in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 16 ,2 02 0 | 8 oakville.ca COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ServiceOakville remains available at 905-845-6601 (TTY 905-338-4200) or service@oakville.ca to respond to community questions and requests for essential and critical services. Visit oakville.ca for the most up-to-date information. Residents are also encouraged to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates. Halton Region Public Health Halton Region Public Health and health care partners continue to focus on those most at risk of COVID-19. Visit the Halton Region COVID-19 web page before calling 3-1-1 for information on symptoms, prevention and when to contact Halton Region Public Health. All parks and park facilities are closed All recreational amenities are closed for your safety. This includes playgrounds, sports fields, skateboard parks, basketball courts, dog parks, community gardens, picnic sites, and harbours. Walkways and trails remain available to the public to walk through if absolutely necessary, but users must not linger in groups and continue to practice physical distancing. Town-owned cemeteries closed to visitors In order to protect residents and ensure physical distancing is maintained to slow the spread of COVID-19, town-owned cemeteries are closed to visitors until further notice. This includes St. Jude's Cemetery and Trafalgar Lawn Cemetery, and Bronte, Merton, Munn's, Oakville/St. Mary's, Palermo, andWedgewood pioneer cemeteries. If a death has occurred, the town will continue to provide essential plot sale, burial and funeral services (by appointment only) to ensure those in need are served during this challenging time. Funerals are restricted to no more than 10 people. Please call 905-845-6601 to make an appointment or for more information. Stay home. Stop the spread. Save lives. If you must go out: • keep a minimum 2 metres from others • keep dogs on a 2-metre leash Fines for violating emergency orders will be issued. To report violation, call the Halton Police COVID-19 hotline at 905-825-4722 or ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601. Closures COVID-19 information Working from home is the new normal for many of us during the pandemic, and this change in our dai- ly routine can definitely impact our mental health. Being physically sepa- rated from colleagues and others can bring feelings of disconnection and loneli- ness that can lower our mood and morale. And while remote work can give us flexibility in our sched- ule, it can also be tempting to blend our work and non- work lives to the point where we feel we don't have the personal down time that is key to balance and well-being. I checked in with our team at the Canadian Men- tal Health Association Hal- ton Region Branch for tips on what we are all doing for our mental health and wellness while working from home during the pan- demic. From us to you, some things to consider: • I take regular breaks to exercise and reach out to friends and family. I sepa- rate from work by physical- ly removing myself from the space where I'm work- ing. I've been enjoying hav- ing lunch with my family and doing some virtual yo- ga classes to promote mindfulness that is espe- cially helpful now. • I begin my day early with emails and check-ins with clients. I am a morn- ing person and was always in the office early, so I'm trying to schedule my home working day similar- ly, which helps me feel more in control. • I call up co-workers that I would typically see around the office to talk about work and also have some laughs. We're sharing photos of our work envi- ronments and our pets which is helping with con- nection, too. • I'm taking the time to call co-workers when I might otherwise just send an e-mail or a text. Even if it's just a quick chat, hear- ing the voices of the people I miss seeing in person boosts my mood. • My team is having weekly video check-ins to connect which is helping to foster team camaraderie and debrief on the effects of the pandemic personally and professionally. • When I'm done work- ing for the day, I clearly mark the transition to per- sonal time. I turn off and put away my phone and laptop, then have a cup of tea to signal to my body and mind that work is done for the day. I know that if I left my devices on, I'd keep working in the evening, which I want to be family time. • I've developed a "Daily Quarantine Question- naire," where I ask myself a number of meaningful questions for that day, in- cluding what I'm grateful for, who I'm checking in on, how I'm moving my body, and what expectations of "normal" I'm letting go of. It's helping me practise gratitude and stay positive. Most of all, hang in there and know you're do- ing the best you can. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health and addiction community support and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. OPINION TIPS TO HELP YOU ADAPT TO WORKING FROM HOME #STAYATHOME: AT THE END OF THE DAY, 'CLEARLY MARK THE TRANSITION TO PERSONAL TIME,' WRITES MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column