Self Care During the Holidays – Leaning on Cultural Knowledge

by Hannah Gilmour | Dec 16, 2024 | Benefits, Financial Tips, First Nations, Health & Wellness | 0 comments

Self Care During the Holidays

The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be a period of heightened stress and overwhelm. From the pressures of hosting family gatherings to the financial strain of gift-giving, to balancing cultural traditions with mainstream celebrations, the season often carries a weight that impacts our physical and emotional health.

Honoring your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being is essential during this time. Here are some practical ways to prioritize yourself during the holidays so you can create a more balanced and fulfilling holiday experience for yourself and those around you:

Spend Time with the Land

Connection to the land is at the heart of many teachings and our over all health. Spending time outdoors, whether it’s walking in the forest, sitting by the water, or simply feeling the snow beneath your feet, can provide grounding and healing. The land is a source of refuge and balance—its rhythms remind us that we, too, are part of a greater cycle.

Honor Your Feelings Through Ceremony

The holidays often bring a range of emotions, from joy and gratitude to sadness and grief. Traditional practices can help you acknowledge and honor these feelings. If it aligns with your traditions, you might smudge with sage, sweetgrass, or cedar to cleanse your spirit and invite a sense of calm. A small fire ceremony can be a meaningful way to release burdens, letting the smoke carry your thoughts and emotions. You may also find peace through traditional activities like storytelling or throat singing. If jigging or playing the fiddle is part of your culture, embrace these practices to bring joy and lightheartedness to the season.

Nourish Your Spirit with Cultural Foods

Food is more than sustenance—it’s connection to culture, community, and ancestors. Whenever possible, incorporate traditional foods into your holiday meals. Whether it’s bannock, wild game, smoked fish, seal, or berries, these foods carry the spirit of the land and your heritage. Sharing a meal with loved ones or community can deepen these connections and remind you of your roots.

Strengthen Community Ties

The holidays are a time to lean into the strength of your community. Reach out to Elders for wisdom and stories that can guide you through this season. Gather with family, friends, or your broader community to share laughter, songs, and support. If you’re feeling isolated, consider joining local events such as feasts, powwows, or community gatherings to reconnect.

Practice the Teachings of Reciprocity

One of the core values in many Indigenous cultures across turtle island is reciprocity—giving back to others as a way of nurturing relationships. This can take many forms during the holidays: offering a meal to someone in need, gifting handmade crafts, or simply listening deeply to a loved one. Acts of generosity and gratitude can help you feel more connected and uplifted.

Create Space for Reflection

The holidays are also a time to reflect on the teachings and wisdom of your ancestors. Use this season to connect with their stories and traditions, whether by crafting, drumming, singing, or engaging in quiet contemplation. Journaling about your experiences and the lessons you’ve learned throughout the year can also be a powerful tool for clarity and balance.

Balance Rest and Movement

The teachings of balance remind us to care for both the body and spirit. Stay active by engaging in activities that align with your cultural traditions, such as snowshoeing, jigging, or dancing. At the same time, honor the need for rest. Sleep deeply and take time to restore your energy, knowing that rest is a sacred act of self-care.

Seek Support When You Need It

It’s okay to ask for help. Whether from a family member, a trusted Elder, or a counselor, sharing your struggles can lighten the load. Indigenous-focused services and resources are available to provide support that honors your identity and experiences.

By weaving these practices into your holiday season, you can find balance, connection, and strength. Remember, the teachings of your culture and traditions are always there to guide you back to wellness.

For culturally safe and trauma-informed resources:

Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention by phone or online chat. Call toll-free 1-855-242-3310 or start a confidential chat with a counsellor at hopeforwellness.ca.

Indian Residential School Crisis Line is a national service for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience. Call toll-free 1-866-925-4419.

Kuu-Us Crisis Line Society provides crisis services for Indigenous people across BC. Adults/Elders line 250-723-4050; youth line 250-723-2040. Or call toll free 1-800-588-8717. Learn more at www.kuu-uscrisisline.com.

