Category: Wellness on the Road

Written by: Sadie Nipon

When I sat down with Marion Williams, our National Program Director, she spoke to the necessary shift in work from professional development in school kitchens to emergency feeding, community connection, and showing up for families in a moment when they needed it most. 

The work began more than three years ago as a part of the Healthy Food in Newark Schools Coalition (HiFNS). During an initial consulting year, WITS was brought in to run cook camps with school food teams, working directly with the school chefs who prepare nourishing meals for students every day. Those early training sessions were ambitious, full-day, seven-hour professional development sessions with more than 100 kitchen staff at a time. 

“It was probably one of the first cook camps we ever did anywhere that had over 100 chefs at one time” Marion shared. 

During those sessions, we got important feedback from chefs who were receiving fresh food from Common Market, a crucial partner in this work. The fresh produce arrived straight from farms in wooden crates, making it difficult to work with the food in that form without the necessary tools and time. We listened, and WITS began working closely with Common Market to ensure produce arrived in ways that kitchen teams could realistically use. Orders expanded from a few items, such as spinach and ground beef, to kale, blueberries, tomatoes, collards, and potatoes.

By the end of last year, however, circumstances began to shift. Food insecurity across our country and our community in Newark was becoming more visible and urgent. The district approached the coalition with a new question: how can we help support families and, therefore, our students more directly? 

Through funding allocated for fresh purchases and in partnership with Fresh Roots, WITS began helping coordinate produce distributions across the Newark community. What sounds straightforward required months of coordination: securing permits, identifying sites, working with warehouses, and organizing pre-packed produce boxes for families, which were eventually coined the name “Fresh Roots Farm to Family Distribution.”

By October, distributions were happening twice a week at three locations across Newark. WITS chefs did not simply distribute food; they demonstrated recipes using what families were receiving in the produce boxes. Marion called these “food box recipes,” a recipe on one side and a pre-filled shopping list on the other, aligned with the contents of the box. 

Seasonal recipes like apple crumble, carrot-ginger kale salad, and even a parsnip puree became a conversation starter. Families were trying new ingredients like Asian pears for the time.

“People were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we love that recipe. Have you tried the carrot-ginger kale salad?”

This is where we really saw the impact of our work. Families did not just grab a box and leave; they stayed to talk to one another about the previous week’s recipe or the contents of this week’s box. The word about these distributions spread, and each week more and more families showed up. Community organizers such as WIC and SNAP representatives also began to show up and educate families on available resources. 

“It started to feel a lot less like a pickup and walk away, and more like a community,” Marion said.”

Another partnership with Urban Agriculture brought middle school students into the process. These students prepare produce for distribution boxes, and after learning about food waste, began working with WITS to upcycle imperfect fruits and vegetables into apple butter, pickles, and preserved foods. Those jars now go directly into the distribution boxes, showing how students are feeding the system back into the community. 

Today, the cook camps and kitchen wellness training continue. Later this month, WITS will again train nearly 300 kitchen staff in a revised wellness camp format. Middle school students are even preparing chai spice sachets to give to kitchen teams through scent workshops. 

The work in Newark looks different than it did a few years ago. But at its core, it remains rooted in WITS principles: centered on fresh and nourishing food, driven by education, and responsive to the needs of the community. 

As Marion reflected, 

“Teaching people, opening their minds to trying new things, and reducing waste – that’s what this has become.”

And in Newark, that has meant showing up for families in ways we never initially planned, but that matters more than ever.

Written by: Cait Olesky

Thanks to a federal grant, we have been fortunate this year to partner with the Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC), a very special school in southwest Chicago. This partnership brings us to Illinois for the first time, and what a way to start. The inquiry-based school model offers a completely holistic learning environment with nutrition and wellness at its core.

A step into the school building brings cheer and warmth. The learning (in both English and Spanish) is palpable, the creativity is abundant, and the joy is evident. The cafeteria and culinary team are central to the community. This was certainly a CookCamp where we were learning from each other, and it was the first time we had taught a baking series. The kitchen was well equipped with all the ingredients (pun intended) to replace the breads they used for breakfasts and sandwiches with homemade versions.

