As much as we love the outdoors you’ve gotta admit – we actually spend a majority of our time indoors. And that’s not an issue in general until our ‘indoor ecology’ feels like a stuffy-dusty-no-sunlight room. Gross! According to Mother Nature Network, paying attention to our indoor air flow is just as crucial as our outside environment. It is after all where we sleep, eat, work or live. So inspired by this article, we decided to leave you with seven things to do to keep your indoors flow more awesome.
1. Add Some Plants To Your Life
If you don’t already have a plant in your place, get one. There’s plenty of cool benefits for a plant living in your space. And according to Eco Hearth, there are some specific plants that are great for improving your air circulation. These include the Areca Plant, Mother-in-law’s toungue and Money Plant.
We couldn’t help but giggle at some of the names but we’re super impressed with the results. Having these plants added to your indoors has shown a 42% probability of increasing blood oxygen by 1% and even human productivity by 20%. There’s also a 52% drop in eye irritation, 34% drop in respiratory symptoms, 24% drop in headaches, 12% drop in lung impairment and 9% drop in asthma. Now that’s what we call plants for keeps!
2. Choose Good Lighting
According to the Human Ecological Social Economic Project, the kind of lights you choose can effect your eye health and level of productivity. An experiment showed that cool-white fluorescent lights increases stress levels for some peeps. And that kids with hyperactivity pay less attention when being exposed to this same lighting. So we suggest taking note on the kind of mood you’re trying to create before installing the lights you want. We believe warm color lighting works best for us in romantic situations. ;)
3. Decorate Your Space
Indoor decoration is just crucial. Whether it’s a painting on a wall, pictures of your family or even your favorite memorabilia’s placed on your tables, leave something personal to have the environment breathe your energy.
According to photographer Marian Kraus, choosing a picture that speaks to you and placing it in your home or office can bring inspiration to your life. Pictures paint a thousand words and choosing one that brings tranquil to you will just bring positive energy to your environment. So we think it’s time you found your favorite pic and place it where everyone can see. :)
4. Open Your Window
This is super important. A study in University of California has shown that closed windows in a hospital may bring in less microbes in the room but…
“The types of microbes in this closed-off room were similar to the kinds of microbes found in and on our bodies, whereas the fresh-air room contained more microbes that were associated with plants and soil. The findings make intuitive sense, but they have potentially disturbing consequences: We are much more likely to encounter disease-causing bacteria in a room with no fresh air.”
Needless to say, it’s time to air your room. It’s only going to make you feel better than being in enclosed air.
5. Control Your Room Temperature
Some like it hot and some like it cold. And while we have our own preference, take note of our age before we lower the temperature. An article on the BBC has shown that older people are prone to getting into health issues when living in a cold environment.
“Those that succumb are not necessarily sick already, but older people’s blood vessels tend to have rougher linings than those of younger people, which makes them even more susceptible to clotting.”
This means we’ve gotta tell grandma and grandpa to turn up the fire (or heater!) in winter. And let’s give ‘em a hug to keep ‘em warm too. :)
6. Ergonomics Matters
According to Ergonomics-Info, ergonomics matter at work and at home. A couch that is too soft or too low can affect our posture in the long run. It causes your knees to bend less than 90 degrees. Subconsciously you’ll sink in and stretch out your legs to maintain that 90 degree angle of your knees. And if your sofa is too soft, you’ll sink into it which causes pressure on your hips. In essence, it wouldn’t be practical for elderly peeps with fragile hip joints to be sitting on a soft and low couch. So let’s prepare a nice wooden chair for them instead.
7. Adding Soothing Sounds
Whether it’s the sound of a mini fountain running or gentle tunes of a nearby wind chime these natural sounds are a great buffer to noise pollution. According to Feng Shui beliefs, water (when placed in the right direction) will provide harmony, health, wealth and prosperity. And based on Life With Feng Shui:
“Metal wind chimes are ideal to energize chi because of their penetrating sound. You can use them in areas ruled by the metal or water elements. You can use wood wind chimes in those areas of your home ruled by the wood or fire element, and ceramic wind chimes can slow down chi and disperse it at a slower pace, like at the end of a long hallway, or in front of a large window. The center of the house is ideal for ceramic wind chimes, as well as any other areas that benefit from adding the earth element.”
So if you’re looking for natural sounds to add to your indoors, we highly recommend these two elements. Aside from its Feng Shui awesomeness, we simply love the look of both features too.
Well peeps, if you’ve already got one (or more) of the elements above, kudos! Let us know which of these ideas you’ve implemented. Was it at work or at home? Share your insights with us below. We look forward to hearing about it.
