Reading Time: 4 minutes Despite the billions of dollars spent on education each year, student math test scores continue to fall in most of Canada. The alarming statistics don’t bode well for the success of future generations. Like reading, math is a fundamental skill, necessary for success in life and work. John Mighton who established JUMP Math, a tutoring […] Read more
Build your kids’ math skills
To excel at farming, your children will need better math skills than they may be getting at school. Here’s how to help
Guide HR: If the roller-coaster goes on too long
Be watchful of what are seen as less-severe mood swings
Reading Time: 3 minutes If it sometimes feels like your roller-coaster never really stops, maybe you suffer from cyclothymia, a mild version of bipolar disorder. You wouldn’t be alone. I have met dozens of producers who have this disorder, and who come to see it as the source of their misfortunes. Obviously, they consult me when they’re “down” because, […] Read more
Guide Health: A cascade you don’t want
Almost everyone can benefit from these measures to avoid taking drugs unnecessarily
Reading Time: 3 minutes You may think of a cascade as a soothing brook bubbling over some rocks, but a prescription cascade is not as pleasant. The term refers to the treatment of the side-effects of one drug when a new second drug is prescribed. These side-effects can be mistakenly identified as a new condition, and of course this […] Read more
No-fear public speaking
With winter meetings ahead, more of us will get asked to take the microphone. These simple strategies will make you glad they did
Reading Time: 4 minutes Even though all of us in this day and age should expect to be called upon to speak in public at some point, for many of us the very thought of it causes us to feel queasy and to break out in a cold sweat. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a U.S. […] Read more
Guide Health: A little dab will do you!
Creams, lotions and ointments can work wonders for your skin. But which is right for you?
Reading Time: 3 minutes The saying “a little dab will do you” really is true when it comes to applying creams and ointments to your skin. These creams are termed topical agents because they are applied directly to your skin where they act. At any one time, an estimated 75 per cent of Canadians are using a cream or […] Read more
Guide HR: When the fuse is too short
Reading Time: 3 minutes “My family is all a bit hot-headed. I am like my father and grandfather. We get angry quickly, but we cool down fast. The problem is that when I’m angry, I don’t really think about what I’m saying or doing.” Strong emotions, whether positive or negative, significantly affect our judgment. They impair our ability to […] Read more
Getting your message right
Blame email and social media. They're making it easier than ever to say exactly the wrong thing
Reading Time: 5 minutes For farmers today, the ability to write clearly is more important than ever. Whether it’s writing Facebook posts to attract customers, blog posts to educate the public, a business proposal for potential partners, or position statements on behalf of a board of directors, being able to express your ideas coherently is an invaluable tool. And […] Read more
Guide Health: Keep your bowel moving
Reading Time: 3 minutes Thanks to your autonomic nervous system, which regulates evacuation from your bowel, you probably take your bowel habits for granted… except when you can’t. At any one time, anywhere between two and 28 per cent of Canadians are affected by constipation, which can range from a single episode to chronic constipation. In fact, the real […] Read more
Preventing domestic violence
Reading Time: 4 minutes Let’s pause for a moment to let this grim statistic sink in. Every six days a woman in Canada is murdered by her partner. Domestic violence is far too prevalent. Just in the last five years, more than one million people in Canada have reported being either physically or sexually assaulted by their partner or […] Read more
Guide HR: A goldfish is sharper than you (thanks to smartphones)
We think we do more in this age of instant information, but the quantity and quality of our work actually suffers. We lose on every metric: health, productivity and relationships
Reading Time: 4 minutes Researchers recently surveyed 2,000 Canadians and also studied the brain activity of 112 individuals using electroencephalograms. What they found is quite intriguing. Canadians’ average attention span was 8.25 seconds in these studies in 2015. In 2000, it had been 12 seconds. The average attention span of a goldfish is… nine seconds. How did this happen? […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
