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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 16 ,2 02 2 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Donna Luelo Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar Advertising Representatives Fran Hendry, Katrina Anderson, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Cassandra Dellow, Zaid Shahabuddin, Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Loraine Centeno News Editor Ned Bekavac Reporter Bill Jackson Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 219 Labrador Dr. Suite 203, Waterloo, On., N2K 4M8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA The other day when I was walking in the forest, I came upon a tree that was leaning at a 45-degree angle and, surprisingly, still very much alive. I spent some time lean- ing against the trunk of the tree, wondering how the tree managed to be flour- ishing, let alone still stand- ing, despite its precarious position. The answer, which seems obvious now, suddenly jumped into my mind. The tree's roots served to keep the tree well- anchored and to draw nourishment up from the ground to sustain its life. That moment of epipha- ny was immediately fol- lowed by the realization that I had not been taking the necessary time I needed to stay well-grounded and well-nourished. Although I was getting enough sleep and eating healthy foods, it felt like I was not getting fully recharged. The drain on my mental and emotional energy seemed to exceed the rate at which I had been replen- ishing myself, to the point where it felt like I was run- ning on fumes some days. And when I consider our society's value on speed and productivity coupled with the drain of the pan- demic, I doubt this situa- tion is unique to me. Humans have a pro- found capacity to go be- yond their normal limits, though only for so long. If the output of our different energies exceeds our input, we run into a deficit situa- tion that, if it continues for too long, can lead to burn- out. The problem is that sometimes we do not even recognize we are depleted until we are ready to col- lapse or have already col- lapsed. Or sometimes we can manage the regular daily tasks, but do not have the necessary reserves to en- dure the inevitable storms in life, which could cause us to topple over. Perhaps it is time to do a check-in on our own current level of functioning and an inven- tory on the things in our life serving to recharge us. Now that I have realized I was running a deficit, I need to either cut back on my energy outputs or in- crease my energy inputs. Since my life does not in- clude excess things I can leave by the wayside, I need to identify the things in my life I find rejuvenating. Several things come im- mediately to mind, which I could divide into two broad categories: sun and fun. I have discovered the heal- ing impact of spending time outside in nature and the more I am outside, the bet- ter I feel. I also know enjoy- ing fun times with family and friends rejuvenates me, and now that pandemic restrictions have lifted, I have had more opportunity to connect with people. In addition to the rejuve- nating activities, I have dis- covered other activities that I will spend time doing but have minimal rejuve- nating qualities, causing me to conclude I need to set those aside to focus on more regenerative activi- ties. What is the level of your own emotional tank? What are the things in your life that recharge you? How can you do more of them to stay well-nourished and well-grounded? Chip Bender is a regis- tered psychotherapist (qualifying) with the In- terfaith Community Coun- selling Centre in New Hamburg. Visit interfaith- counselling.ca. BE ROOTED AND BE AWARE OF YOUR EMOTIONAL TANK SOMETIMES WE DO NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE WE ARE DEPLETED UNTIL WE ARE READY TO COLLAPSE OR HAVE ALREADY COLLAPSED, WRITES CHIP BENDER CHIP BENDER Column I recently joined the Muslim Youth Council of Waterloo Region and I think it has already affect- ed me a great deal. It is composed of eight enthusi- astic young people of di- verse cultural and racial backgrounds. This council is for youth between the ag- es of 14 and 25 years who want to support Muslim youth. Under the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW's Youth Leaders 4 Change program, this youth coun- cil strives to create a safe space for Muslim youth to voice their opinions freely and empower each other. Personally, being a part of this council allows me to connect with others who care about the same issues as I do and provides me with the tools to make a dif- ference. Growing up as a racial and cultural minority, and as a hijabi, I appreciate how this initiative targets the needs of youth just like me. It focuses on concerns such as racism, Islamopho- bia, discrimination and other issues that Muslim youth face in our commu- nity. By engaging the youth, our ideas and perspectives are valued. The ultimate goal is to shape our com- munity into a space where all people feel safe and in- cluded! By amplifying Muslim youth voices, a marginal- ized youth group is given representation. I can per- sonally attest to the fact that the challenges Muslim youth are facing share sim- ilar patterns with other ra- cialized groups. As a result, the main- stream Waterloo Region community will benefit significantly from the in- put of Muslim youth in re- gard to understanding the needs of minority popula- tions and become more in- clusive and equitable over- all. Being part of this high impact initiative is some- thing that I am very grate- ful for when it comes to what this council does for me. Waterloo Region is growing. As the immigrant and Muslim populations of the Waterloo Region are growing, it is essential to provide spaces for them to be inspired and empow- ered. Currently, the Mus- lim youth council is work- ing toward creating a sur- vey to gain better insight into the issues and needs surrounding the state of mental health and well-be- ing of Muslim youth in Wa- terloo Region. We are working to iden- tify the issues, and best practices as well as gaps in mental health support for us. As someone who has struggled with mental health, it is extremely com- forting to be part of some- thing that recognizes my personal needs and allows me to be a part of the solu- tion for other youth like me. Imaan Mirza is a mem- ber of Muslim Youth Coun- cil of Waterloo Region, an initiative of Coalition of Muslim Women's Youth Leaders 4 Change pro- gram. MUSLIM YOUTH COUNCIL OF WATERLOO REGION: WHO ARE WE? BY AMPLIFYING MUSLIM YOUTH VOICES, A MARGINALIZED YOUTH GROUP IS GIVEN REPRESENTATION, WRITES IMAAN MIRZA IMAAN MIRZA Column