A new survey conducted by one of Canada’s top banks shows Manitobans have spent on average $311 in the past year on new habits or hobbies, citing self-care as their motivator during the pandemic.
“We’re finding younger Canadians, millennials spending a little bit more,” said Scotiabank senior vice-president of retail deposits and investments, D’Arcy McDonald.
“Older Canadians, if you haven’t been impacted by the pandemic — meaning you’ve had steady employment — you’ve had a little bit more money in your jeans to take on some new hobbies.”
The Scotiabank survey showed 79 per cent of Canadians have invested in at least one self-care activity since the pandemic began.
Self-care, however, doesn’t have an exact definition. Clinical psychologist Dr. Taslim Alani-Verjee says it’s okay to have different outlets for self-care compared to other people.
“For some of us self-care might mean spending a little bit more money on specific things, and for other self care might be sitting down making a budget for ourselves,” Dr. Alani-Verjee said.
“It really depends on the person and what their needs are, but it’s okay to take time for yourself and it’s okay to really think about how we’re taking time for ourselves.”