About Self-Care Spring Cleaning with Dr. Blake Pearson

After a long winter, spring is the perfect time to take stock of our well-being. This interactive series brought together experts in sleep, mental health and pain management, to provide tips and insights on how to start your own spring reset and take on this season with a renewed “spring” in your step. Although the live series is now complete, full recordings are available below for on-demand viewing. Enjoy!

Self-Care Spring Cleaning: Full Recordings

Webisode 1:

Spring Clean Your Mental & Emotional Health

We kicked off our first webisode in the series with a focus on how to help clear out some of the mental clutter that's built up during the previous year. Dr. Pearson, joined by CMHA support worker and OHL mental health coach, Sarah Aberhart, discussed the hidden symptoms of chronic stress and provided strategies to declutter and rejuvenate your mental health.

During this interactive session, we covered:

  • The impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our collective mental health

  • The hidden symptoms and side-effects of long-term stress 

  • Practical coping strategies and helpful resources to help de-clutter & improve your mental health

**Additional resource sheet available HERE.

Originally aired: Tuesday, May 11th, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT

Webisode 2:

Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet + Bonus Research Preview: Medical Cannabis in Older Patients 50+

Do you know why it’s important to review your medications and supplements with your doctor or pharmacist?

In this pandemic year, many people have skipped their annual wellness checks, and recent data also suggests that there has been a potential rise in self-medication, which could include over-the-counter medications, supplements, alcohol and recreational cannabis. This can have devastating effects on your well-being, including increased risk of serious side-effects.

In this session, Dr. Pearson was joined by Andrew Donald, a certified geriatric pharmacist and CEO of The Health Depot pharmacy to discuss:

  • The importance of regular medication reviews and how to set one up

  • Reducing medications safely with your healthcare provider

  • Multimodal medications that can treat multiple symptoms at once

Dr. Pearson also discussed exciting new research with Philippe Lucas, PhD, who worked together on an important new study investigating the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis in older patients (50+). The promising new data shows the role medical cannabis could play as an alternative to opioid pain medication. Mr. Lucas is also VP Patient Research and Access at Tilray.

**Additional resource sheet available HERE.

Originally aired: Thursday May 27th, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT

Webisode 3:

Spring Clean Your Sleep Routine

Sleep. It’s the most natural thing in the world, but after more than 12 months of isolation and stress, it has become elusive to millions of us. 

In the third and final webisode of our Self‐Care Spring Cleaning Series, Dr. Pearson was joined by internationally recognized cannabinoid sleep clinician, Dr. Dev Banerjee M.D., Medical Director at Lullaby Sleep in New South Wales, Australia.

Watch below for a lively discussion about what’s causing this global sleep epidemic and learn helpful strategies to get you sleeping through the night again.

Key topics included:

  • The physiology of sleep and why it’s so important

  • Sleep disorders: types, causes and available treatment options

  • Sleep hygiene tips & strategies

  • The sleep/mental health/chronic pain trifecta

  • When medicinal cannabis may be appropriate & tips for achieving therapeutic success

**Additional resource sheet available HERE.

Originally aired: Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 at 7:00 PM EDT