We spend most of our time at home and lot of it inside. In lockdowns and quarantine, even before that, people spent 70% to 90% of their time at home. So, it is important to pay attention to how your home impacts your health, both physically and mentally.
The events of 2020 and beyond have made people more aware of the importance of home health and well-being, driving interest and commitment to the healthier homes.
Here are the ways to make your home the healthiest it can be –
- Air Quality
If you think the outdoors poses your biggest risk, then a not-so-fun fact is ‘indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outside air and reason to all the dust, dander and airborne contaminants. This can cause health issues, from asthma and allergies to headaches and less restful sleep.
What To Do: Simple measures go a long way.
- Vacuuming once or twice a week will minimise dust and other particulates, especially if your vacuum is equipped with filters, which captures even the finest contaminants.
- Use household cleaners that are low in volatile organic compounds, or VOCs as some of these can lead to serious health issues, including cancer.
- Clean the filters of your Air Conditioners every month and if possible, upgrade your filter from standard 1-inch thick to an advanced 4-inch thick filter.
- Another option is to invest in a whole-home air cleaning system or at least install air cleaning system in a room where you sit most of the time.
- Bring the Outdoors In
Have you heard of the term biophilia? It refers to humans’ innate draw towards nature. We are embracing it in a big way with elements like lighting, artwork and the use of natural materials on walls, furniture and flooring. Biophilic design is a fully integrated “environmental quality” with the power to reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve well-being and expedite healing. Also, researchers have found that exposure to biophilic environments has a larger restorative impact on someone’s well-being than non-biophilic environments.
What To Do:
- Whether you are considering a major renovation or simply refreshing your space with a few pieces, one of the best ways to foster a connection with nature is to blur the line between the indoors and out. This can mean adding big picture windows, multi panel glass doors (walls of glass that slide or fold open), or even just making a point to open your curtains as soon as you get out of bed.
- Biophilia doesn’t have to require a major investment. One of our favourite ways to incorporate it is with live plants, it may be in the form of general planters and/or vertical garden wall. The soothing visuals that plants add to a room, the scent of their blooms and soil, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, the feel of their glossy leaves on your fingertips – all offer a sensory life experiences.
- Another way to incorporate biophilic environment is by adding natural, green materials to the walls that adds to the 40% of your home environment. We can incorporate limestone walls which is completely a natural and green material with no VOC content.
- Decor can also be used to evoke nature. Consider incorporating textured wallpaper or textiles(linen walls), include water features in your design, or add natural materials like jute fibre rugs and rattan baskets.
- Prioritise Your Comfort
The comfort and ergonomics of our homes is another area that’s come under a microscope during the pandemic. While many people have returned to working in an office full time, others are still in flux or even in a permanently flexible situation. If you’ll be at home even just a day or two a week, it makes sense to invest in a workstation. Aside from your work area, which might seem like the most obvious place to incorporate ergonomics, your whole living space can benefit from a few tweaks.
What To Do:
- Listen to your body, especially when it comes to items you spend the most time in or on – like your mattress or desk chair. “The more they can adapt to your pressure points, provide support in areas of weakness, and offer comfort that feels tailored to your needs, the more they will ensure proper rest and energised work.
- As for your workstation, you don’t want to be hunching over your computer for hours at a time. When looking at the screen, your eye line should be level with the address bar on your web browser. Best if you can look at nature at the same time. Studies show it can help your brain work better and reduce stress levels.
- It’s a good idea to pay attention to the room’s temperature, as it can impact cognitive performance and comfort. This can be managed simply by opening/closing windows and using fans and Air Conditioners as per the present temperature levels.
- See the Light
Inadequate lighting doesn’t just make it harder to see things in your home, it can trigger physical and mental health issues, including eye strainer, headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety. It only gets worse with time, since the older you get, the more light you need to see clearly. This means that the lighting you chose when you moved into your home may not fit your current needs.
What To Do:
- Residential lighting has become much smarter in recent years. Installing various types of light fixtures, at various levels for the equal distribution of light is a smart solution. There should be no dark corners in the house, the spread of light should be as such.
- Some light fixtures we like to do brighten, energising the mornings and others dim, restorative lighting near bedtime. These can be installed either by using dimmers or by using different light fixtures with various intensities and colours for different times of the day. Ample research shows how this use of light results in consistent, restorative sleep, which in turn does wonders for mood, productivity and overall health.
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