Total MLS^® residential sales dollar volume was $4.1 billion, down 14.5 per cent from the same time the previous year. BC MLS^® unit sales were 18.5 per cent lower than the ten-year average for the month of December.

“Weakness in provincial market activity was concentrated in the Lower Mainland in 2025, with sales across the province recovering at different rates from tariff uncertainty,” said BCREA Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “Looking ahead, we hope that steady mortgage rates and fading trade uncertainty with the US will strengthen demand, leading to a broader recovery in the housing market.”
 
Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume is down 8.3 per cent to $67 billion, compared with the same period in 2024. Residential unit sales are down 5.6 per cent year-over-year at 70,255 units, while the average MLS^® residential price is also down 2.9 per cent to $953,345.

Fatigue is rarely only about sleep. More often, it stems from how your body manages energy through blood sugar, hydration, and hormones. When those systems fall out of rhythm, even a full night’s rest can leave you drained.

Blood sugar and hormones. When you skip meals or eat foods low in protein and fiber, your blood sugar can drop quickly. The body releases cortisol to compensate, which helps raise glucose but increases stress on your system. Eventually, elevated cortisol can interfere with insulin sensitivity and worsen energy swings. Studies published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and Diabetes Care show that unstable blood sugar is strongly linked to fatigue, mood changes, and reduced alertness.

Hydration and brain function. The brain is nearly 75%  water, and research in the Journal of Nutrition shows that even mild dehydration can impair focus, short-term memory, and coordination. A 2023 study in BMC Medicine found that consistent hydration supports healthy brain aging and reduces feelings of mental fatigue over time.

Energy balance and recovery. When blood sugar fluctuates or hydration drops, your nervous system perceives stress. Energy is redirected toward survival functions, leaving less of it for clarity, focus, and stamina. Research in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience highlights that short recovery breaks, steady hydration, and balanced meals help the body return to its natural energy rhythm.

What helps. Start the day with protein and fiber to stabilize glucose. Sip water steadily through the morning. Step outside or stretch after meals to support circulation. And recharge your mind via short pauses between tasks.

Sometimes tiredness isn’t about needing more, it’s about doing less, with intention. When your body feels balanced, your energy does, too.

Some days you sit down to work, and everything flows. However, during other days, you struggle to focus, and your brain will not cooperate. The difference might be with your environment, not you.

Environmental psychology studies how our surroundings impact our emotion and behavior. Levels of light, sound, scent, and even clutter influence the brain’s chemistry.

Research in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that bright, natural light can boost serotonin and alertness; dim, warm light promotes calm and creativity.

Clutter has been linked to higher cortisol levels, the body’s stress hormone, which can quietly drain motivation over time.

The spaces we inhabit cue our brains about which kind of energy to bring. A clear desk signals focus, whereas a cozy corner invites rest. Even small sensory details—such as the sound of soft music, the smell of citrus, or the feel of a weighted mug—can shift your mood within minutes.

This month, take ten minutes to audit your environment and then open a window, clear your workspace, and add a plant or candle. Tiny changes can create the conditions for big motivation and remind you that the space you build around yourself can be the first step toward the energy you bring into the world.

Cooking at home saves money and changes how your body processes food. When you prepare a meal, you slow your mind and engage your senses, which trigger what scientists call “cephalic phase digestion.” This is the brain’s signal to the gut that food is coming. Enzymes and stomach acid start to flow, which helps your body digest more easily and absorb nutrients better.

Home cooking also gives you control. Restaurant meals often contain more salt, oil, and sugar than your body needs. Cooking your own food means using fresher ingredients and healthier fats, which maintain blood sugar and support gut balance.

Studies in Public Health Nutrition show that people who cook most of their meals at home eat fewer calories and maintain a healthier weight over time. You do not need to cook elaborate dishes; simple meals made with care are enough.

Cooking isn’t only about which foods you put on the plate; it’s a way to slow down, become aware, and nourish yourself inside and out.

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.