Every year, the same countries top the world happiness charts: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Their secret lies in how their residents approach daily life, not the perfect weather or endless amount of vacation days they experience.

In Nordic culture, happiness is built into small habits. Hygge is the Danish word for coziness, but it really means creating contentment through presence. Lagom, a Swedish word meaning “just enough,” encourages balance instead of excess.

Examples are lighting a candle when it is dark outside or sipping coffee with a friend instead of rushing through the day.

Although these ideas sound simple, they reflect a deep and science-supported belief that joy comes from moderation, connection, and time well spent.

Research in the Journal of Positive Psychology shows that everyday feelings of warmth, light, and gratitude trigger dopamine, a chemical linked to calm and belonging. And according to studies on “social capital”, which is the value gained from one’s relationships, connections, and sense of community, people who feel a part of a trusted community report higher well-being regardless of their income level.

This month, take a cue from the north: Add one ritual of comfort to your day, such as eating slowly, calling someone you care about, or lighting a candle at your desk when the afternoon slump hits. Happiness is not found in grand moments; it is found in the ordinary ones, done with intention.

The new year is the perfect time to slow down, simplify, and support your body after the busy holiday season.

Skip the crash diets and detox teas. Your body already knows how to restore balance. This 10-day gentle reset is designed to nourish your natural detox systems, reduce inflammation, and restore steady energy during the year ahead.

Your liver leads the process by metabolizing nutrients and filtering toxins. Research shows it relies on two key detox phases supported by amino acids, vitamins C and E, and compounds in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale.

A 2023 Nutrients Today study found that a whole-food metabolic reset improved liver enzymes and antioxidant balance, proving that food, not fasting, drives real detoxification.

Movement matters, too. Gentle, consistent exercise boosts lymphatic flow and lowers inflammation, according to the Journal of Applied Physiology and the American Journal of Physiology. Even during winter, staying active helps your body cleanse and thrive.

How to Reset in 10 Days:

• Hydrate deeply. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Add lemon or electrolytes to aid kidney and liver function.
• Eat protein with every meal. Amino acids like cysteine and glycine help your liver produce glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant.
• Load up on cruciferous veggies. Broccoli, kale, and cauliflower contain sulforaphane, which activates detox enzymes and supports hormone balance.
• Cut added sugar and alcohol. Both slow down detox pathways and increase oxidative stress.
• Support your gut. Add probiotic and fiber-rich foods because they aid elimination and keep digestion steady.
• Move daily.Walking, stretching, or sauna sessions promote lymph flow and improve circulation.
• Prioritize sleep. Seven to eight hours of rest allows your brain’s glymphatic system to clear metabolic waste.

A true reset is about adding in, not cutting out. With ten days of intentional nourishment, movement and rest, you can help your body work the way it’s designed to: efficiently, energetically, and with balance.

After years of hustle culture, something shifted. More people are staying in, lighting candles, making dinner, and finding joy in slow evenings at home. Economists are calling this shift the “homebody economy,” and it has become a movement, not just a mood.

The pandemic changed how we see our spaces. Homes are now offices, gyms, coffee shops, and sanctuaries. Spending money on home comfort items, from weighted blankets

to high-end cookware, has soared. Interior designers say clients now prioritize atmosphere over square footage. People want rooms that feel calm and safe where sensory light, scent, and texture matter as much as furniture.

Psychologists agree. Studies in the Journal of Environmental Psychology link nurturing spaces to lower cortisol levels and greater emotional stability. When your surroundings feel peaceful, your nervous system does, too. House hunters are searching for a feeling in addition to storage or upgrades.

Creating that feeling starts small: Clear clutter, layer soft lighting, add plants, or invest in a good candle. A cozy space can change your state of mind within minutes. The homebody economy reminds us that comfort is restoration, not laziness. The more we value that, the better we live and the better we show up for everything outside our doors.

Hold onto your hat—literally! Yellowstone National Park rangers have a message for visitors: While the park’s geothermal wonders might take your breath away, don’t let them take your hat, too.

As of September 2025, crews have fished more than 10,000 items out of the park’s hot springs and mud pots, including over 300 hats, according to Smithsonian. Even the smallest bits of debris, such as peanut shells, can alter the delicate chemistry and temperature of these thermal features.

The lasting effect is a serious issue. During the 1880s, Yellowstone’s famous Morning Glory Pool shimmered a deep purple. Today, it’s orange and red, largely due to trash being tossed into the spring throughout the years.

With more than four million people visiting the park annually, park officials say most “lost” hats are simply victims of the wind. Next time you’re in

Yellowstone, enjoy the view, but hang onto that hat!

