According to WHO the average person now spends 90% of their life indoors (70% in the home), it's time to consider how the built environment you surround yourself with can hinder or help your wellness journey.
It’s common to have health goals and aspirations set for the new year. The appeal of feeling good and looking good can be a strong motivational driver. People will look at changing their behaviours; better choices in diet, increased exercise or new exercise, finding a personal trainer or fitness coach, introducing mindfulness practices, or investing in an accountability tool such as a fit bit or apple watch.
However, have you considered, with the majority of us spending as much as 90% of our time indoors, that the built environment that surrounds you may be compromising your attempts to strive for a healthier and better life?
In recent years I have spent a lot of time researching and learning about the concept of health and wellbeing. Through my family's own health journey and experiences in our home, and by witnessing with interior design and decoration projects the impact a well designed home can have on enhancing the
quality of client's lives, I have increasingly adopted a more holistic design practice. Interestingly, while many clients may be health-conscious or strive to adopt a healthy approach to life, few are aware of how your home environment can impact your physical health and emotional state of mind for better or for worse.
Wellbeing in the Home
So what does wellbeing in the home mean? Firstly wellbeing is a state of mind – a space itself cannot have ‘wellbeing’, but it can be set up in such a way as to support the owner’s physical, emotional and mental experience.
To give you a start on this journey, here are three essential areas, backed by science, that have been found to have a significant impact on a person's ability to experience wellbeing in the home and actions you can take to address them.
1. Improve the Quality of the Air you Breathe
True fact, our homes contain many toxins (VOCs) that are released into the air from building products, furnishings, fabrics, cooking, heating appliances etc. Your home requires regular (daily) ventilation to flush out the toxins that otherwise impact your health, both through the air and via attaching to dust particles in the home that you then may touch and absorb through your skin.
What you can do in your home:
Keep your home well ventilated, ie. open your windows regularly. Make sure windows are easy to open and fresh air is able to easily be flushed through your home.
When designing your home think of elements such as cross ventilation that can allow a rush of fresh air to flush through the home (where outside air quality is good).
Air purifiers and filtration systems are also excellent options for those who may live in congested cities or areas where outside air quality is not great.
Use low or no VOC products and give your home time to 'off-gass' or air out before moving in after a new build or renovation
Regularly clean your home to avoid accumulation of contaminant matter such as dust particles and mould
Source: The Design Files | Design by Bone Made
2. Minimize the amount of Artificial Lighting
While lighting is becoming far more sophisticated there is no substitute for natural light in the home. Exposure to natural light is important for a well functioning circadian rhythm (daily sleep/wake cycle) which is linked to your ability to obtain quality sleep, reduce stress, and boost immunity (so important in these times). The basic idea behind this is that your body likes to rise with the sun and wind down with the sun. If you have a dark and dingy home or spaces where you will always have the lights on this confuses your body and you will notice your emotional wellbeing and state is affected. You may wonder why you don’t enjoy spending time at home and would rather be outside.
Source: Pinterest
What you can do in your home:
Consider whether you are maximising the most of your natural light. Would you benefit from including a skylight? (Velux skylights that are openable can also be great for ventilation and re: air quality in my earlier comment).
Ensure you incorporate layered lighting into your scheme, ie. A mix of lighting lamps, led lighting, not just bright downlighting from above, and put downlighting on dimmers so you are able to help yours and your kids/ family’s bodies wind down at night time for a more restful sleep.
Ensure black out window furnishings are installed in bedrooms to promote a more restful and regular sleep pattern
If you are designing a new home consider bedroom placement/ kitchen placement etc in the home. It is lovely to have east light in the mornings to wake with.
Source: Pinterest
3. Increase the amount of Indoor-Outdoor Connection
"Biophilia" Is a term being used more and more these days. It essentially means connection to nature and we are seeing many more nature inspired designs as well as a resurgence of plants in the home. Being immersed in the natural environment has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and reduce stress and bringing nature into your home can have a similar affect.
What you can do in your home:
Think about how you organise your interior spaces. Are you currently making the most of external views and windows to. For example, place your desk against a window rather than a wall, you are likely to find you are far more productive.
Other ways to bring nature in include plants, use of timber, natural fibres and patterns in your décor and design.
So if you have resolved for a ‘healthier you’ this year, in addition to trying to reduce stress, get more sleep, eat whole foods and setting movement goals such as 1000 steps per day, set your health aspirations up for success by assessing your home environment. You may be surprised at how much impact some small adjustments can make.
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