“Home is not a place, it is a feeling”
According to a survey by the national Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend 93% of our entire life indoors while only 7% of our time is spent in the great outdoors. And, with the exception of work, we spend most of our indoor time in the special place we call HOME. Here are four beneficial ways to incorporate more outdoor life into the 93% of time we spend indoors.
1. Purify the Air with House Plants
House plants don’t just sit still and look pretty. Several studies, including NASA’s clean air study, found that plants purify the air by removing toxins, increase productivity in the workplace and boost your mood. Research in the Journal of Alternative Complement Medicine showed that exposure to pictures of nature, including images of plants, significantly reduced stress of patients in a hospital waiting room.
Choosing an indoor plant for your home needs to be done with careful consideration and research. While some exotic plants may be beautiful to look at, they could place loved ones, including children and family pets, in danger. The safest bet is to keep all house plants out of touch if possible. Some popular kid and pet friendly plants include the Christmas Cactus, spider plant, Boston fern and African violets.
2. Use Windows & Skylights to Let the Sun Shine through Your Home
Indoors does not mean you have to shut out the sun. Having spacious windows and skylights will welcome plenty of natural sunlight into your home. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that daily light exposure in the workplace is significantly correlated with a person’s sleep, activity and overall quality of life. People who work in an environment without windows or any exposure to daylight have poorer sleep quality, more physical health issues and less vitality.
According to a skylight company Freelite, having skylights in your home reduces energy consumption, mildew and mold, and deficiencies in vitamins D and B1. In addition to increasing efficiency and health benefits, skylights are a worthwhile investment that increase your home’s visual interior appeal and resale value.
3. Cozy up by the Fireplace
Throughout human history, the use of fire has been very important to us, from cooking to protecting and hunting. The good news is that you don’t have to go outside anymore to sit close to a warm fire. An indoor fireplace can supply you and your family with an additional heat source and psychological benefits. Research has shown that there are stress-alleviating health benefits associated with sitting and gazing at a fireplace.
To reap the benefits of an indoor fireplace, you may not even need a real fireplace! If you have cable, Netflix, or internet access to YouTube, you may be in luck. Research from the University of Alabama suggests that merely watching a video of a fireplace, especially supplemented with a crackling sound, makes you feel more relaxed and reduces your blood pressure.
4. Keep the Kids Happy & Healthy with Natural Elements
A classroom study in Austria found that classrooms with natural wood elements can keep the kids healthier, calmer and less stressed than traditional classrooms. Another study reported that using wood in your home’s interior provides a positive atmosphere and reduces the risk of allergies.
To bring these benefits into your own home, try incorporating natural wood elements into your decorating style. Styles such as mid-century modern highlight natural wood elements with touches of color, but you can bring natural wood into your own home by investing in wooden storage options, wood beams and wood furniture.
Collectively, research has shown that bringing outdoor elements into your home provides numerous physical and psychological benefits. Having a functional indoor environment with outdoor style will promote the well-being of your family.
About the Authors
Leah Williams is an intern for Turnberry Custom Homes and a senior at Albright College majoring in English, communications and Spanish.
Toe Aung is a psychobiology major in his senior year at Albright College and is pursuing his PhD in Anthropology at Penn State University.