Métis Crisis Line is a service of Métis Nation British Columbia. Call 1-833-MétisBC (1-833-638-4722).

Sources

First Nations Health Authority – “Traditional Wellness and Healing”

Canadian Nurse – “Using Indigenous knowledge to address mental illness in Indigenous communities”

Teachings In the Air Podcast – “Our Way(s) of Life – Travis Hebert a.k.a. Heebz the Earthchild”

Teachings In the Air Podcast – “Movement is Medicine – Saa Hiil Thut a.k.a. Gerry Oleman”

Transition Network – “What Indigenous Cultures can teach us about burnout”

Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre – “Indigenous Trauma and Healing”

Metis Counselling – “15 Ways to Reduce Stress”

Psychology Today – “Authentic Equity: Honoring Indigenous Healing Practices”

MDPI – “Incorporating First Nations, Inuit and Metis Traditional Healing Spaces within a Hospital Context: A place-based study of three unique spaces within Canada’s Oldest and Largest Mental Health Hospital”

CIHI – “First Nations, Metis and Inuit Health” and related sources.

7 Kinds of Personal Budgets and How They Work

by Hannah Gilmour | May 1, 2024 | Financial Tips, First Nations | 0 comments

7 Kinds Of Personal Budgets and How To Use Them

It can be easier to know where you are at financially and achieve your financial goals if you keep track of your money every month. A budget can help you monitor your money and make you feel in control of your finances. The catch is to find a budgeting style that works for you so you will use it consistently and reach your goals. Here are some of the different types of budgeting styles you can try:

Traditional Budget
Zero-Based Budget
50/30/20 Budget
Goal Based Budget
Pay Yourself First Budget
Spending Cap Budget
Envelope Budget

A Traditional Budget

This is possibly one of the most widely used styles of budgeting. You simply subtract your expenses from your income and what ever is left over at the end of the month can be used for savings, retirement, additional payments towards debt or extra purchases. This is one of the easier to use methods and is recommended for beginners.

The Zero-Based Budget

With a Zero-based Budget, the goal is to give every dollar you earn a job, making your income get to Zero every month. But that doesn’t mean it all goes to spending, you give each individual dollar a job, whether that is savings, retirement investing, or paying necessary bills. You choose where you spend the money, making sure each cent has a job and at the end you have nothing left over.

The 50/30/20 Budget

This budget is great for people who want to separate their income into precise portions. The idea is that 50% of your income goes towards necessary expenses, 30% goes towards things you want to spend money but aren’t necessities and 20% goes towards your savings and/or debt.

A Goal Based Budget

So perhaps you have specific goals in mind that you want to achieve. This would be the budgeting style for you. In this budget you have financial goals you want to accomplish, and you set aside money to help reach those goals. Usually, you choose one to two major goals and work with those. Examples of this could be:

Save 15% of my income every month.
Put 10% of my income into a retirement plan.
Pay down 20% of a debt every month.
Spend no more than $200 each week on groceries.

With this budget, you choose the goal(s) and then put money aside to achieve them.

The Pay Yourself First Budget

This method puts you and your financial goals front and centre. When you get your pay cheque, you literally pay yourself first by paying towards your financial goal before any other expenses. Whether that’s putting money in a high yield savings account, retirement plan or whatever savings goal you might have. This plan is especially good if you have a hard time making you and your savings a priority. After you pay yourself first the rest of the money goes towards expenses like rent, groceries, car, etc.

Spending Cap Budget

This budget says it all in the name: SPENDING CAP. In this budget you include all that you are willing to spend in a month to a maximum. This includes groceries, bills, debts, and savings all in one monthly limit and you can’t go over that amount. What ends up being left over you are free to do what you want with it, but we will always recommend you put it into savings.

The Envelope Budget

If you are more of a visual person and get encouragement from seeing your money pile up before your eyes in real time, then this budget might work for you. In the Envelope budget, you take physical cash and portion it out into labeled envelopes that are categorized for each expense and savings. For example, one envelope for a vacation, another for the car payment, another for groceries, etc. For maximum visual appeal you can get clear plastic sleeves in a binder or keep it simple with regular letter envelopes.

