We hope you are doing well!

At 13 First Aid, we are passionate about all things health and safety.

As we enter month 11 of the COVID-19 Pandemic and week 5 of the provincial shutdown, it is more important than ever to stock our mental health first aid kits with plenty of self-care practices and tips. To help, we have put together a carefully curated list of distractions to get you through the coldest month.

Some of our favorite self care practices at 13 First Aid revolve around chocolate. Lucky for us, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!

Did you know that in addition to Valentine’s Day, there are 4 other chocolate-related unofficial holidays in February? National Dark Chocolate Day happens on the first of the month, followed by National Chocolate Mint day on the 19th , National Chocolate Covered Nut Day on the 25th , and National Chocolate soufflé day on the 28th!

In addition to the pure joy of sinking your teeth in to some chocolatey goodness, dark chocolate offers several health benefits.

Not convinced? Check out this article from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, or this article from John Hopkins Medical. In addition to their heart health benefits, the plant chemicals called flavanols found in dark chocolate may actually help to reduce the risk of diabetes. As if we needed another reason to indulge!

Thankfully, we are blessed with several renowned local chocolatiers and chocolate makers in Ottawa and the Valley. Some of our favorites are I Love Chocolate in Cobden, Hummingbird Chocolate in Almonte, and Alicja Confections in the Glebe.

Chocolate goodies aside, we are also loving the Headspace Guide to Meditation series on Netlfix. It is a good reminder to slow down and just be in the moment.

With the approval and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, there are brighter days ahead for all of us. You can read more about Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program here.

As a reminder, 13 First Aid continues to operate as an essential service, providing blended CPR, Emergency First Aid and Standard First Aid Courses in a safe and socially distanced setting. Our course listings are available here.

Before we sign off for another month, we wanted to share this sweet National Film Board video called How To Be At Home by Canadian filmmaker Andrea Dorfman.

Take care of yourself, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all soon!