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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,O ctober 7,2021 insidehalton.com delmanor.com 905-469-3232 1459 Nottinghill Gate, Oakville Join us for a personalized tour and see what life is like at Delmanor, Inspired Retirement Living. Active efforts at stress reduction are becoming more and more important. Even though Ontario has relaxed pandemic lock- down rules, reopened many activities (with pre- cautions) and has vaccinat- ed hundreds of thousands of people, many people still fear for their safety. The pandemic has taken a toll. Stress and the hor- mones the human body re- leases in response to stress can lead to long-term prob- lems. These include: aches and pains from muscle ten- sion, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, low back pain, high blood pressure, heart- burn, trouble swallowing, abdominal pain and bloat- ing, diarrhea, and im- paired libido, fertility and sexual function. Long-term, uncon- trolled stress can increase the risk of heart attacks, di- abetes, obesity, depression and so on. It is well worth the effort to control stress so that it doesn't overwhelm you. Managing stress starts with a healthy eating pat- tern and regular exercise, and then moves onto many different approaches, such as: • Finding ways to com- municate, process and re- lease strong emotions is better than simply re- pressing them. Consider talking to family and friends, journaling, and talking to counsellors and other professionals. • Self-care activities help refocus kindness and compassion toward the self. Take a walk in the eve- ning with people and/or pets that you love. Read a book. Listen to thoughtful podcast. Take a hot bath. Pursue creativity. Gaze at the stars. Garden. • Meditation has existed for millennia, and can help reduce anxiety, pain, de- pression, and stress. Medi- tation can be combined with movement as in tai chi or yoga. It can also be done while sitting and allowing the mind to be present, non-judgmental and fo- cused on breath, sensation and thought. • Work to live, don't live to work. I work in a profes- sion where I see just how short life is every day. So remember what's really important in life. I myself lean toward hanging out with family, ex- ercising (running, kick-box- ing and weight-training), painting and reading to make sure my mind stays strong and healthy. Mind- fulness meditation remains a work-in-progress but is well worth the effort. I would also recommend looking for and finding the things that centre your soul and calm your mind. 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. AVOID LETTING STRESS TAKE ITS TOLL OPINION HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO KEEP STRESS IN CHECK, WRITES DR. NADIA ALAM DR. NADIA ALAM Column To the editor: In the Sept. 30 Oakville Beaver I read Brian Ster- ling's letter titled 'Cyclists Must Ride Responsibly.' I agree with him about packs of cyclists riding abreast, taking up an en- tire lane. I see this as a po- tential safety hazard for both cyclist and driver. I have cycled for years in Oakville, and unlike Brian I have had unpleasant ex- periences with drivers -- from one throwing fries at me and another telling me to get off the road. I was actually hit on Church Street by a driver making a right turn into a parking lot right in front of me. When he got out of his car, the first thing he did was check for any damage to his vehicle. There was no apology or concern for me. Another time, while driving on Lakeshore in downtown Oakville, a driv- er purposely got as close to me as he could when traffic had piled up so I couldn't move forward. There are drivers on the road who simply don't like cyclists. ABBE OSICKA, OAKVILLE RESPECT ON THE ROAD A TWO-WAY STREET SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM