Our new benches offer not just a nice place to sit. Did you know that sitting under a tree according to health experts provides us with a boost to our well-being? Many studies have been carried out to examine how spending time outdoors has an overall positive effect on our health and well-being. The recent installation of our beautiful benches positioned directly under large canopy trees have been designed to inspire our residents to spend time outdoors. Our research led to some interesting facts about time outdoors. When we spend time sitting under a tree we breathe in the chemicals trees release that can boost our immune system. These special naturally occurring chemicals boost the body’s production of a specific white blood cell that helps fight off viruses. Tree gazing also lowers blood pressure and can boost our moods. As our community garden is at last finished and our new benches installed we hope these outdoor facilities will inspire our residents to enjoy the benefits of time outside with nature.
One of our favourite activities at Elements is to enjoy a coffee from the Indulge Café at Toronto Workers Club with one of the house made goodies. In late February the in house pastry chef made special “Elements” cookies for staff and residents to enjoy. Our Village Manager Jenna sat down with our Ambassador Mike Rabbitt to discuss the newly opened Stage 2 and enjoyed a cuppa and a cookie. At the moment café staff are staying home and staying safe. Jenna is still working to keep Elements running making changes to the way she operates to work in with social distancing and keeping herself and residents safe. Connecting over the phone, via email and through zoom conferencing is something we are all learning to accept. But nothing compares to the face to face connection we take for granted. Elements remains open for sales enquiries and to take care of our incoming residents and our residents but we look forward to resuming our coffee and cake soon. Our residents receive a free coffee and cake from the café on their birthday and we hope to have one big birthday celebration with everyone as soon as the doors reopen.