We spend half of our lives living in our
homes without realising that there is a direct connection between
our health and the kind of home that we live in. Health is very
important for us to be able to lead a happy and engaged life. Our
homes normally make us feel safe and secure, but they can also
make us sick. The material used in building a home and the kind of
environment that is created around our home is very critical. It's
important to use ecofriendly materials which are conducive to good
occupant's health.
Normally, when it comes to our good health,
we focus more on nutrition and exercise, and spend less time on
understanding how our environment can affect our health. It's
important to know what we can do even if it means cleaning up more
often, removing harmful toxins. Paying attention to our living
environment can affect not just our long-term health, but even how
good we feel in the moment.
Natural light and ventilation
are one of the many things that contribute to a making a home
healthy. Waking up to a room that allows
sunlight and fresh air calms
your mind and freshens your soul. The wall paint, the kind of
floor tiles, drain pipes, electrical wires and points are again
things that play a part in ensuring your home starts a healthy
way. I strongly feel that the moment you cross the entrance gate
of your
residential community,
your step towards a healthy home begins. The
open
spaces, amenities that are around for our engagement and
fitness, the kind of elevators, the exit staircase and much more
add to our overall mental wellbeing.
Our home that allows us to move
freely, our furniture to be well spaced out, features that are
basis our need and requirement, placement of windows and doors,
size of rooms and bathrooms with much more adds to our comfort.
When we eventually move in to our home, the condition we maintain
our home defines the health of our home. Particles such as
bacteria, dust mites, and mold, can be lurking in our house and
can wreak havoc on our health, even when our immune system is
healthy. Not all living spaces are same, and some aspects are not
in our control, but we can make a few easy tweaks that can help
improve the health of your home.
Some of the things that we can do are :
- Don't overcrowd the home with too much of furniture as it
facilitates the cleaning of rooms and avoids inaccessible dusty
corners
- Add some indoor plants as they not only absorb carbon dioxide
and produce oxygen, but they remove toxic chemicals from the air
- Keep floors and window areas clean
- Opening your doors and windows can help improve your air
quality.
- Ventilate bathrooms and kitchens
- Seal cracks and openings throughout the home so pests can't
get in
- Store food in pest-resistant containers
- Secure loose rugs and keep children's play areas free from
hard or sharp surfaces
- Control the source of dust and contaminants
- Create smooth and cleanable surfaces
- Reduce clutter
- Use effective wet-cleaning
- Inspect, clean and repair your home routinely
- Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become
large
- Use reduced amounts of energy, water, and resource
consumption
- Maintain efficient heating and cooling system; proper air
flow and temperature distribution
The places where we live, work,
sleep or even drive, determine our overall health. Therefore, it
is essential to understand our home and surrounding environment
which eventually will impact our overall health. What we do in the
home can make the single biggest difference to the health of the
indoor environment.
Our home is not just a building; it is the
foundation of our health.