Our team got to work, with the challenge to bring the very best of NYC to Chicago. After several rounds of recipe testing for whole grain and vegan bread, bagels, and English muffins, Chefs Marion, Jason, and Cait headed to Chicago, ready and excited to work with their team. Over the course of two days, the very eager kitchen staff learned to scale, mix, proof and bake – the steps necessary to make whole grain Pullman loaves, mini bagels, and English muffins.  The team was so engaged that by the end of day two, we decided to add some scratch-made pizzas to the mix. 

Not only did the team learn to make new recipes, but they also had a crash course on using new equipment, such as a bread slicer, the scales to measure ingredients, and knife sharpening.

As with all of our CookCamp training, we culminated the CookCamp with a discussion on the Why of the Work, which proved to be very inspirational for all participants. Many of the AGC kitchen staff also have children at the school, and they are both personally and professionally excited to get to feed all of their children homemade breads.

WITS would like to thank the incredible team at ACG for giving us the opportunity to learn together and also to our friends at Rachael Ray for introducing us to such great work.

Written by: Wendy Siskin

After years of dedicated partnership and trust-building, a powerful new collaboration has emerged for the 2025-2026 school year. Wellness in the Schools (WITS), Exos, and NYC Public Schools have united to forge a new vision for student wellness, creating a seamless and sustainable ecosystem of support.

This trio combines the unique strengths of each partner: Exos brings its world-class coaching and performance expertise; WITS leverages its deep understanding of school environments and wellness education; and NYC Public Schools provides the critical access and reach to transform well-being across the city’s vast network.

With this new framework, the WITS Coach for Kids program will expand its impact to 119 additional schools, adding approximately 58,000 students and their families. This initiative focuses on three core objectives: enhanced student wellness, empowered educators and families, and sustained community engagement.

A key component of this partnership is a new, robust online community platform, designed by Wellness in the Schools with WITS and Exos coaches. This platform offers teachers and students accessible wellness resources, including daily fitness breaks, inspiration, and encourages participation through leaderboards and fun incentives.

In collaboration with NYC Public Schools, the initiative will also introduce two new 10-week wellness curricula for high school students and their families, designed to equip them with practical tools for lifelong health. Additionally, our Family Fitness Fun Nights will expand to 12 locations, and together, this power trio partnership will continue to bring CoachCamps and the Annual Coach Summit to every physical education teacher in New York City.

This powerful union is more than a partnership—it’s a movement to integrate wellness into the very fabric of the school experience for students, teachers, and families across the five boroughs.

Written by: Alexina Cather

As students returned to school this fall, they found more than just sharpened pencils and new classrooms waiting for them. Quietly yet significantly, school food policy has undergone a series of changes at both the national, state and local levels that are reshaping what’s served in cafeterias across the country. 

From new federal nutrition standards to historic funding commitments in New York State to updated food standards in New York City, these updates reflect a growing recognition of the vital role school meals play in supporting children’s health, learning, and long-term well-being.

At the national level, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has finalized a set of updated school nutrition standards that will roll out over the next few years. The changes are designed to better align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with particular attention paid to reducing added sugars and sodium. For the first time, specific limits will be placed on added sugars in certain high-sugar foods, such as cereals, yogurts and flavored milks. Over time, these limits will expand to apply to all school meals. While the phased timeline gives school districts time to adjust, some public health advocates argue the changes don’t go far enough, particularly given the ongoing concerns around ultra-processed foods and added sugars in children’s diets. Still, the standards signal a shift, albeit a cautious one, toward meals with fewer processed ingredients and a stronger focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods.

The USDA also maintained current whole grain requirements and made small improvements towards more culturally inclusive menus and sustainable sourcing, including stronger guidance around domestic food purchasing. These updates come after months of public comment and advocacy from school nutrition professionals, nonprofits, parents and students alike. While the final rules are more measured than some of the earlier proposals, they still represent one of the most comprehensive federal efforts in recent years to improve the quality of school meals.

At the same time, it’s important to recognize the context in which these changes are occurring. Recent federal cuts to essential nutrition programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and farm-to-school funding have left many families with fewer resources to access healthy food at home. These setbacks make the role of school meals more critical than ever. As a stable and reliable source of nutrition for millions of children, school food programs are increasingly carrying the weight of a fraying food safety net.

