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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, O ct ob er 1, 20 20 | 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 As the daily number of people who test positive for COVID-19 continues to rise, as we send our kids off to school with masks and hand sanitizers, as we buckle down to control the spread of infection in our communities, I find myself thinking of how massively our lives have shifted. People have died. Lost jobs. Are now homeless. Or are stressed from the sharp turn our lives have taken. Entire industries have been flattened. Our world has changed. While we figure out how to best fit the pieces of our lives back together again, I'm going to remind you: take your time. Slow down. It is easy to burn out in a crisis situation. To overex- tend yourself. To commit to doing a bit more, taking on one more responsibility ... just to help someone else out. Humans are social crea- tures and adhere to a social contract where we do things for the community's well-being. But, sometimes, it's a good idea to just stop. Breathe. Take a moment -- a few minutes, a few hours, a few days -- to check in and make sure that you are still able and willing. Decision-making dur- ing crisis situations can be exhausting. And during COVID-19, we're all stuck making high-stakes decisions with imperfect, ever-changing information. You can't rely on usual patterns of thought or ac- tion. You can't rely on gut instincts. We are walking new ground. And that means actively engaging your brain to think through ... every- thing. From how to keep your kids safe, to plans for the school suddenly send- ing your kid home. From how to socialize, to plans for coming in accidental contact with someone who turns out to be COVID-posi- tive. From how to manage your usual conditions, to plans for if you catch CO- VID-19 and have to isolate or go to the hospital. The fatigue sneaks up and overwhelms your re- serves. So make time to stop. Breathe. Check in. Do something restorative. Something relaxing. Ener- gizing. A reminder that life can be good even in the midst of a pandemic. Looking at these words, I'm reminded to some- times, take my own medi- cine. Nadia Alam is a Halton physician and past presi- dent of the Ontario Med- ical Association. Her col- umns also appear on www.drnadiaalam.com. She can be reached through her website. BE WARY OF BURNOUT IN TIMES OF CRISIS MAKE SURE TO TAKE TIME TO RELAX AND CARE FOR YOURSELF DURING PANDEMIC, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM The natural forces of capitalism mean that some companies will prosper, and others will fail. Workers are encour- aged to think proactively about ways to make your future more secure against possible job losses. Capitalism can be cruel. In the search of profit, companies are competing vigorously with each other. Firms attempt to improve their operation and expand market share at the ex- pense of competitors. Some companies win, some companies lose. The good fortunes of their workforce depend on how their employers succeed or fail in an ever-changing, fiercely competitive busi- ness marketplace. For those that earn their living working from these companies, there is risk. That risk is out of their per- sonal control. Our recommendation is for each individual to man- age those factors they do control. Be aware of trends and how they could affect your ability to earn an in- come. For example, Ama- zon continues to expand. What firms are at risk be- cause of this? Amazon recently an- nounced it is opening 100 new warehouses in Canada and the United States. This quarter, they are hiring 100,000 additional workers, which is consistent with their hiring pattern over the last year. Ask yourself if you an- ticipate whether your em- ployer will be operating a year from now. What things can you do now to solidify your career opportunities? Should you seek additional training? Should you change jobs? What is the risk if two peo- ple from the same house- hold work at the same com- pany? Consider your personal finances. Is this a good time to decrease debt or in- crease savings in case you suddenly find yourself un- employed? It is extremely easy to feel confident when things are going well. In re- ality, we all know that things can change. This by no means is meant to be a pessimistic outlook, but an optimistic, proactive thought process that each and every one of us can do to protect our fu- ture. Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI offers a weekly financial plan- ning column, 'Dollars & Sense'. He can be contacted through www.watsonin- vestments.com. CHANGE HAPPENS, SO PLAN AHEAD PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO STAYING COMPETITIVE AND PROSPEROUS, WRITES PETER WATSON PETER WATSONColumn "The fatigue sneaks up and overwhelms your reserves." DR. NADIA ALAM Column