Home Health: Top Tips for a Healthier Happier Home

The home should always be a place for relaxation – somewhere you can put your feet up and feel good after a long day. Yet small things, such as noisy neighbours or cluttered rooms, can quickly become a cause of stress and discomfort.

Find out how to achieve a healthier home environment, and how making small changes in regards to light and sound can make a big difference.

Let the light in

Not only is natural light great for health, it’s also important for happiness. Proven to trigger serotonin in the body (colloquially known as the happy hormone), everyone should make sure their home is filled with sunlight.

Prevent your home from feeling dark, dull and dingy by opening up your curtains when possible. If you’re worried about passers-by looking inside, you can purchase specialised blinds that let plenty of light flood in, but obscure the view of anyone walking by.

You may also wish to install larger windows, a skylight or add a conservatory to your home to maximise the amount of light filtering into your home.

Introduce more plants to your home

Houseplants are a wonderful addition to any home. Not only do they look beautiful, recent studies have also found that they’re brilliant for purifying the air around them too.

In fact, we have an entire guide about the health benefits of houseplants, and how to choose and care for your new, green family members.

Peace Lilies, Spider Plants and Philodendrons are wonderful plants for any home. The Spider Plant is a great choice for damp areas, like bathrooms, due to its ability to absorb mould and allergens from the air, while Philodendrons are a favourite with Pinterest lovers, due to their appearance and ability to remove formaldehyde from the air. The delicate Peace Lily detoxifies the air too, removing toxins like ammonia and benzene.

Silence unwanted noise

Every home should be a sanctuary, and a place to unwind with family or friends. Unwanted noise can ruin a peaceful evening, but there a couple of things you can do to keep things quiet.

First, identify the source of the noise. If your neighbours’ TV is too loud and disturbing sleep, for example, rearrange the layout of your bedroom. Position the bed as far away from the noise as possible to dull the sound.

Sometimes, thin walls can also cause a problem. A fairly inexpensive way to soundproof the home is to purchase soundproofing panels, which can be fixed to walls easily. If the source of the noise is outside however, you may wish to upgrade your windows to double or triple-glazing. Don’t forget about the importance of fencing and outdoor plants either. Both are surprisingly good at deflecting noise if you choose wisely.

Keep things tidy

Clutter can have a huge impact on your wellbeing, often becoming a source of distraction and stress for many. Tidy up and add more storage if you’re struggling to find a place for particular items, and you’ll quickly discover you can relax and concentrate better at home.

Storage doesn’t have to be in the form of heavy furniture like a chest of drawers, or a permanent fixture like wardrobes, either. Utilise the space under your bed or stack decorative boxes neatly and use them to store documents or knick-knacks.

Introduce calming scents

Surround yourself and your home with comforting and calming scents, either in the form of candles and diffusers or from a natural source, like a lavender plant. Jasmine, rosemary, peppermint and the scent of fresh linen are popular choices – simply pick something that makes you feel good.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/best-houseplants-destress_n_2964013

The post Home Health: Top Tips for a Healthier Happier Home appeared first on Good to be Home.

from Good to be Home http://www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/home-news/home-health/