Meanwhile, in New York State, policymakers have taken major steps of their own. This fall marks the first full school year in which all public school students in the state will receive free breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. This expansion of universal free meals is a landmark achievement for advocates who have long argued that food access in schools should be a right, not a privilege. By removing the income-based eligibility threshold, the policy helps eliminate the stigma some students face when receiving free meals and ensures that no child goes hungry simply because of paperwork or red tape.

In New York City, even more changes are on the horizon. The city recently updated its food standards for all meals and snacks purchased by public agencies, including those served in schools. The new standards, which go into full effect in 2026, reflect the latest nutrition science and a commitment to reducing exposure to ultra-processed foods. Artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, and processed meats have been removed from all city food procurement. Sugar limits have been tightened for common items like cereal, yogurt and flavored milk, and sodium reductions will affect even frozen or canned vegetables. The new standards also prioritize plant-forward meals, calling for more plant-based proteins and limiting the frequency of beef on menus.

These changes don’t just impact what ends up on students’ plates. They have ripple effects for procurement, staff training, kitchen infrastructure and student taste preferences. Implementing new food standards can be a heavy lift for schools, particularly when they’re balancing tight budgets, limited kitchen equipment and the need to meet kids where they are.

At Wellness in the Schools, we view these policy updates as both a challenge and an invitation. With support from school staff and leadership, our chefs will be working side by side with school food cooks in the kitchen to learn culinary skills needed for scratch-cooking and with students to make new recipes in the classroom. We know from experience that nutrition guidelines are only successful if the food tastes good, and if students see themselves and their cultures reflected in the meals they’re offered.

We’re also paying close attention to equity. For many children, especially those in underserved communities, school meals may be the most nutritious meals they receive in a day. By removing additives, lowering sugar and sodium and ensuring meals are universally free, policymakers are helping improve health and learning outcomes. These are policy shifts rooted in justice, not just nutrition science.

As this new school year unfolds, we’ll continue to support schools as they navigate these transitions, whether it’s by training kitchen staff, forming wellness committees or creating connections between food, learning and joy in the classroom. 

Written by: Alexina Cather

After two years of transformative work in 1,035 New York City public schools, Wellness in the Schools (WITS) has completed one of its most ambitious efforts yet: a groundbreaking public-private partnership with the New York City Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, called Chefs in the Schools. 

Launched with the bold vision of reimagining school food from the inside out, this three-year initiative has exceeded expectations. In partnership, WITS Chefs developed 41 new plant-forward, scratch-cooked, and culturally inclusive recipes (to date) that were integrated into public school menus across the five boroughs. Additionally, WITS Chefs trained side-by-side with school cooks in nearly every NYC public school kitchen, passing on vital culinary skills and sparking a citywide shift toward healthier, more culturally relevant school meals. Office of Food and Nutrition Services Executive Director Chris Tricarico said, “Over the past several years, we’ve proven what is possible when leadership is aligned with community demand for change. The transformation of New York City’s school meals and cafeterias shows that food access and quality can actually complement one another to achieve real, meaningful progress.” 

In 2022, the initiative began with the creation of New York City’s first-ever Chef Council, a collaboration of celebrated chefs, culinary professionals, and food justice advocates who came together to design 100 new recipes for the public school menu. Recipes like Apple Citrus Pico de Gallo, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Egyptian Chickpea Stew (Koshari Stew), Jollof Cauliflower, and Penne Bruschetta have not only elevated the lunch tray, but they’ve honored the cultural identities of NYC’s diverse student population.

Throughout the initiative, WITS Chefs ensured these recipes were successfully implemented by training OFNS staff in core culinary skills needed for scratch cooking, such as knife skills, batch cooking, mise en place, storage and organization, and most importantly, the why behind the need for healthier school food. The result: food that’s not only better for kids, but food that kids are excited to eat. Last fall, a sampling of the Egyptian Chickpea Stew at 55 schools across the five boroughs received nearly 7,000 thumbs up from students who tasted the recipe in their cafeterias. 

This work has a ripple effect. In schools across the city, students are engaging with their food in new and meaningful ways. Chefs in the Schools is more than a menu refresh. It’s a shift in school culture. In reflecting on the program after two years, Chef Lou Foy said, “The mark I wanted to leave at my schools is the confidence that they can. Especially being in a learning environment and around kids all day, using the word can’t is counter-productive. I’ve worked on it not just through my words but through my actions, showing that scratch cooking can be done, especially with time management.” 

