03/25/2020                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            We want to share these five tips to stay healthy during life while practicing social distancing 
Despite being restricted to staying home during the coronavirus outbreak, there are still lots of things you can do to protect your health and wellbeing.
1. Eat well  -   The best foods for our mental health are generally the healthiest foods. Complex carbohydrates, found in fruit, vegetables and whole grains, provide important nourishment for our brains as they slowly release energy, which also stabilizes our moods. A balanced diet ideally includes a variety of foods high in vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as the minerals iron, zinc and selenium. Avoid processed foods as they tend to be high in sugar.
2. Sleep soundly  -  Sleep is essential for our bodies to repair cells and clear toxins. If you're finding it difficult to get to sleep because you're lying awake worrying, try to limit your consumption of the news before bed. It can also be helpful to reduce your exposure to screens in the evening, as the effect of the blue light on our retinas can disrupt our sleep quality.
3. Exercise enough  -  Exercise releases chemicals in the body that make us feel good, and it's also been linked to better sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved memory and cognition. You can even break it up into 10 minute sections — 10 minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon, and 10 in the evening.
4. Social connection  -  Now more than ever, we need our friends. Evidence shows that social connectedness is as important for our health as diet, movement and sleep. But not all social interactions have to be face-to-face to be meaningful. Try recreating them through video calls — you could organize a virtual dinner via apps like Zoom, Houseparty or good old Google Hangouts, or take a friend on a virtual walk or do a housebound activity together, like craft or drawing. 
5. Calming activities  -  What do you usually not have time for? Gardening, cooking, pickling, puzzles, craft, sewing, learning to meditate, building furniture, reading that pile of books on your bedside? Now could be the perfect time to do them all, or some, or half of a few — whatever you can manage.
Stay well!
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