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9| O akville B eaver | T hursday,N ovem ber 1,2018 insidehalton.com GOLFZONTM simulator Red Seal Chef Artist rendering. Subject to change. Heated, indoor Saltwater Pool GOLFZONTM simulator Bistro Café and Licensed Pub Big-screen Theatre Vibrant Independent Living, plus Assisted Living suites Renowned V!VAlicious cuisine featuring three meals freshly prepared by a Red Seal Chef Bright and spacious suites including 2 bedroom, 1 bedroom plus den, 1 bedroom, and studio And so much more! Oakville's premier all-inclusive retirement lifestyle has arrived. MOVE-IN 2019! Future Address: 1 Sixteen Mile Dr, Oakville, ON (905) 542-9000 vivalife.caMaking Today Great! Licensed Pub 5575 Bonnie Street, Mississauga, ON Book a tour and mention this ad for a complimentary V!VAlicious lunch for two by our Red Seal Chef. Call Trish at (905) 542-9000 to book your tour today! MODEL SUITE & PRESENTATION GALLERY NOW OPEN A retirement lifestyle worthy of its Oakville address. Imagine a colleague who is off work for a physical health problem. Perhaps there are flowers sent and kind emails from col- leagues. Very supportive, right? Now imagine a col- league who is off work for a mental health problem. Does the response change? Unfortunately, it some- times does and includes gossip, doubt and judg- ment. Though huge strides have been made and many workplaces are supportive of employees' mental health, stigma is still alive and well and many people are unsure how to respond when a colleague takes a mental health-related leave. There is a lot that we can do to show compassion and support. Here are some suggestions: 1. If someone is going off work, showing your sup- port can be something sim- ple like saying "Take care" or "I'll miss you." Don't be silent because you feel awk- ward or unsure of what to say. 2. If the person would like to share information, be a compassionate listen- er, but don't pry or feel like you need to know all of the ins and outs of the problem to be supportive. 3. Keep in touch and talk with people as you usually would. Ask if they're up for meeting for a tea, or just say hi and ask how they're doing. They may be worried about what others are thinking, and you treating them the same as always can be re- assuring. So, if you would usually talk about your fa- vourite TV shows, do that - remember that they're still the same people and may not want to talk just about their mental health. 4. Be welcoming when colleagues come back to work. How about a lunch date or a favourite coffee waiting for them? And ask how you can help. Return- ing to work can feel a bit daunting at first, and your support can make a big dif- ference. 5. Don't make assump- tions about people's abili- ties. Mental health prob- lems don't mean they can't and won't be responsible, reliable, and contributing employees. In fact, being back to work can be a huge part of their recovery and help to improve their well- ness. We can all set an exam- ple of stigma-free support at work that affirms that mental health is indeed health. Melanie McGregor is the communications and ad- vancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region branch, which provides mental health/addictions community support and education. Visit www.hal- ton.cmha.ca for more in- formation and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. 5 WAYS YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF SOMEONE ON A MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED LEAVE OPINION 'THERE IS A LOT THAT WE CAN DO TO SHOW COMPASSION,' WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column ANIMAL TALES Cheyenne, an American Straffordshire Terrier, will be celebrating her 20th birthday Nov. 2. She's still in relatively good health for her age - with the exception of a bit of arthritis and some vision loss - and has a ton of energy. She hates car rides unless she gets shotgun and is an enthusiastic greeter to all who visit her family. The secret to her long life? - lots of walking, wrestling with her older human brother and cuddling with her younger human brother. Do you have an interesting animal photo taken in Oakville? Send your Animal Tales submissions to kmiceli@metroland.com. Please include a short description and the name of the photographer for publication. Sheila Sranko photo