In Part One of this series I highlight the ways in which we can start to create a space for healing by making small shifts in our day to day lives. Being conscious of our spaces and the intricate ways in which they are woven into our lives is the first step. Getting clear on the primary functions of our space and how we want the spaces to support us, is also included in Part One which you can read here.
Now we move into Part Two where we will start to build the foundation for creating a space that not only supports our daily living, but also offers a sacred place for healing. It is actually easier than we think to heal within our home and space.
I have started working with the homeless community here in my new city and it has me realizing just how important a home really is. Our project is based on a ‘housing first’ model with the approach that housing is the first and primary need of an individual or family over any other provided support. That by providing consistent and stable housing as the foundation, we can create the opportunity for healing in other areas of our lives. Without a safe place to retreat to and call home, it can be extremely challenging to make significant personal change. I have seen this first hand now.
This has reminded me that sometimes, going back to the basics is best. Addressing the core and fundamental foundations for healing and leaving the fancy extra’s for just a moment. In the Healing House Series Part Two, we will do just that. Back to the basics for increasing the quality and health of our home. Because this quality, determines the quality of our day to day life, our physical health, and our relationships with self and others. I’d say pretty important reasons to want to increase the health of our home!
So what are the basics?!
Below are what I would consider the Top 6!
LIGHT – quality and quantity! Both real and artificial. We have both types of light in our environments and addressing the quality and quantity of both is important. If possible, natural sunlight is key; we are like plants, we need our sunlight to grow. Opening the blinds and shades first thing in the morning and letting the natural light in is like a big glass of water for us and our space. Let the healing properties of the sunlight do her magic within the space. If artificial light is the main source, then opting for a soft light will be easier on the eyes and less demanding energetically. Changing out lightbulbs in the home can be a quick fix. Turning off large overhead lights in commercial spaces and using a desk lamp is an option for long exposure to office lights. Our office implemented a lights off hour each afternoon where we would shut the big lights off and turn on our individual desk lamps. This gave everyone a break from the buzz of the industrial lights. Finding ways to access natural light and softening or lessening our exposure to harsh artificial light, can have a huge impact on our sleep and reduce headaches, eye soreness and even anxiety.
WATER – this is dependent on where you live and the quality of your water sources. It is no secret that water is hugely important to our health and the quality of it should not be sacrificed. There are hundreds upon hundreds of water filtration systems available and finding the one suited for your water type/quality is important. This may seem non-important compared to the amount of water you drink (or just drinking water in general!), however, we make choices around our water all day. Do you buy bottled or use your own bottle? Do you have plastic bottles or glass? BPA free or not? Tap water? Brita? Tapped in system, fridge system, the list goes on. There are plenty of ways we choose to have our water and choosing the best quality when we can, is obviously helpful in building good health. After over a year of research trying to find the best system for us, I happily purchased a Berkey water system from Your Water Matters. Not only am I satisfied with the quality of water I am drinking, I drink way more than I ever did before and I haven’t purchased a bottled water in over a year! I learnt so much throughout the research process about which system was best for me based on where I live and what my current water source is so learning this logistical piece is helpful. If natural spring water is accessible to you, this can also be an excellent option (given it is clean and drinkable) and there are multiple websites available to locate natural springs near you. We are encouraged to drink a large amount of water every day to maintain good health so the quality of that quantity, is important.
AIR – breathe in, breathe out. The key to life, our breath. I know for myself, just breathing can sometimes feel hard to do, thankfully our smart and sacred bodies know how to do it without us even thinking about it. More often than not, just taking a big deep breath in, and then letting it out, releases so much tension stored in our bodies and minds. Sometimes our breath can be the reset we need to carry on with our day and we certainly wouldn’t be alive without it. So, what are we breathing in that supports our health? What are we breathing in that doesn’t?! We live in an incredibly toxic world with pollution and toxic air circling our every breath and penetrating our lungs and bodies. Most of this is out of our control, however there are some environments in which we can control the quality of air we are breathing in. Paying attention to obvious bad guys like exposure to mold, asbestos, chemicals or toxic gases. These can be extremely harmful to our health and may even cause physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, skin rashes and allergies. Monitoring the quality of our air is the most common prevention tool and devices such as CO2 monitors can assist us with this. Changing the air filters in your home furnace and vehicles regularly can also help keep the quality of air higher. And I constantly have my oil diffusers running essential oils to promote wellness everywhere I go, even the car!
SLEEP – a regular topic here on my blog for sure! I talk a lot about sleep quality and the impact it has on our quality of life so I won’t repeat myself too much other than to say that sleep might be one of the most important factors to overall health and sometimes we completely underestimate it. Think of how much sleep a newborn baby needs to grow; healing is the same. As a human, this is the only time our bodies actually rest and try to heal from the damage of the day. When we take hours of this away, we never get it back and thus, we become unrested, run down and unwell. Both quality and quantity matter here and which is more important, is a personal preference. Some will do better with less sleep but better quality sleep i.e.; 6 hours of restful sleep vs. 8 hours of restless sleep. Whereas, someone else might function better having 6 hours of restless sleep than 4 hours of restful sleep. Either way, improving both, is key to overall health. There is plenty we can do to assist in improving both the quality and quantity of our sleep as well. Avoiding caffeine, regular exercise, and meditation are all proven ways to increase sleep quality and quantity. We can also assess our sleeping environment and ensure it is supportive of good quality rest. Read this post for the design psychology approach to better sleep! However we get it, and however much of it, quality and quantity are both key in the sleep department.
FOOD – again, not a real shocker here but definitely makes the top 6 when building a foundation for optimal health. What we put in, is what comes out. There is simply no way around that (trust me, I have tried!). When we put good stuff in, the good stuff comes out and by that I mean, positivity, energy, motivation, determination, kindness – it’s all just better. Not only do we look better when we eat better, but we feel better. We are actually better human beings! With our gut being so strongly connected to our brain, we cannot escape the emotional and physiological connections to our food. Our food impacts the whole system whether we are conscious of it or not. Ensuring the quality of food that we put into our bodies is one of the biggest ways to determine the quality of our lives. Choosing whole, plant based foods, and eating as clean as possible is not only good for us, but also for the environment. This holistic approach to eating promotes so much collective wellness. And for tips on clearing out the old gunk and bringing in new, healthy food and habits to your home, read this blog.
JOY – last but certainly not least. Finding joy. In every day moments and expanding that into the spaces and environments that support us. Filling our homes and places of work with laughter and lightness that allows for everyone to just take a moment to breathe, be present and feel joy. When present in our spaces, we want to feel joy in the overall experience, as well as with each item that fills our homes and space. All these pieces evoke emotion within us and provide the opportunity to cultivate joy, peace and happiness. Keeping in mind that our emotions are a spectrum and it’s important to feel them all and knowing that when we need too and because we choose too, we can find moments of joy within our homes and spaces and within ourselves. This then radiates from the inside out and a beautiful foundation for healing is created.
Love your home, love your office, love your spaces. They matter. And of course so do the people and things within them so keep them well. Finding ways to increase our holistic wellness within our spaces can be subtle yet intentional, small yet powerful and sometimes back to the basics is best.
Live well,
Cher
