19 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M ay 14,2020 insidehalton.com Help for the Present. Hope for the Future. It's been two months of modified services at Kerr Street Mission and we are getting settled into our new routine. We are distributing food six times a week to those that need it and delivering food weekly to over 50 individuals and two senior centers. We also continue to have an influx of new families that need our support. Although we are serving and helping more people during this time, we are also feeling very blessed by the generous community that has surrounded KSM. With your help we have been able to provide a lifeline to our families, our children and our seniors by providing them with food, a helping hand and hope for the future. There are a few ways you can help KSM at this time. Food donations can be dropped off at KSM (485 Kerr Street) or visit our website to donate online: www.kerrstreet.com. We appreciate all the help in these uncertain times. KSM. 485 Kerr Street, Oakville. 905.845-7485. Charitable Reg. No. 897106845RR0001 Karen Kofman has been teaching Yin Yoga on Zoom since the onset of the CO- VID-19 pandemic. For Kofman personally, her practice is the fuel get- ting her through this time. "It enriches my life and it gives me the strength to be here for my family and stay peaceful and calm from within." The Thornhill-based meditation and yoga in- structor says prior to be- ginning each class, her first goal is create a sense of community, which is es- pecially important right now. "It helps them connect to themselves and what they are feeling and not be fearful of what they are feeling," she added. According to a recent Angus Reid poll, 50 per cent of Canadians reported their mental health has worsened since the onset of the pandemic, with one in 10 specifying it has wors- ened "a lot." As part of the poll, Cana- dians were also asked to re- port the multiple ways they have been primarily feel- ing, and while 34 per cent reported being grateful, 44 per cent said they are wor- ried, 41 per cent said they are anxious and 30 per cent said they are bored. Dr. John Eastwood, who teaches psychology at York University and recently co- authored a book called 'Out of My Skull: The Psycholo- gy of Boredom', says it is significant that many peo- ple are reporting boredom right now, which he defines as wanting but being un- able to engage in satisfying activities. He said this can lead to negative, risky or addictive behaviour. Eastwood suggested people struggling during this time should try to find a balance between activi- ties that provide a sense of accomplishment and activ- ities that provide a sense of pleasure. "What we want to do is look for opportunities to engage in activities that ex- press our agency," he add- ed. While the psychological effects of self-isolation and physical distancing depend on an individual's unique circumstance, Dr. Martin Antony, professor of psy- chology at Ryerson Univer- sity and provincial clinical lead of Mindability, said so- cial support is important for managing symptoms of depression during this time. He said using various online tools, such as Zoom, FaceTime or Skype, or meeting in person at a dis- tance, can be helpful for many who feel they are lacking human connec- tion. Antony said two prima- ry factors contributing to the anxiety many people are facing are uncertainty and a lack of control over the situation. The timeline of the pandemic will also affect people differently, he added. Clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Brecher, who al- so works at Ryerson Uni- versity, agreed. She said the need for in- dividuals to adapt will like- ly be an ongoing process, even after the lockdown has been lifted, adding that the big question is how quickly people will adapt. "My guess would be that children will adapt very fast, and people who are more vulnerable or older may take longer because we may have worked so hard to protect ourselves that it would be harder to let it go to trust that it's ac- tually safe," she said. "But the good news, in a way, is that we are all in this together." WHAT ARE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL DISTANCING? A person's ability to adapt to situations and engage in meaningful activities will make a difference in their mental health while practising physical distancing, experts say. Pexels VERONICA APPIA vappia@toronto.com NEWS PSYCHOLOGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON WAYS TO STAY #HEALTHYATHOME