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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 17 ,2 02 0 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA In my last column, I talked about the "Triple A" formula for managing stress -- which stands for Avoid, Alter, and Accept -- and reviewed some ways that we can avoid things that tax our coping abili- ties. Now, let's think about the "Alter" possibilities. There are always going to be stressful things that we can't avoid and need to deal with, but we don't al- ways have to deal with them as-is. Instead, we can think about altering them -- changing something to make them a little more manageable. As discussed with "Avoid," it starts with giv- ing ourselves permission to do what we need to do without feeling like we need to do it all. Consider the following tips for how we may be able to alter stressors: • Communicate, com- municate, communicate. Ask yourself what you need or need to know to manage better. It could be requesting more informa- tion from someone who as- signed you a task, asking someone to pitch in, or even just talking about finding the task stressful. Either way, speaking up and listening can go a long way. • Manage your time. Time management isn't about doing more in the same amount of time -- it's about doing different things or doing things dif- ferently. Be selective about how you spend your valu- able time and focus on pri- orities first. Altering a stressor may mean simply rescheduling until other priorities are taken care of and you have more energy to put towards it. • Get organized. Taking a step back to plan often falls by the wayside when we feel maxed out and just want to get things done. But, taking even a few min- utes to consider a schedule or make a list can help make things more manage- able. It can also improve your focus and help you feel more present when you can direct your atten- tion to a single task. • Simplify. In the past, Good old "KISS" -- "keep it simple, sweetie" -- can make a lot of sense! Tune in to the next col- umn for the final A. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. 'ALTER' YOUR STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY HERE ARE SOME CHANGES YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE THINGS MORE MANAGEABLE, WRITES MELANIE MCGREGOR Halton is one of the fas- test-growing communi- ties in Canada, It is a place that so many want to call home. One of the ways that Halton Region ensures we can balance the pace of growth with a sustainable future is maintaining a Re- gional Official Plan. As more families and businesses choose Halton to live and work, we are re- viewing our Regional Offi- cial Plan to ensure it con- tinues to meet the needs of our community today and in the years ahead. Reviewing the plan also ensures we are aligned with provincial policies and remain responsive to current social, economic and demographic condi- tions. Here are the five areas that are currently under review: • Natural Heritage • Rural and Agricultural System • Climate Change • North Aldershot Plan- ning Area • Regional Urban Struc- ture Help shape your com- munity. Get involved and have your say. There are many ways to lean more about the review and share your feedback: • visit our new webpages and read discussion papers which have more detailed information on each area under review; • attend a virtual Public Information Centre (PIC), being held between Sept. 3 and 17. You can participate online or by phone, and the event will include a presen- tation and a question and answer period on the five areas; and/or • take one or more of our online questionnaires by Sept. 28. You can complete all or the ones which are of most interest to you. Please visit halton.ca/ ropr or, email ropr@hal- ton.ca or call 311 to learn more about the review pro- cess, submit questions and request presentation mate- rials in advance of a PIC, complete an online ques- tionnaire in an alternative format or sign up to receive updates on the review pro- cess by email. Thank you for partici- pation in our Regional Offi- cial Plan Review (ROPR). Through your feed- back, you can help shape the growth of our commu- nity. Gary Carr is regional chair of Halton Region. To contact him, email gary.carr@halton.ca. HELP SHAPE THE GROWTH OF YOUR COMMUNITY MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD REGARDING THE FUTURE OF HALTON, WRITES GARY CARR GARY CARR Column SNAPSHOT A grape jelly thief is caught red-handed in a local backyard. Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Tony Fortunato photo MELANIE MCGREGOR Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA