You are not sure what it is that you should be working on in your life to change your issue or problem, even though you have seen the professional multiple times.
  • You have not developed any goals so you know what you are hoping to achieve or work toward.
  • You don’t notice any improvement with your situation, even though you have gone to see the professional multiple times
  • The professional you are seeing does not seem to want to talk about your concerns that things are not getting better or are staying the same.

Finding A Credible Credit Counselling Agency

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If you are like many Islanders, there are times when you really wonder and stress about how you are ever going to pay off all your bills and be able to live debt free. You may dream of having a savings account and a retirement fund. You may have heard advertisements from companies promising to reduce your debt by 50 – 80%  if you just call and see if you qualify for their program.

Well – it is also likely that you have heard the saying – “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.

There are different types of agencies who have the goal of helping you decrease your debt.   There are credit counselling agencies and debt settlement companies.  Some agencies are classified as ‘for profit’ and some are classified as ‘not for profit’; and those who are accredited versus those who are not. Some of the agencies are operating under questionable practices in attempts to get more and more clients on Debt Repayment Plans (DRP) or to “settle their debts with creditors”.   The truth is, these options are valid and helpful for people who really need it – however, qualifying either of these options requires a thorough assessment of your current financial situation and is much more than just adding up all your debt to see if you qualify.  The hidden small print from many of the agencies that are operating under questionable terms is that while they may work with your creditors to reduce your debt and/or your interest rates, they will charge you large monthly fees; require down payments and/or set-up fees; and insist that you stay on the program for an agreed upon period of time.

How to find a credible credit counselling agency:

Find a local agency that is both not for profit and fully accredited by looking in your phone book or searching on-line. Your local agencies are accredited by Credit Counselling Canada.

When you call to make an appointment:

  • ask to have a face-to-face appointment with a credit counsellor.
  • Verify that the organization is accredited.
  • Verify that the organization is not for profit.

When you speak to a credit counsellor:

  • He/she should be helping you develop a budget so you both can fully understand your financial situation; and any lifestyle changes that you can make to help you improve your financial situation
  • He/she should be asking you about all your debts; assets; liabilities; and payment history – not just those related to credit card debt.
  • He/she should give you more than one option for improving your financial situation. If a DRP is an option for you, he/she should encourage you to go home and think about all options prior to signing up for anything

If you choose to pursue a Debt Repayment Plan:

  • Your credit counsellor should explain the consequences for you and your credit rating
  • You should be given the option to make a lump sum payment to further reduce or eliminate your debt at any given time.
  • Start up fees and monthly administration costs should be minimal, with the vast majority of your money going directly to your creditors.

And last, but not least: Never sign a contract without reading and understanding all the small print

Asking For Help

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Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where everyone looked out for one another and people were always willing to lend a helping hand with no strings attached?  Living in beautiful Prince Edward Island with wonderful families, neighbors and friends can often make us believe that we are living in such a world.   However, sometimes we need help that our friends and neighbors are not qualified to provide. What happens then? Where can you go? Who can you trust? How do you know if the people you ask for help are really able to help you?

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and hope that when you ask for help, you will get what you need. But sometimes, you can do more than hope for the best. Keep reading our blog or sign up for our e-news letter  to find information and tips that will help you ask the right questions to ensure you get the help you are seeking to improve your financial and overall emotional health and wellbeing.

FAMILY SERVICE PEI AND GREATER SUMMERSIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COLLABORATE TO PROMOTE 2013 FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK

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Wear Purple Business Mixer – February 13th
The 2013 Family Violence Prevention Week is February 10th-16th. In an effort to gain support from and educate the Summerside area business community, Family Service PEI(FSPEI) has collaborated with the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce (GSCC). In addition to educating GSCC members about how they can support the 2013 campaign, the GSCC will be hosting a “Purple Business Mixer” on February 13th, the official Wear Purple Day across Prince Edward Island.

Event: GSCC Purple Business Mixer
Date: February 13th, 2013
Time: 4:30-6:00pm
Location: Red Shores Raceway

Description: Participants are encouraged to wear purple to the event for the chance to win prizes. Companies are encouraged to set up their display booths with the theme in mind. Family Service PEI will be on hand to educate participant about recognizing and responding to domestic violence in their workplace.
Domestic violence used to be a “mind your own business” issue; but times have changed. FSPEI, with the assistance of GSCC, is encouraging local businesses to “make it our business”. It is important that employers understand and recognize how harassment and violence costs organizations and affects employees. When it occurs, they pay for increased sickness, absenteeism and turnover rates and reduced productivity.

In 2011 a total of 178 assaults were reported to the Summerside Police Department. Of these, 40% occurred between persons with a family/domestic relationship while 60% involved friends, acquaintances or strangers. (www.stopfamilyviolence.pe.ca)

It is time that employers, supervisors, managers, human resources and safety officers, security personnel, union representatives and co-workers recognize domestic violence, respond to it and refer victims and abusers to supports that offer help.

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For more information on this subject, or to schedule and interview, please contact Denise Lockhart – Executive Director, Family Service PEI at 902-892-2441, 902-436-9171 or via email: director@familyservice.pe.ca

Our new social media strategy

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Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for visiting us at here at our website. We know we need to improve our methods of interacting with you. Stay tuned for many improvements that will come over the next few months. These will include website improvements, as well as the creation of new FaceBook and Twitter accounts to keep you fully informed about how you can develop and implement successful life strategies to improve your financial and emotional well-being.

Denise Lockhart
Executive Director