Living room furniture from OKA
Home health is incredibly important if we want to feel healthy and happy at home. Our homes are more than just places we live—they are sanctuaries that have the power to nurture our well-being. In an increasingly chaotic world, the environment we create within our own four walls can offer comfort, peace, and healing. A home that feels balanced, harmonious, and aligned with our inner selves can be a refuge that helps us recharge, find clarity, and foster a sense of calm. Healing your home is not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a space that supports your mental, emotional, and physical health. By taking a more holistic approach to creating your home through mindful, intentional design choices we can transform our homes into a restorative haven that helps us to thrive. Let’s take a look at 12 ways to do that.
1. Improve Exterior Home Health
Home health starts before we even step inside the front door. The exterior of our home is extremely important when it comes to the way we feel about our home. It’s not only about curb appeal and the first impression that visitors will see of our home, it’s also what welcomes us home every time we leave the house. We won’t feel good about coming home if the exterior of our home is run down, dirty or cluttered.
Create a welcoming feeling by improving the exterior of the home. We can do this by ensuring the exterior paint or cladding is in good condition, cleaning the windows, refreshing the front door, updating the mailbox, making sure the garden is tidy and tending to our guttering. We can use things like gutter guards to prevent gutters from being clogged up by leaves and debris. This prevents further damage and decay that blocked gutters can lead to.
2. Repair Broken Items
Broken or damaged items in your home can subtly disrupt the energy of our space, leaving us feeling unsettled without realising why. Whether it’s a leaky tap, a cracked window, or a chair with a loose leg, these seemingly small issues can create a sense of disorder.
Taking the time to fix what’s broken restores both functionality and harmony, allowing the energy in our home to flow freely. By addressing these repairs, we signal to ourselves that our environment is a priority, creating a space that supports rather than detracts from our well-being. Fixing broken items is key to improved home health.
3. Declutter for Mental Clarity & Home Health
SS24 Minimaluxe Living from Dunelm
Decluttering our home is another task that leads to improved home health. We can’t possibly enjoy living in our homes if we feel like we are drowning and can never find the things we need. Clutter leads to mental overwhelm so we need to go through our belongings and get rid of what we don’t use or need any longer.
Decluttering creates a sense of order in our homes which helps to remove stress and anxiety, improves mental health and allows us to relax in our space.
4. Incorporate Natural Elements to Improve Wellbeing
Furniture from Furniture & Choice
Biophilic design is my absolute favourite way to improve home health. Bringing nature indoors undeniably makes us feel better and studies have shown that it can reduce stress and increase happiness as well as improve recovery time from illnesses.
We can bring natural materials into our home such as wood, stone, rattan, seagrass, wool, linen and many others. We can also ensure that we bring natural light in our home as well as bringing in more mood-boosting plants.
5. Use Color Psychology for Better Home Health
Dining room painted in Dulux Wild Wonder
Colour has a profound and transformational impact on how we feel in our surroundings. By understanding colour psychology, we can intentionally choose hues that evoke the emotions we want to experience in each room. For instance, calming blues or greens, inspired by nature and biophilic design, can bring tranquility to a bedroom or living room, while soft earth tones such as browns, beiges, and muted greens foster a sense of groundedness and connection to the natural world. These natural colours can help create a restful, balanced environment that feels in tune with the rhythms of nature.
However, the most important aspect of colour selection is how it makes you feel. Whether it’s the energizing effect of bright yellows in a kitchen or the cocooning comfort of deep, warm tones in a study, our personal response to colour should guide our choices. We should therefore opt for shades that make us feel good and help evoke the emotions we wish to cultivate in each space, ensuring that our home becomes a reflection of our own emotional well-being.
6. Breathe Easy: Prioritize Air Quality for Better Home Health
Briiv air purifier harnesses the power of 3043 plants to keep air clean
The air we breathe inside our homes plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. Poor air quality can lead to a range of health issues, from allergies to fatigue, so it’s essential to create a space where clean, fresh air circulates freely.
Start by incorporating houseplants, which not only enhance biophilic design but also act as natural air purifiers, filtering out toxins and increasing oxygen levels. Plants like peace lilies, snake plants, and spider plants are known for their air-cleaning properties.
Additionally, we must ensure our home is well-ventilated by regularly opening windows to let fresh air in and prevent the buildup of indoor pollutants. Consider using natural cleaning products to minimize the release of harmful chemicals into the air, and consider investing in an air purifier if you are concerned about dust, mould, or allergens. A focus on air quality helps create a space where we can truly breathe easy, promoting a sense of well-being and vitality throughout our home.
