When thinking of your health, the first things to hit your mind like most people are probably your diet and physical exercise. It is completely understandable since that’s what has been ingrained in us growing up. However, the environment that we live in largely contributes to our emotional, physical and mental health. Since your house is the haven you probably spend most of your time, it is paramount that you have a healthy atmosphere for your general well-being.
Here are four ways that you can achieve to keep the environment in your house healthy.
1. Maintain Good Indoor Air Quality
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It is easy to assume that indoor air is always safe for you. However, just like the air outside, indoor air can become polluted and pose a danger to your health. Some of the factors that pollute indoor air include smells from cleaning products or candles and the like, poor ventilation, accumulation of dirt and dust, and toxins such as radon, mould, and carbon monoxide. If indoor air quality is polluted, you risk experiencing some health complications such as headaches, fatigue and irritations of the eyes, throat, and nose. In addition, prolonged exposure to stale indoor air can lead to long-term health problems such as heart disease and respiratory illnesses. That is why it is very important to maintain good indoor air quality.
One of the best ways to ensure good indoor air quality is by using air conditioners in your house. You probably know your HVAC system serves for heating and cooling the air to maintain your desired temperature. However, the HVAC system does more than that. It has filters that remove allergens and pollutants from the air in a room, leaving it clean. It also helps in maintaining the right humidity by humidifying or dehumidifying the atmosphere. For it to serve you better, however, ensure that you keep it serviced and well maintained.
Moreover, there are natural ways to keep the air clean and that includes adding plants to each room. Not only will they clean the air in your house but also make the place look more beautiful and lovely. You could make use of LED grow lights which allow you to cultivate any kind of plant during any time of the year.
2. Clear clutter and organize
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How neat your house largely affects how you feel about yourself and your home. If your house is cluttered and disorganized, you are likely to feel demotivated, worried, and helpless among other negative feelings from all the chaos and disorganization. All these can be detrimental to your mental and emotional health.
To ensure that your home sparks positive vibes, it is important that you maintain a clean and clutter-free house. Clear out all the items that you no longer use from the shelves, drawers or cabinets to create additional space to organize your things better. In addition, sort out any piles and place your things where they should be.
3. Ensure adequate lighting
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Natural light from the sun is largely associated with improved mood and morale as well as lowering fatigue. In addition, the UV rays from the sun are known to kill bacteria. For these reasons, it is good to let in some shine into your home. So, open up those curtains or blinds so that ample natural light can get in. If you have limited windows, consider adding an extra one. You can also use reflective mirrors or wall paint to multiply the light that gets in.
In addition, ample lighting is important at night to prevent straining your eyes especially when you have to work or study long into the night. Ensure that you have invested in sufficient artificial lights around your house.
4. Create a wellness corner
Meditation and time alone are very important for mental health. Just having some quiet time to reflect on your thoughts goes a long way in maintaining a healthy balance. However, it can be hard to have some quiet time especially if you share your house with other family members. Nevertheless, you can create a nook where you can just have your alone time without the disturbance from others.
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For instance, you can create a corner in your bedroom with an armchair and cozy cushions complete with some candles where you can retreat whenever you feel like it. You can also invest in a meditation carpet, which you can just roll out whenever you want to meditate. This wellness corner can also act as your relaxation place where you just chill out with a book or favorite music. All these work together to keep you balanced and grounded regardless of what is happening around you.
Such a haven is needed for people of all ages, however, it is most essential for the elderly. They tend to get irritated and emotional quickly, therefore it would be nice if they have a place of their own. Considering their age, they should also be visited by nurses now and then, just to make sure they are staying healthy and avoiding certain illnesses. No need to worry about this part though, registered nurses have passed the NCLEX RN and they are qualified in their profession. This way the elderly people of your family will live a peaceful and healthy life.
Conclusion
If you are to remain productive in your daily activities, it is important that you keep an eye on your health. And this starts with maintaining a healthy environment to dwell in. Hopefully, the above tips give you a starting point in creating such an atmosphere in your home.
(Written by Heidi Rosenberg, 05 March 2021)