The initiative has also empowered school food service workers in ways that traditional professional development has never approached. After receiving side-by-side training, a chef from District 20 in Brooklyn reported, “The experience of the WITS Chef coming to my school was a good training to improve the quality of work that we are supposed to do every day.” Numerous chefs across the city shared similar sentiments.

The success of Chefs in the Schools proves what’s possible when cities invest in real change. This isn’t just about better food — it’s about a healthier school culture, more engaged students, and a more empowered workforce. It’s about recognizing that how we feed our children is just as important as how we teach them. 

WITS Chef Erin Mallare-Lee, who has been with the program since day one, said it best: “Our vision is to create a school environment where healthy eating is the norm, not the exception. We aim to ensure that every child has regular access to appetizing, nutritious meals and is empowered with the knowledge to make informed food choices. By promoting positive attitudes toward nutrition and food education, we equip students with the skills to build lifelong healthy habits. As chefs, we encourage children to participate in making their own food choices, which is a forward step that supports their well-being both in and beyond the classroom.” 

Now, the question is: What if we took this model nationwide? 

We’ve proven what’s possible in New York City. Now it’s time to imagine what this model could look like in school districts across the country. With the right investment, every child in America could have access to fresh, nourishing food that reflects their culture and supports their health, thereby ensuring greater academic success. 

Imagine what could happen if school systems across the country adopted a similar model, training school cooks, honoring local and cultural food traditions, and putting real, whole foods back on kids’ plates. The positive impact on childhood health, academic outcomes, and equity could be enormous.

We believe this program can serve as a national blueprint, and we’re ready to help other cities make it happen. Chefs in the Schools is ready to move beyond being an NYC success story. It’s a call to action and a recipe for change. 

A year ago today, in the early days of this pandemic, we could have never predicted what our programming was going to look like. Schools shut their doors in mid March of last year, but we knew that our work was more important than ever. We could not shut the door on our communities; so we went to them. We met outside, we held socially distanced classes, and we adapted our lessons for the virtual world and for communities beyond the walls of a school. 

One WITS Chef put it best: Armed with carrots, beets and cucumbers, we travel into neighborhoods that have been forgotten, and we do this with heart, passion and perseverance.

We became fixtures of virtual and outdoor classrooms. We were honorary guests at farmer markets all across New York City. We turned every room of our house into a kitchen or fitness studio (for the best lighting!). We created not one, but two shows (A Bite of Wellness on BronxNet and Talks with Telepan on Instagram Live). We’ve created engaging workouts that are instrumental in keeping students focused during virtual learning. And yes, we have mastered Zoom breakout rooms. 

When we look back on the year we remember loss and hardship, but looking at the pictures from this year tells a different story. It reminds us that the humans of WITS make the best out of any situation. In that way, looking back has prepared us to move forward.

Below is a slideshow of just a few of the incredible moments from this past year that were captured. Moments that show the heart, passion, and perseverance of Wellness in the Schools.

The following is an interview conducted by WITS Chef and Resident Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Ricardo Diaz. Ricardo interviewed Maya Feller, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist,a nationally recognized nutrition expert who recently joined the Wellness in the Schools Board of Directors.

Ricardo: Hi Maya, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and answer a few questions. I guess we can just jump right into it with the big question of what led you to want to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist? Was it always your end goal?

Maya: Hi Ricardo! Actually, not at all. I started out studying experimental theater and philosophy as an undergraduate. So it wasn’t what I originally set out to do. The path to becoming an RDN actually started when I was training for the Boston Marathon. I was spending so many hours running and I began to think more about the food that I was eating. What’s happening with the food I eat? Where is it going? How is it metabolized? How is my food turning into fuel? All of these questions fascinated me, and still do. After researching those questions I learned about registered dietitians and knew that it was something that I wanted to study. I come from a family of academics, so I knew immediately I wanted to go for the terminal degree, so that is what I did and I became a dietitian!

Ricardo: Thank you so much for sharing that story with me Maya. It’s also interesting to hear that we both didn’t necessarily look at nutrition and dietetics as a primary goal from the start. Becoming an RDN was something I ended up stumbling into myself. I initially wanted to go pre-med. After taking some requisite classes in nutrition I started using what I was learning in that class in my personal life, and once I saw how these practices were influencing my own health then I thought, “well, maybe I should give this a try instead.”

