Listed below are our Top Ten – Plus One – COVID19 Healthy Living Tips:

1.  Keep hands and surfaces clean. Keep baby wipes in your purse/bag and in the car at all times.  They are a quick, and safe “go to” for cleansing the hands and face as well as door knobs, tables carts, bathroom counters, etc.  Another great natural choice for cleaning is a product made by DoTerra called On Guard.  It is an essential oil based product that contains the following oils:  wild orange peel, clove bud, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus leaf and rosemary leaf.  This combination is considered to be antiseptic.  The oils are from herbs that are both antiviral and antibacterial.  It can be mixed easily with vinegar to clean your surface areas at home and away safely.  Click here to connect with Chasity Dedman’s  store to find out more about On Guard.
2. To avoid depression, from being in the house too much, develop a routine and a “to do” list and stick to it.  Utilize this free printable.   Utilize a planner as well.  It’s hard to stay on track when your days are spent mostly at home, so…. a written down routine provides accountability and promotes personal responsibility.
3. Limit TV, computer, and cell phone use to certain times of the day, for a designated amount of time, to insure good eye health.  Too much screen time is taxing on the eyes. See this article from the University of Toledo for more information.  Also, it would be wise to consider using the blue light screen reduction that is provided on the iphone for night time use.
4. Make sure you are getting daily exercise and weekly outdoor outings.  Vitamin D is super important for viral immunity.  My favorite thing to do is to play outdoors with my puppies, garden, and go hiking on the weekends.  Check out some of the Georgia trail heads
5. Fill your refrigerator with healthy foods and snacks.  Leave the boxed, processed foods at the store and try your hand at real cooking.  Download this free healthy grocery list from WebMD packed with vitamins and minerals!
6. Plan your meals and cook them ahead of time so that you do not succumb mid week to the take out frenzy going on.  Click here for healthy make ahead recipes from Taste of Home.
7. If you are suffering from anxiety during this time, or you are experiencing fear during this time, work on it!  Dig deeper into your faith.  If you are a Christian, claiming scripture can help you tremendously.  You may want to consider a Bible study.  Here’s one from Patricia Holbrook that I promote and have done myself that requires only a book purchase entitled “Twelve Inches”.
8. To avoid depression, plan small get togethers that allow for social interaction as well as safety.   Once suggestion may be to let several neighborhood kids come over with parents for an afternoon of outdoor fun!  Keep the baby wipes on hand to wipe down chairs, tables, etc.  Let each family bring their own food and enjoy the day outside together.  Great activities that allow fun + social distancing are:  bean bag toss, croquet, putting, etc.  Human interaction is very important.  Other safe “healthy risk” activities for your kids would be to bike ride together with friends, and to participate in conversational games such as charades.
9. Make sure your family is experiencing and giving extra human touch to each other.  Human touch releases the hormone oxytocin in the body, which lowers blood pressures and reduces cortisol levels, lowering stress.
   Consider including close friends into your family zone through an agreement of transparency and precaution to allow kids to have others to play with without having to social distance.   Pets also play a huge part in giving and receiving affection.  A child’s development depends on human touch.  See this scientific article about human touch and child development.
10. Only wear a mask when necessary around your children, especially infants up to 5 years of age.  It is highly important for proper development that they see your face and the faces of others to understand and learn facial cues, communication skills, and emotional connection with other people.   For articles on child development, facial cues and communication click here.  Also, hearing is effected by mask wearing.  See this article
11. Remember to be thankful daily.  Thankfulness eliminates stress, that alleviates worry over what we don’t have.  Worry causes headaches, stomach aches, teeth grinding, lack of sleep (which causes a entire host of physical and mental issues), depression, etc.  Read this blog post  I wrote a few years ago about Haiti.  It will leave you wondering why we don’t see people being more thankful for their country.  Remember that wherever you live, if you are a Christian, you can be thankful that you have eternal life, which gives you peace and a thankful heart in any situation you are faced with.  Click here  to view a cool thankfulness journal.