This article is the second in a series of nine that focus on areas that I explore with my health coaching clients. Our health and well-being are so much more than just what we eat and how active we are, even though that is certainly part of it. What changes would you like to see in your life? Whether its nutrition, being physically active, reducing stress, being more in-tune with your mind body connection, or being more aware of your environment and its impact on health and wellness, there is always an opportunity to explore potential areas for change. Our environment does play such an important role in our health and well-being. What a great area to explore as part of our second area of emphasis in this series. Read more and think about what small changes you might make in your environment.
The environments we find ourselves in, whether home, office, or landscape have the ability to impact our overall wellbeing. As many of us know, environments can create or reduce stress. Light, air, sound, space, and color all have the ability to impact our health. Do you take time to walk in nature on a regular basis or do you spend most of your time in an enclosed room with little natural light or air? This area of health and wellness invites you to look at ways you might enhance your environment to be more conducive to health.
Did you know?
- Nature: Research shows that nature plays a significant role in health and well-being. Viewing nature through a window or actually getting outdoors has been shown to positively affect mood, relieve stress, speed up healing time after surgery, and reduce the incidence of illness and headaches.1
- Clean air: It is essential for our health that the air we breathe is clean. Indoor air pollution (radon, VOCs, formaldehyde, mold, tobacco smoke) has been associated with acute symptoms such as headaches, eye irritation, nausea, congestion, and fatigue. Indoor air pollution has also been correlated with chronic conditions such as respiratory diseases and cancer.2Outdoor air pollution has been linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, and cancer.3
- Noise: The sounds in our environment may have more of an impact than expected. Evidence supports that excess noise in the environment produces annoyance in patients and can increase sleeplessness and heart rate. Noise has also been shown to increase stress levels in workers.4
- Light: Access to natural and artificial light has the ability to impact health and mood. Exposure to bright natural and in some cases artificial light has been shown to reduce depression, decrease length of hospital stay, and improve sleep and circadian rhythms. Research also supports that people prefer daylight to artificial sources of light.5
- Color: The Center for Health Designs reports that color is linked to “psychological, physiological, and social reactions” in people. While no scientific evidence exists to specify any particular color as more healing than another, color does have the ability to elicit an emotional response in the observer.6
- Clutter: Your space and the amount of clutter in it may have an impact on you. Research has shown that physical clutter increases stress and decreases mental performance.7
- Supporting or undermining new habits: How we structure the aspects of our environment within our control makes a big difference in how successful we will be. Think about it: If you are trying to quit drinking alcohol, it doesn’t make any sense to hang out in bars. Similarly, if you are trying to cut back on processed sweets, keeping them in easy reach at home does not make sense. If you are trying to increase vegetable intake, having tasty vegetables prepared and easy to grab is essential to supporting your goal.
Why not start with making one or two small changes in an area of your choosing? Below are some tips and resources to get you started.
Environment Tips: Nature
Take time outside each day to be in nature- this can be as simple as walking down a tree-lined street, sitting on a patch of grass, or leaning against a tree.
If you can’t go outside, spend time looking out a window or looking at pictures of nature.
Taking nature inside by having plants in the places you spend most your time.
Environment Tips: Clean Air (Indoor)
Check for radon. Information on how to do this can be found below in the resources section under the heading Clean Air.
Use a carbon monoxide monitor at home and work.
Limit exposure to adhesives, cleaners, paints, and choose low/no VOC products.
Avoid secondhand smoke.
Vacuum and dust regularly.
Environment Tips: Clean Air (Outdoor)
Check airnow.gov to learn about local air quality.
Avoid exercising near busy streets and roads and stay inside at times of day when traffic is the highest.
Avoid exposure to idling cars, trucks, and buses.
Environment Tips: Reduce Noise
Know the sources of “noise pollution” in your area and control for them when you can (loud music, alarms, traffic).
When possible use materials that absorb sound in your environment (acoustic tiles, rugs or carpet).
If you can’t control the noises, when appropriate wear noise cancelling headphones or ear plugs.
Environment Tips: Light
When possible, work near windows.
Use lighting that you find pleasing.
Environment Tips: Color
Choose colors in the environment that are personally pleasing. Paint the walls and use colors throughout your environment that evoke how you want to feel.
Environment Tips: Clutter
Cut down the amount of clutter you have in your home and office by reviewing contents and asking the questions: Do I use you/ when was the last time I used you? Do I need you?
Do regular inventories of your belongings.
When you bring something new into your house give one item away.
Resources
Clean Air:
Air Now provides up to date information on air quality for your local area: airnow.gov
Information on radon and how to test for it: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html
Information on VOC’s and how to limit exposure: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
Clutter:
How Clutter Affects Your Brain: http://lifehacker.com/how-clutter-affects-your-brain-and-what-you-can-do-abo-662647035
Clear Clutter Out of Your House and Relax by Gina Shaw: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/clear-clutter-out-of-your-house
Reducing Exposure to Environmental Contaminants:
Reducing Environmental Exposures: The Seven Best Kid-Friendly Practices: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/children/reducing_environ_exposures.htm
NIH: Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf
Sources and Citations:
Vanderbilt Health Coaching Program, Resources for Health and Wellness Coaches. https://www.vumc.org/health-coaching/health-coaching-program
A Time to Bloom Health and Wellness Coaching, LLC https://atimetobloomcoaching.com/
Maller et al. Healthy nature healthy people: ‘contact with nature’ as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International. Retrieved from: http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/1/45.full
American Lung Association. Retrieved from: http://www.lung.org/associations/charters/mid-atlantic/air-quality/indoor-air-quality.html
World Health Organization. Ambient air quality and health. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/
Ulrich, R. Evidence Based Environmental Design for Improving Medical Outcomes. Retrieved from: http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/healing-environment/-more-information-about-healing-environment
Joseph, A. The Impact of Light on Outcomes in Healthcare Settings. Retrieved from: http://www.healthdesign.org/sites/default/files/CHD_Issue_Paper2.pdf
Toefle, R et al. Color in Health Care Environments. Retrieved from: http://www.healthdesign.org/chd/research/color-healthcare-environments
McMains, S. 2011. Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. 31(2):587-97
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