Maya: Oh, that’s amazing. So do you use any of your knowledge from pre-med classes years ago as you are working with the students now?

Ricardo: Yes I do, but I take what I learned and I simplify it so that students can more easily use that information to make changes within their own life… So we know how you decided on becoming an RDN, but what led you to working in private practice and academia?

Maya: Before private practice and academia I actually started working with my community. Right after becoming an RDN I started working with a community organization where I worked with homeless or unstably housed patients with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. After that, I started working with the New York City Department of Health where I was a part of a program that would go around the 5 boroughs and teach classes on nutrition and body care. That eventually led to me doing 12 week nutrition workshops in New York City housing projects. It was around that time that I decided to start my own private practice. At first, my work really centered around maternal and family nutrition, but over time it has become more general, but I still do a lot of family nutrition work and a lot of it deals with non communicable conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, etc. All of my work is from a very patient-centered, anti-biased lens. I am really there to take the science that I do know and work with a lens of cultural humility so that I can serve the patients efficiently. I don’t know anything about a person’s lived experience, that’s their unique experience, what I do know is the nutrition science, which means I have to walk in with my eyes open and my ears open and honor what they’re telling me so that I can really serve them in the best possible way.

When I was running the 12 week nutrition workshops that is when I started teaching at NYU. I started teaching life cycle nutrition there in 2012 and I am still teaching it. So that’s how I ended up in private practice and academia!

Ricardo: I really like the point you bring up on cultural humility. I feel like that is something I had to gradually learn to appreciate a lot more, especially when working with different cultures all over New York City. So how did you end up working with the populations that you work with now?

Maya: I think that as a black woman dietitian many of my patients have sought me out because I am not the majority. So I have a large group of patients that were looking for someone who is representative of them. I also have a large group of patients that identify as LGBTQ+ because my work is through an anti-biased approach. Patients want someone who will listen to them, and because I work with an anti-racist, anti-biased lens that takes cultural humility into account I am better able to serve my patients. I can’t tell you how many people have said to me “thank you for listening.” That’s not generally a part of how we are trained as RDNs. We engage in motivational interviewing, which may work for some but might not work for others, and we are taught that we are supposed to educate, which is true, but we also need to educate ourselves by listening to and learning from our patients. I am always willing to say “I can learn from you,” and I think that’s why a lot of my patients come to me. 

Ricardo: The listening is so crucial. I find that especially with my work with the students, you have to listen closely to them so that you can meet them where they are at, but as you say, people don’t focus enough on the listening aspect of our work. We also never really got guidance on working with the LGBTQ+ community as you mentioned –

Maya: Not at all. We are told that so many of those conversations that we have with patients from the LGBTQ+ fall under “social issues,” and are not classified as dietetics work, when in fact, people’s identities are deeply entwined with how they interact with food. I think that as we start to teach a new generation of dietitians we need to begin to build all of this into the fabric of dietetics so that students are better equipped to work with diverse populations.

Ricardo: Absolutely. One thing that comes to mind is looking at different cultures and how different cultures eat healthily. Looking back, I never really knew how to address how individuals from different cultures could eat healthy while consuming traditional cultural foods. As a preceptor, professor, and a mentor, how do you challenge and broaden the perspective with regard to how your students and future RDNs could better serve these diverse populations while keeping cultural traditions intact?

Maya: That’s an incredible question. The academy loves to say that “there is no one size that fits all.” And they’re right. There is no one size that fits all. When new patients come in we should be asking them, “what is it that you are engaged in eating, what are some of your favorite foods?” Let’s start by asking and listening, before we start to prescribe. We should take into account what is accessible in their communities.

Ricardo: That is such a good point. Chef Marion and I have to factor this into our pantry work in the Bronx. We have to take into account what kind of food and ingredients that people like to eat, along with what they have access to, and try to help them from there while being fully aware of their cultural traditions. Well, thank you so much for speaking with me Maya. It was so great to hear about your journey to becoming an RDN and how our paths had a few similarities. 

Maya: Thank you so much for having me! Always happy to support Wellness in the Schools.

This article was initially published in the Whole Kids Foundation Blog of March 2021.

