The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Tuesday December 26, 2000 W atch for depression during holidays Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, tired and unsure about how you are going to get everything done on your list before the holiday season? This should be a wonderful time of the year, but for many people it can be very stress ful, even depressing. Because expectations are so high and everything seems to be riding on one day, it is common to feel stressed. We often want everything to be just right for our family, our friends, and ourselves, but sometimes this is too much to expect. We may feel a loss of control over our lives and this may lead to feel ings of depression. When we feel depressed, it may become hard to deal with the many chal lenges of the holiday season. Try to keep a healthy, positive focus over the next few weeks. Keep these tips in mind to help you feel energized for the holidays and for the coming new year. · Try to be realistic and ask yourself the question: "Does this really need to be done or can 1 let it go this year?" · Organize yourself. Make a list of things you need to do. There is a feeling of accom plishment, when you can check items on your list. · Find time just for you! Try to be active every day. Physical activity is one of the health iest ways to decrease stress. · Be positive! Surround yourself with posi tive people. Negative people bring us down. · Enjoy the foods of the season. Eat when hungry, stop[ when full and satisfied. Remember, alcohol is a depressant and will increase negative feelings. · Ask for help when you feel you need it. Be specific about what you need done and when you need it done. If you feel overwhelmed, are not coping and have feelings of sadness that don't go away, this may be your body's way of telling you that you may be depressed. Depression is defined as feelings of uncontrollable sadness, anxiety, fatigue, hopelessness, and thoughts of death of suicide. Depression, a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the part of the brain that controls mood, affects one in four Canadians. The illness can be treated with counselling and/or medication; however, many people do not seek treatment and ignore their H E A L T H N O T E S feelings. Many people are not treated because they fear how others may perceive them. Untreated depression is hard on families and society. During that holiday season, the number of people suffering from depression rises, as does the suicide rate. If you feel like you are depressed, don't ignore your feelings -- ask for help. · See your family doctor. · Talk to someone you feel close to and trust -- a family member, a friend, a counsellor, or your clergy. · Keep your regular daily routine -- get enough sleep, eat healthy, be active, and limit the amount of alcohol you drink. · Learn more about depression; contact the Canadian Mental Health Association at 905693-4270, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at 416-595-6111, or the Depression Information Resource and Education Centre toll-free at 1-888-557-5050 (Code 8000). For more holiday coping tips, contact the Halton Region Health Department at 825-6060 Ext. 7835, TTY 905-827-9833. Health Notes is prepared by staff of the Halton Region Health Department. L o o k in g fo rw a rd to n e w y e a r at s ch o o l (Continued from page A1) Sale in effect December 27-31,2000, on in-stock merchandise only. Most items available in most stores. Look for the red sale tags. Where com petitive pricing in effect, the advertised savings will be oft our regular chain-store price. OPEN SUNDAYS 12-5 140 Rebecca St. OAKVILLE 844-7728 Infoline: 1-888-780-0333 Website: www.fabricland.ca Not everything at Oakwood is in the past. We also celebrated learning in a different way through our Holiday Concert and Art Show. Highlights included visual art creations and the presentation skills of so many talented students. From Medieval times to the start of the 21st Century, students at Oakwood Public School are getting their knowledge in so many ways. We hope that all students can have the same kind of experiences we enjoy. We are looking forward to the next year and many more exciting ways of learning about-our world. EN D STH U R SD A Y ,D ECEM BER28,2000 Hurry in... tO T A X o n a l m o s t e v e r y t h i n g in t h e s t o r e EVEN IF ITS ALREADY ON SALE ` S e a rs w ill d e d u c t fr o m th e ite m p ric e th e s a m e d o lla r a m o u n t as th e G S T a n d P S T yo u w ill pay, so y o u r t o ta l p u rc h a s e , in c lu d in g th e ta x d o lla r s , w ill b e no m o re th a n th e ite m p ric e . Tax e q u iv a le n t r e d u c tio n d o e s n o t a p p ly to p u rc h a s e s m a d e u n d e r ta x -e x e m p t s ta tu s . E x c lu d e s p re s tig e fra g r a n c e s a n d c o s m e tic s , Joe Boxer®, Jockey® , C a lv in K le in ® a n d G u e ss fa s h io n s a n d a c c e s s o rie s , N in e West® & H u s h P u p p ie s® h a n d b a g s , s p e c ia l o rd e r w in d o w c o v e rin g s , a u to m o tiv e p ro d u c ts , p a rts a n d s e rv ic e s , S e a rs H o m e C e n tra lTM in s ta lle d p ro d u c ts a n d s e rv ic e s , d e liv e ry fe e s , d e fe r r a l fe e s , m a in te n a n c e a g re e m e n ts , S E A R S T ra v e l S e rv ic e , lic e n s e d d e p a r tm e n ts a n d p a rtn e r lo c a tio n s . V a lid on in - s to c k m e r c h a n d is e in S e a rs R e ta il, F u r n itu r e a n d F u r n itu r e & A p p lia n c e s S to re s . E x c lu d e s ite m s in o u r L iq u id a tio n / O u t le t s to re s a n d C a ta lo g u e p u rc h a s e s . ITS LIKETHERE'S Sears. For the many sides of you.TM Visit Sears Oakville Place NP12 5 0 50 0 December 26 8-6, December 27 & 28 9:30-9, December 29 8-9, December 30 8-7, December 31 8-5 C o p y rig h t 2 0 0 0 . Sears C a n a d a Inc.