Here are some entertainment options for the self-isolated and physical-distancers recommended by CMHA staff
TV Shows
Julia Kaisla (Executive Director) – Julia’s favourite show right now is the Netflix series On My Block which she watches with her 11-year-old. She aspires to be as cool as Abuelita one day.
Karen Hoshino (Peer Navigator) – Karen’s favourite Netflix series right now is Next in Fashion. It follows up and coming fashion designers from around the world who compete to make the best designs in only two days. Featuring Queer Eye’s Tan France as one of the judges.
Talayeh Jamshidi (Operations Manager) – Talayeh has been watching Chef’sTable. In this Netflix series, world-renowned chefs share their deeply personal stories, inspirations, and unique styles.
Marionne Facundo (Outreach Coordinator) – Mae recommends Sex Education on Netflix. It is about socially awkward high school student Otis who lives with his mom Jean, who is a sex therapist. Being surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject. When his classmates learn about his home life, Otis decides to use his insider knowledge to improve his status at school and teams with whip-smart bad girl Maeve to set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their classmates’ problems. Mae says it’s hilarious and does a great job of tackling a lot of social issues in very respectful ways. There is slight nudity and crass humour, not unlike most British shows.
Claire Ramsfield (Steps Coordinator) – Claire’s favourite show these days is Transparent (on Prime TV). It follows a father who transitions to being a woman, and how this intertwines with and affects the lives of her three adult children and ex-wife. It’s both comedic and also deeply moving.
Ashkan Rajabi (Bookeeper) – Looking for something you can watch with the kiddos? Ashkan suggests Lost in Space on Netflix. Lost in Space is a re-imagining of the 1965 series of the same name. It’s about a family of space colonists, who crash-land on an unknown planet.
Books
Daryl Hayward (Program Manager, Outreach & Peer Support) – Daryl recommends Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. In this 1946 work, Viktor Frankl chronicles his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describes his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positive about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. Although it sounds depressing, it’s actually very uplifting and can help you navigate your life in an authentic way.
Elaina (Program Manager, Kelty Dennehy Mental Health Resource Centre & Community Education) РElaina recommends When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Ch̦dr̦n. In the book, Ch̦dr̦n draws on her own confrontation with personal crisis and on the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to offer a gentle guide to thriving during periods of uncertainty and fear.
MJ Moore (Volunteer Coordinator) – MJ recommends Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper. MJ says it is a lovely, romantic, mystical book set in Newfoundland.
Music
Sydney Mattu (Housing Manager) – If you enjoy passing time singing into your hairbrush, Sydney recommends blasting some Fleetwood Mac. Let your inner Stevie Nicks shine.
Art & Crafts
Parvin Enferadi (Case Manager) – Parvin suggests a craft that would be great to work on with the kids! Parvin’s idea is to create paper kites in different shapes and colors and hang them in balconies and yards to have a harmonized message to all of the people in the community: we are here together.
Mallory Kinar (Coordinator, Arborlynn House) – Mallory encourages participation in  Project Special Delivery, a community-wide effort to share heartfelt good wishes for everyone in the Lynn Valley Care Centre. You can participate right from your home!