Life is full of unpredictable events, most of which we have no control over. However, the year 2020 will be forever remembered as the one that forced a world to stop in its tracks and alter every aspect of life that was considered normal, familiar, planned, and even mandatory. It challenged everyone, even the most inspiring optimist, to find comfort and stability.

As the long days turn into long months during this Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to radically change the way we live, work, learn, socialize, and the way we take care of our loved ones. Above all, the most important factor that this pandemic has highlighted is our health which happens to be the one thing we DO have control over. With all the anxieties, fears, and stresses, we are grasping at everything that brings us comfort, relief, and happiness. Self-care is not selfish, it is mandatory. Now that we are one year in, the dependency on technology has taken its toll and the desire to find easy ways to unplug is even more in demand. The quarantine trends of baking bread, learning a musical instrument, or hosting drive-by parties are all great ways to unplug for one’s mental health. However, taking care of our physical health requires a little more creativity.

At Wellness in the Schools, we bring food & fitness programming into the classroom. Our short-term goal is to teach healthy habits to live and learn better. Our long-term bold mission is to end childhood obesity. In order for our programming to have a lasting impact, ideally the habits we teach continue at home. Fortunately, the Covid silver lining for WITS is that we have been able to do just that. Our WITS Chefs and Coaches have been able to stream live lessons into the bedrooms, kitchens, and/or family rooms of our students.

We’ve curated a list of fun ideas for parents and teachers to use at home with their families:

OUR TOP 4 MEALTIME TRADITIONS:

1. Have each member of the household rotate nights of the week and cook for each other, then give ratings on yumminess, healthiness, and presentation! If some are too young to cook, partner up in teams. Tally the scores at the end of the week for a prize – fruit dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut anyone?
   
2. Want dessert? That’s ok, take a poll and make rules around how much is too much. For example, 3 dessert nights/week and urge homemade and/or fresh fruits. If you have teens at home, you know teens like being part of the decision-making process, and having them choose usually leads to a successful outcome. You can also hold “healthy competitions” for who can make the most delicious cookie that is filled with healthy and yummy ingredients! 
3. If the tradition of cooking for each other is a success, start keeping track of all the highest rated recipes made from each family member and create your own cookbook! This is a wonderful tradition as well as something to use again when you want to recreate the dish together – or to share among friends. 
4. What better way to clean up after dinner than with a dance party? Turn on your favorite music, create an assembly line, and dance while you clean. If the kids are too young, give them a little area to “clean” while you clean and the happiness of the dancing will keep them included. A great way to get moving, laughing, with the reward of a clean kitchen.

OUR TOP 4 FITNESS-FUN TRADITIONS:

1. Obstacle courses! This can be modified to be perfect for any household. Let the kids lead for optimum success. The course can be set up inside or outside. One leader designs the course and the whole family has to complete it. Each course usually consists of 5 obstacles. It can include everything from crawling under chairs to hopping over a row of pillows. Depending on the athleticism of your household, the obstacles can be at any level of ease or difficulty, as long as it gets everyone moving. Have everyone do the course once, clock each run, then have each person do it again trying to beat his/her last time. Want to challenge teamwork? Partner up! 
2. Take a daily walk, with a twist. Many kids find walks boring. So jazz it up and make it a game. Bring the dog, if you have. Bring a football and play catch while walking. Or, end the walk with family competition (football, wiffle ball) – adults against the kids! 
3. Turn chores into a game. Instead of saying “I have to do something”, try switching your perspective to “I get to do something.” Just this slight word change can change the amount of energy you bring to the task. If you said, “I get to do laundry today”, it sounds exciting, right? For example, when putting away your laundry, grab a partner and make it a relay! Maybe open up your sock drawer and see how many balled up socks you can make it in your drawer from 6 feet away. Get creative with your chores and you will find you and your family genuinely saying, ”I get to do chores today!” 
4. Get outside in nature. Of course, respecting social distancing, find a peaceful spot outside. Enjoy the air. If you haven’t already, this is the perfect time to bring the healthy habit of meditation into your day. An easy way to start is to go outside, find a tree, and have a seat. Focus on just one leaf on the tree, watch it blow in the wind, and intently listen to hear the noise of that one leaf blowing in the wind. This will help the start of blocking out all other noise in that one moment.

From our team to yours, stay present, safe, healthy, and have fun!