Some years begin with fireworks; others begin with a whisper.

There is beauty in the quiet beginning, the kind that asks for patience instead of plans and that invites you to breathe before you build.

We are taught to begin with urgency—to reset, to improve, and to do better. Yet most meaningful things begin slowly: The tide does not rush in, the sun takes time to cross the horizon, and the first green shoots of spring appear so gradually that we notice only once they’re already there.

A soft start is not about hesitation; it is about honoring the space between what was and what will be. It is the pause that lets us hear our own thoughts again and the moment before the brush touches the canvas.

Strength is in this gentler way of beginning, teaching us to trust the quiet, allowing us to let things unfold without force, and reminding us that momentum built with care carries farther than anything rushed.
So, begin softly. Open the curtains and let the light in. Tidy one small corner. Take the long way home.

Let life reintroduce itself at a pace that feels human.

• The number of Canadians living alone has increased significantly, with 4.4 million residents living alone in 2021, making up 15% of adults in private households.

• Roommate households have seen rapid growth, becoming the fastest-growing type of household, increasing by 54% from 2001 to 2021. However, they still represent only 4% of Canadian households.

• The proportion of young adults aged 20 to 34 living with roommates or without parents has increased to 61% in 2021, driven by financial considerations and a lack of affordable housing options. This trend suggests potential for co-ownership housing as an alternative.

• Canada-wide, in 2021 (most recent data) 4.4 million residents lived alone, an increase of 1.7 million residents since 1981, according to Statistics Canada.

  These 4.4 million residents represent 15 per cent of all adults aged 15 and older in private households, the highest share on record.

  There has been a pronounced shift to smaller households over the past century. The share of households comprising just one person has continued to grow over the decades since 1941, when just six per cent of households were residents living alone.

  In 2016, one-person households became the predominant household type (28 per cent) for the first time in Canada's 156-year history.

  One-person households continued to hold the top spot among households in 2021, representing just under 3 in 10 households (29.3 per cent). 

Commercial transactions rose seven per cent in the third quarter of 2025, primarily driven by gains in office and multi-family transactions relative to the previous quarter. 

There were 307 commercial real estate sales in the Lower Mainland in Q3 2025, a 61.6 per cent increase from the 190 sales in Q3 2024, according to data from Commercial Edge, a commercial real estate system operated by Greater Vancouver Realtors (GVR). 

The total dollar value of commercial real estate sales in the Lower Mainland was $1.412 billion in Q3 2025, a 17.4 per cent decrease from $1.710 billion in Q3 2024. 

“Nearly all asset classes posted gains in transaction volumes in the third quarter, but the office and multi-family segments were standouts, rising 30 and 46 per cent respectively over last quarter,” said Andrew Lis, GVR’s chief economist and vice-president, data analytics. “Dollar volumes spiked in both asset classes as well, with a handful of large value transactions helping to drive these increases.” 

“The only asset class which posted a decline in transaction volumes was the industrial segment, down about 12 per cent relative to last quarter,” Lis said. “This marks a second quarterly decline in a row for this segment despite being one of the more resilient asset classes in 2024 in terms of transaction volume, and despite a healthy gain in sub-$2m transactions relative to the third quarter of 2024.” 

Q3 2025 activity by asset class

Land: There were 52 commercial land sales in Q3 2025, which is a 20 per cent decrease from the 65 land sales in Q3 2024. The dollar value of land sales was $432 million in Q3 2025, a 42.6 per cent decrease from $753 million in Q3 2024.

Office: There were 83 office sales in the Lower Mainland in Q3 2025, which is a 219.2 per cent increase from the 26 sales in Q3 2024. The dollar value of office sales was $190 million in Q3 2025, a 3.3 per cent increase from $184 million in Q3 2024.

Retail & Other: There were 80 retail (& other) sales in the Lower Mainland in Q3 2025, which is a 66.7 per cent increase from the 48 sales in Q3 2024. The dollar value of retail sales was $244 million in Q3 2025, a 10.1 per cent decrease from $272 million in Q3 2024.

Industrial: There were 73 industrial land sales in the Lower Mainland in Q3 2025, which is a 102.8 per cent increase from the 36 sales in Q3 2024. The dollar value of industrial sales was $276 million in Q3 2025, a 79 per cent increase from $154 million in Q3 2024. 

Multi-Family: There were 19 multi-family land sales in the Lower Mainland in Q3 2025, which is a 26.7 per cent increase from 15 sales in Q3 2024. The dollar value of multi-family sales was $270 million in Q3 2025, a 22.3 per cent decrease from $348 million in Q3 2024.