4 Home Environment Changes To Improve Attitude And Health

Your home is the place you go to relax, to feel safe and to be loved. I encourage you to take a minute right now to consider this statement. How do you relate to your home? Do you love being there or does it stress you? I hope you answered that you love it, however, if you didn’t, there are likely some good reasons for your negative reaction.

First of all, your home isn’t just a space to hold your stuff. There needs to be a deeper connection that actually feeds your body, mind, and spirit some healthful energy.  And this isn’t just for the “dream home”. No matter what place in life you currently reside or what your address is, make it your home. I encourage performing some or all of the following home environment changes to improve attitude and health. Of course, experiment with this until you get the results you want and feel at “home” in your space. 

Stop Waiting for the “Dream Home” to Be “At Home

First, and foremost, be grateful that you have a home (whether you own or rent). Gratitude is the attitude that feeds and attracts more positive things into our lives. Not appreciating your current living space is the perfect way to stir up non-serving energy and bad feelings. This tends to make us feel out of place or not comfortable in our surroundings- the opposite of how we want to feel in our homes.

Furthermore, a constant stream of negative emotions and energy can lead to changes in your relationships, work, energy, and even promote poor health or chronic illness. Check yourself frequently for negative thoughts or feelings about your space or certain areas of your home. If there are small things bothering you, make a list and do what you can to change those things.

Do Repairs and Maintain Your Space

Home repairs and maintenance aren’t always fun or cheap, especially if you have to hire someone to do the work. However, this is imperative to create the comfortable, relaxed, homey feeling we’re talking about here. Putting off fixing things like leaks, broken windows, or worse, can not only affect the value of your home but put your health at risk. For example, that small kitchen sink leak could be feeding some nasty mold that is toxic to you and your family. 

Make Sure You Have Privacy

Privacy is one of those things that most of us want in our homes. This, of course, depends on personality and the situation. I’ve lived in homes where I felt like I was in a fishbowl because the neighbors could always see in our windows or into our backyard.  This gave me such an uneasy feeling all the time, so I rarely opened my blinds. I did, however, discover that decorative window film could help provide more privacy as well as filter out some of the strong sun rays. I also put up some cool dividers on my patio to give us a more secluded feel outdoors. I recommend that you get creative with this one, as feeling safe and comfortable in your home is important for positive emotions and health.

Good Housekeeping

I know some of you will cringe at this one simply because you’ve never been great at keeping the house. I get it, I don’t care that much for sweeping, mopping, and dishes either. That said, I do know that I love the feeling I get when it’s neat, clean, and everything is in its place.

While you might argue that over-cleaning is bad, the reality is that you are probably exposed to enough bad stuff out in the world without subjecting yourself and your family to a messy house. This goes double if you or anyone in your home has allergies or is sensitive. Things like dust, pet hair, and other substances can actually cause illness and low energy.

I recommend a weekly cleaning schedule that includes everyone in the family. Make it a contest, game, or give rewards for jobs completed in a timely manner. This helps you teach your kids responsibility while keeping your home cleaner and more comfortable for everyone.

Add Your Personality

Adding your personality to your home might not seem like a health-promoting task. However, it might be the most important thing you can do. Creating a space that reflects you and your family provides a sense of ownership and connection. I believe it’s important to be in harmony with our environment, no matter where we are.

Animals practice “marking” as a way to belong to a space and feel safe and comfortable. And, though, we humans don’t mark our territory as animals, we can add touches of ourselves throughout our homes. Things like crystals, houseplants, certain colors or styles, and family photos are our way of saying, “this home is mine!”. 

Putting your personality into a space is about recognizing who you are within your environment. This is more important than you might think as we spend a lot of time outside our homes in other people’s spaces.

All in all, your home is your castle to be loved, lived in, and taken care of. Do what you can to make the most of the space you have, even if it’s not your dream home. Make it your current dream by taking it to its potential. I believe doing so will help you feel better emotionally and physically.