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33 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,June 17,2021 insidehalton.com SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST DIRECTORY If you'd like to advertise your place of worship in this featureplease email Fionafrudder@starmetrolandmedia.comWorship PENTECOSTAL UNITED 1469 Nottinghill Gate, Oakville 905-825-5292 www.glenabbeyunitedchurch.com GLEN ABBEY UNITED CHURCH REV. TED VANCE In times like these, a Church service can help provide some normalcy and hope! and search Glen Abbey United Church OR Click on www.glenabbeyunitedchurch.com To help your Church survive the pandemic, please send e-transfers to: donations@glenabbeyunitedchurch.com Thank you and God Bless you! In keeping with health recommendations, we are pausing in-person services. FOR ONLINE CHURCH SERVICE available anytime GO TOYOUTUBE.COM This Sunday, June 20th HAPPY FATHER'S DAY Message: THANK GOD FOR PATERNAL LOVE! Tel: 416-892-8123 Fax: 1-866-281-5983 Bishop M. Brissett (Pastor) Email: mjbrisse@yahoo.ca Jesus is lOrd Oakville PenTecOsTal aPOsTOlic cenTre 454 Rebecca St (St. Paul's United Church) Oakville, ON Sunday Service 12:30 - 3PMWorship Service Sunday Evening: 7:30-9PM (Via Zoom Virtual Platform) *Covid-19 Safety Protocols Strictly followed.* Oakville Seventh-day adventiSt ChurCh tel: 289-830-6717 Mark ewen (Senior Pastor) Carl Cunningham (associate Pastor) dean lashington (lead elder) Twitter: @Oakvillesda Email: oakvillechurchsda@gmail.com Saturday (Sabbath) Worship Service: 10am-1pm Wednesday Evening Service: 6:30pm-7:30pm Thursday Evening Service: 6:30pm-7:30pm Zoom id 867 6764 2331 Password: worship Theme: in Jesus nameWe Press On Website Promotion: www.oakvillesdachurch.org Even before the pan- demic, social media was a major way of communicat- ing. Now, with in-person connections limited by, it has become one of the key ways we're staying in touch. While there are many pluses to these plat- forms, there are also some things to watch out for when it comes to mental health. To be clear, using social media is not a problem. It can be fun, entertaining, and interesting, and also a great distraction that we sometimes really need. It can also be informa- tive and help us learn skills to care for our health and wellness through things like yoga videos, guided meditations, and podcasts. The question is when so- cial media use becomes a problem. If using these tools is interfering with and disrupting your regu- lar activities -- such as not completing work tasks be- cause you're scrolling your sites or not being able to play an uninterrupted game with your family be- cause you can't stop check- ing your phone -- it could be a concern. Also worth noting is how you feel after being on social media. If you regu- larly feel down, anxious, or distressed, it may mean that something needs to change. So, what are some tips for moderating social me- dia use and reducing nega- tive impacts? Consider these: • Delete social media apps from your phone or turn off notifications to make it less likely that you will go on just because it's there or you hear the "pings" of updates you can't resist checking. • Limit the time you spend on social media. Des- ignate a time period each day or set a timer. And start small. Don't expect to re- duce hours and hours-of- use to next to nothing right away. Cut down gradually. • Take social media breaks. Whether it's a weekend, a week, or longer, try disconnecting and reaching out to meaningful connections in other ways. And let others know about the break and why you're doing it. You talking about making more time for yourself or spending more time on hobbies might en- courage others if they've been considering doing the same. • Carefully consider who and what to follow. If a social media contact's posts always bring you down, you could either block their updates or make a point of just scroll- ing past. • Use the positives. If you follow encouraging or in- spirational contacts, like to spread the word and learn about causes you believe it, and have supportive con- versations, go for it. Those are the great things about social media. Keeping social connec- tions is vital, particularly as the pandemic continues, and as long as you can bal- ance your use of social me- dia with other parts of your life, follow, like, and click away. The magic word is 'balance'. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/ addiction community sup- port and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. WHEN DOES SOCIAL MEDIA BECOME A PROBLEM? OPINION HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO KEEP IT FROM DISRUPTING YOUR LIFE, WRITES MELANIE MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column Don't let social media consume your life, urges Melanie McGregor of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Pexels photo