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Home Environment• 

We have all just gone through a recent time change. And with the days becoming shorter we start to think about the cold months ahead and being at home a little more. A question popped into my mind about what contributes to our health while we are spending more time at home. Your home is your refuge. It is where you rest your head each night, house your possessions and share life and love with your family. Each one of us has our own style and needs for our personal space and those needs are important since they affect our health, whether we realize it or not. For me personally, I need my home environment to be clean and free of messes. I love my keepsakes, photos, furniture that I have so I do have many things in my space but I don’t like it to be messy, since it causes me anxiety. If life takes over and creates chaos in my living space, which it sometimes can, I find the time to put it back in order so I can relax again.

A healthy, clean and comfortable home environment reduces stress and contributes to your emotional, mental and physical well-being. Because each one of us is an individual and requires different things there is no single way to have a comfortable healthy home though here are some additional ideas to help create comfort:

Create a vision board of your ideal home environment• Terrific tool to help you clarify and maintain focus on a specific goal• Go through different magazines and / or find pictures online of images that resonate with you, ie: gardens, homes• Find words that evoke the feelings you wish to cultivate in your home, ie: love, peace, calm

Clean and de-clutter your living space• Take a little time each day to pick up after yourself• Keeping clean living space makes way for spontaneous hospitality• Book by Marie Kondo - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Add indoor houseplants to your home• Plants can purify air, boost your mood, improve your health and sharpens your focus• You can add trees or plants - ask your local nursery for recommendations• Reference Feng Shui for ideas to balance energies or bring balance

Aromatherapy or scented candles• Scents have been shown to promote focus and lift your mood• Wonderful way of bringing up memories or provide relaxation• Give us the opportunity to truly express yourself• If using candles, use soy since they burn cleaner

Create a sleep sanctuary• Invest in sheets and blankets that you love and make you feel warm and safe• Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark• Turn off all electronic devices • Reference my October Queenie's Communiqué on Sleep for many more tips

Make your bed each day• Can give you a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning• This immediately makes your bedroom appear clean and tidy

Organize your kitchen pantry• You’ll actually enjoy spending time in your kitchen• Be more likely to cook at home and create more nutritious meals• As a health coach this is actually a service I can provide to my clients

Explore Feng Shui (Ancient Chinese philosophy): Money, Love, and Health• Philosophy that focuses on the connection we have with our environment and that can effect our overall well-being• Try using calming colors, positioning your bed correctly, and using curved furniture to promote rest and relaxation• Feng Shui is said to raise the vibration of your home environment, so experiment• Book by Rodika Tchi: Feng Shui for Healing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Wellness in Your Home Sanctuary

Plant an herb garden• This can save you money, relieve stress and provide fun • Herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley tend to be the simplest for beginners• Fresh herbs are much more fun to use and are delicious Paint or decorate your walls• Look into different paint colors and styles that resonate with you• Choose a non-toxic paint: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-best-nonvoc-lowtoxic-interi-50915• Can’t paint your walls? Try hanging tapestries or artwork is a great alternative• Artwork has been shown to encourage creative thinking, boost self-esteem, and increase brain connectivity

Make sure your home is free of toxins• Test your water for lead, chlorine levels, fluoride, and for hard water• Check for lead paint - home test kits are available• Steam clean your carpets at least once a year to remove any build up• Use green, non-toxic cleaners: Melalucca (contact me for local rep) or https://www.honest.com/• Take off your shoes when you enter your home

Have ample lighting throughout your home• Bright and adequate lighting for your working or desk areas• Have a low light option available in your bedroom to prepare your body for sleep• Be aware of the light available when you are bringing in new indoor plants

Get a pet• Nothing better than having a furry freind greet you after a long day • Pets are known to provide calm, support, companionship and reduce stress

Obviously a healthy home environment can mean many things to many people so the key is to find what that works for you so that it brings you joy and pleasure when you are there.

I have many more ideas and tips on this so remember I have a brand new Newsletter page on my website. Come on over so you can get additional ideas, information, links, apps... on how to make your home the best it can. And in case you missed last month’s newsletter, they are now posted in the archives section on the page. Click here to go to there now: Newsletter page

Please share this newsletter with your family, friends, co-workers, anyone and everyone you know. This is the way that people who need me, a personalized health coach, can find me.

Thank you!

~ Queenie

*Source: Institute for Integrative Nutrition - Noelle Richards - See additional resources on my website Newsletter page

Image: SHermann.FRichter | pixabay.com

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