7. Heal Through Scent: The Power of Aromatherapy
Scent has a profound effect on our emotions and overall sense of well-being, making it a powerful tool for improving home health. Aromatherapy taps into this by using natural essential oils to promote relaxation, clarity, and emotional balance. Scents like lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood can help to reduce stress and promote calm while energizing aromas such as citrus or eucalyptus can uplift and invigorate.
When incorporating scent into our space, it’s important to choose high-quality, non-toxic products to ensure we’re only breathing in pure, beneficial ingredients. Whether choosing candles, diffusers, or essential oil sprays, look for options that are free from synthetic fragrances, which can release harmful chemicals into the air. By thoughtfully selecting the scents that resonate with us, we can create an atmosphere that nurtures our mind and body, supporting our healing journey with every breath.
8. Feng Shui: Aligning Energy for Increased Harmony
Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging spaces to harmonize with the natural flow of energy (or “chi”), can greatly enhance the healing qualities of our home. By strategically and mindfully positioning furniture and decor, we can encourage positive energy to flow freely throughout our space, fostering balance, tranquillity and well-being.
Start by ensuring that your home is free from clutter, as this allows for the unimpeded movement of chi, which is vital for a peaceful environment. Pay attention to key areas like the entryway, which represents the flow of opportunities, and the placement of your bed, which should have a solid wall behind it to provide stability and support. Additionally, consider the placement of mirrors around your home to improve energy flow and reflect the good fortune you want to invite into your life.
The goal of Feng Shui is to create a space that feels open, harmonious, and supportive of your physical and emotional health, allowing your home to become a place of true healing.
9. Sound and Silence: Creating a Calming Acoustic Environment
Symfonisk speakers from Ikea and Sonos
Sound plays a powerful role in shaping the atmosphere of our home and can significantly impact our well-being. Incorporating soothing sounds into our space can promote relaxation, reduce stress, and help us feel more grounded. Natural sounds, like flowing water, birdsong, or gentle wind chimes, can evoke a sense of peace and connection to the outdoors, aligning with the principles of biophilic design.
It’s important to be mindful of unwanted noise, as it can disrupt our sense of calm. Consider soundproofing solutions for rooms that need to remain quiet, or soft furnishings, like rugs and curtains, to absorb noise. Music, white noise machines, or calming playlists can be used to create an ambiance that supports our emotional state. Whether it’s the tranquil silence or the gentle hum of background music, creating a soundscape that aligns with our personal rhythm can enhance our home health.
10. Personalizing Your Space: Infusing Your Home with Meaning
Me in my living room that makes me feel super happy
Our home is a reflection of who we are, and personalizing it with meaningful touches can make it truly feel like a sanctuary. Whether it’s through artwork that inspires us, family photos that remind us of cherished memories, or unique objects collected from our travels, these personal items tell our story and bring warmth and character to our space.
When personalizing our home, we should think about how each item makes us feel and the energy it brings to the room. Choose objects based on aesthetic but that also enhance our emotional connection to the space. This could be as simple as a favorite book on the coffee table or a handmade ceramic piece that adds both beauty and sentiment. By curating items that reflect our values and experiences, we’re creating an environment that feels uniquely ours—one that supports our emotional well-being and provides comfort, joy, and inspiration each day.
11. Healing Through Connection
A truly healing home isn’t just about aesthetics or personal comfort—it’s also about fostering connection. The way we design our spaces can enhance the relationships we value most, encouraging moments of togetherness and conversation. Create areas that invite connection, whether it’s a cosy living room designed for family gatherings, a dining table that brings everyone together for meals, or a quiet nook where intimate conversations can unfold.
Thoughtful design can encourage these shared experiences by arranging furniture to facilitate interaction, using soft lighting to create a welcoming atmosphere, and choosing pieces that evoke a sense of warmth and hospitality. Open, flowing spaces can make it easy to move and engage, while smaller, more intimate spaces can offer the perfect setting for deeper connections. Designing for connection means creating a home where everyone feels welcome, fostering an environment where love, laughter, and support naturally thrive.
By adopting a more holistic approach to designing our home mindfully and intentionally we can ensure that our physical, emotional, and mental health is looked after. We can focus on home health and turn our home into a place of rejuvenation.