A Cooped-up Urbanite’s Guide to the Longest Winter Ever

If a year of lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that the only way to avoid a state of perma-meltdown is to take care of ourselves—to make time for exercise, to take things like mindfulness and meditation seriously. To that end, we’ve assembled a collection of stories about the wellness practices Torontonians have developed to cope with the Gothic horror of winter 2021. Some of their solutions are elaborate. Others are disarmingly simple, like the man who puts on a pair of sneakers every day and walks for as long as he can—sometimes as far as 30 kilometres. What they all have in common is a sense of hope. Because this Covid thing? It’s almost over.

How Torontonians Are Staying Sane This Winter

“I started a window-workout business,” by Ashley McEachern

“I attend a virtual dance party every morning,” by Rebekah Blok

“I take 30-kilometre walks around the city,” by Ibrahim Abed

“I started a yoga hub for Black women,” by Shanelle McKenzie

“I stream meditation sessions on YouTube,” by John Vervaeke

“My classmates and I are helping seniors combat loneliness,” by Rowaida Hussein

“I started distance running at age 41,” by Stefanie Purificati

This story appears in the January 2021 issue of Toronto Life magazine. To subscribe, for just $29.95 a year, click here.