So which Budget is the best one for you? The one that works and gets you using it consistently. Some people like more restrictive budgets like the “Traditional Budget” or the “Spending Cap” method. Others might want more freedom like the “Pay Yourself First” style. Either way, the best budget is the one that works for you and helps you achieve your financial goals.

For more information or to speak with one of our advisors click this link to get in touch, we are here to help!

Connect with a Licensed Advisor!

Making Saving Easy & Affordable – “Dollar – Cost Averaging”

by Hannah Gilmour | Sep 9, 2018 | Blogs(Newsletter), Financial Tips, First Nations | 0 comments

Making Saving Easy & Affordable

“Dollar - Cost Averaging”

Many people believe that they need a large sum of money to start investing. Even if you don`t have that kind of money and looking for a disciplined saving strategy, perhaps dollar-cost averaging might be the right strategy for your retirement plans.

Dollar-cost averaging happens when you invest at regular and smaller amounts of money rather than putting in a large lump sum all at once. As the asset price fluctuates, your regular contribution buys different amounts of the asset.

“Would you rather keep the cash in hands or invest your money in the markets smartly, so your money performs better?”

– Kevin Press

Let’s assume an investor contributes $100 per month for two years. Take a look at the numbers to see how dollar-cost averaging evens out the highs and lows of investing in the market. In this hypothetical situation, the investor will make $411 on the contributions of $2,400 – a healthy 8.6 per cent annual return over two years*.

– Average Unit Price : $ 17.25

– Total Units Purchased : $ 140.55

– Total Value of Units at the end of 2 years : $ 2,811

– Total Dollar Amount Invested after 2 years:$2,400

– Total Return to the Investor : $ 411

Important Tips on Dollar - Cost Averaging

Start Early

Starting early and making regular investments will help you save enough for a happy and free retirement. You will be able to start with small sums and have the financial security you need for your retirement.

Prepare for Market Ups and Downs

You will have a long enough time on the horizon before you need your money and nobody can call what`s going to happen in the market correctly. With dollar-cost averaging the price of your selected funds will dictate whether you buy a lot (when prices are low) or a little (when prices are high). Just focus on your retirement goals and continue investing for your future.

Top 3 Advantages of Dollar-Cost Averaging

No Need to
Time The Market

Reduces Risks
& Loses

Convenient &
Affordable

If you have limited resources or relying on paychecks for having funds available for investing, then dollar-cost averaging makes a lot of sense. It is better than waiting and trying to time the market.

It’s impossible to foresee the fluctuations in the market. Dollar-Cost Averaging helps you to minimize losses in bad markets and reduce the amount of risk you carry. With this strategy, you will simply smooth out the volatility of your investments and take the emotion out of investing.

You can easily set up your budget and start saving monthly, quarterly or semiannually for your retirement. You will also create a new habit and become disciplined in your saving and investing routine.

The bottom line is, dollar-cost averaging is typically one of the easiest and most effective ways to build wealth over time because you can start with basic things like directing a portion of your paycheck to go to a CPP or a group plan. This way you will be investing a set amount on a regular basis. This is actually an excellent way to get started and save for your retirement.

The Rule of 72

by Yusur Ouj | Jun 11, 2015 | Financial Tips | 0 comments

Have you ever wondered how long it will take for your investment to double in value? The “Rule of 72” can help you get a rough estimate of how many years you can expect to wait. The formula is quite simple really. You simply divide the annual rate of return by 72 to get your number. For example, a $1 investment at a 10% rate of return will take 7.2 years to double (72/10=7.2). But as mentioned above, the rule should only be used to get a rough estimate. For the example above the exact number of years it would take for that investment to double would actually be 7.3 years, giving the Rule of 72 formula a .1 year margin of error. Below is a chart showing the differences in calculations using the Rule of 72 and the exact calculations. As you can see the accuracy is highest at 7%-9%.

(click to enlarge)