Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Mandatory lockdowns, remote work and learning, and limited in-person social interactions have resulted in an increase in self-esteem issues over the course of the pandemic, psychologists say.
Time spent alone has increased the opportunity for self-critical thinking, which lowers self-esteem and confidence. But psychologists say that there are ways to develop positive self-esteem in preparation for the return to "normal" social life.
“People have just had more time to ruminate,” Dr. Amber Cohen, a registered clinical psychologist and director at the Cohen Clinic in Toronto, told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Monday. “If you have had some issue within COVID or if you were already struggling with self-esteem prior to COVID, there is just a lot more time to be in those thoughts and have it impact you in a negative way.”
Low self-esteem and low confidence play a crucial role in the development of other mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse.
Research has found that increasing self-esteem can improve other aspects of mental health, and that high self-esteem leads to better social and personal relationships, helps people achieve their goals and aspirations, and even helps people cope with diseases like cancer or heart disease.
Cohen says that while time spent alone during the pandemic can seem beneficial to people who are already experiencing low self-esteem, the benefits of isolation are often artificial and temporary, and prevent people from properly managing their thoughts.
“I think for a lot of people who were already struggling in that realm, it’s actually kind of been artificially positive because for people who are already struggling with self-esteem and confidence, it allows them to avoid the triggers or people that raised some of those thoughts and feelings for them,” said Cohen.
“A lot of people actually felt relief from not being around others or not being in the workplace or whatever it was. It’s kind of artificial because it just allows you to avoid those feelings versus really managing them.”
Cohen says that shifts in schedules, work routines and basic life can leave people feeling like they’ve lost their sense of identity, which lowers self-esteem and confidence.
Comparative thinking, dissatisfaction with your current position and a desire to change, are all aspects of low self-esteem that have been made worse by the pandemic, according to Cohen.
However, Cohen says that there are ways people can increase their self-esteem and ensure that they feel confident and comfortable when the time comes to return to in-person work, school and social life.
For people who feel insecure about re-entering social settings, Cohen suggests taking gradual steps to make yourself feel more comfortable.
“You can start small,” says Cohen. “You don’t have to jump into the deep end. You can pick one person that you feel safe with and do an activity that feels achievable and once you have that success you can build from there, so you could move to a smaller group of friends from there, or whatever it is.”
Cohen says increasing self-esteem comes from paying attention to negative thoughts and working to change them.
“Have awareness,” said Cohen. “Mindfully noticing when those thoughts come up instead of just getting taken with them. You could label them for yourself, just noticing that those are those self-critical thoughts.”
Building awareness of why negative thoughts are developing and working to determine where self-critical thinking and behaviour comes from can help better manage harmful thinking.
Developing awareness also allows you to identify and work on negative thoughts in a way that is more accepting and kind, as opposed to critical, Cohen says.
“Then the next general rule is to say something out loud and if you wouldn’t say it to another person, if it sounds pretty bad, then you probably shouldn’t say it to yourself,” said Cohen.
Cohen also suggests focusing on who you are in the moment, rather than thinking about who you want to be.
“A lot of times we get into the mindset that once we change this about ourselves or once I do this or once I get this job or once I get this partner, then I’ll be happy with myself,” said Cohen. “But really what we want to do is just work on accepting ourselves for where we are, instead of feeling the need to change in order to like yourself.”
Cohen says that it is important to remember that everyone is in the same position and that feelings of anxiety, stress and low self-esteem can be overcome.
“I think one thing to remember is that a lot of people are feeling this way,” says Cohen. “Being social involves a little bit of skill and I think a lot of people are feeling a bit rusty. So just a reminder that you are going to need to grease the wheels and become more comfortable and that this is a transition period and this too shall pass.”
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
The United Nations food agency warned Sudan's warring parties Friday that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan if they don't allow humanitarian aid into the vast western region.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.