As restrictions continue to ease across Canada and worldwide, British Columbians are feeling more hopeful than ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. New data from Pacific Blue Cross‘s February BC-based population study on mental health shows 70 percent reported a positive rating (Excellent/Very Good/Good), 13 percentage points more than last year (January 2021) at the height of the pandemic. The outlook on mental health is promising as 31 percent of British Columbians expect improvements in their mental wellbeing over the next few months. The February 2022 results represent the most positive self-evaluated mental health levels since March 2020. However, there are gaps compared to the pre-pandemic baseline, signalling additional efforts are required in the mental health space.  According to the survey, individuals younger than 55 years old continue to score lower in self-assessed mental health levels. Only 61 percent felt positive, whereas 4 in 5 (82%) of those 55 and over indicated contentment. While most surveyed believe self-care activities are important for maintaining and enhancing mental health, 58 percent say they are not doing enough exercise.