How to Improve Your Health with Simple Changes to Your Home

Whether you have recently been diagnosed with hypertension, or if you have been living with high blood pressure for several years, there are many simple changes you can make to transform your home into a blood pressure lowering sanctuary.

Regardless of whether or not you are on medication for your high blood pressure, changes to diet, lifestyle and environment - as well as holistic therapies - can significantly enhance your improvement and increase the effectiveness of your current treatments.

The key to creating a healthy home environment is to create a soothing sanctuary that limits noise and stress, while promoting relaxation and restfulness. Your home is your respite; your private space away from work and social obligations - a place to breathe and recuperate

The first step in transforming your home into a healthier environment is to clear the clutter. Stacks of papers and piles of laundry are stress-provoking visuals that constantly remind you that there is work to be completed and cleaning to accomplish. Being surrounded by clutter has been shown to decrease your productivity and can be damaging to your health, so although it may seem like a huge undertaking, creating an organized, clutter-free environment is your best first step in improving your health and decreasing stress levels.

The next simple step to creating a healthier home environment is to limit noise and harsh light. Switch to light bulbs that offer soft, natural light and take steps to decrease loud noises, such as traffic, cacophonous music and outside noises. This may include anything from closing your curtains to act as a noise buffer, to talking to your teenagers about keeping the music down, to investing in double-pane windows to seriously limit outside noises.

Sudden loud noises, such as blaring alarm clocks, are also not good for your health and wellness. If your income will allow it, consider investing in an alarm clock that will wake you slowly, rather than jolting you from a deep sleep. For example, there are alarm clocks available that start out quiet and have an increasingly loud tone or that wake you softly with chimes or bells.

Maintaining healthy air quality in your home is also integral to maintaining your health and wellness. When the weather allows, open windows and doors to encourage proper air flow and to bring fresh air into your home. You might also consider investing in air purifiers for rooms that you spend a lot of time in, such as your bedroom and your main living area and incorporating plants (which also help to clear the air) wherever possible. Breathing in clean, fresh air can decrease fatigue, headaches, blood pressure and stress, while improving circulation and oxygen levels.

To create a peaceful, stress-reducing environment consider adding a fountain to your main living space or your bedroom. Even a small tabletop fountain will bring the soothing sounds of flowing water into your home, which have been shown as an effective method to lower blood pressure and stress levels. Studies have also shown that soothing music lowers blood pressure and releases tension, so playing soft music while you cook, clean, hang out with your family or prepare for your work day is another great way to promote health and wellness in your everyday life.

Putting a CD player in your bedroom and investing in CDs that are soothing or specifically designed to enhance sleep will also improve your wellness and help to create a soothing atmosphere to promote improved sleep, which in turn promotes improved health and lower stress levels.

Decorating your home in soothing, natural colors is another excellent way to promote relaxation in a peaceful setting. Earth tones, blues and greens are the most soothing and beneficial to your overall health and wellness and the most effective in lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress levels.

If your budget will not allow you to repaint your home, you can bring these healthy colors into your environment through throw pillows, rugs and artwork as well. This may be a more cost-effective way to begin to surround yourself with relaxing colors and to create an atmosphere or tranquility.

Round edges, as opposed to sharp corners and hard lines, are more naturally pleasing and should be incorporated into your décor whenever possible. Smooth, round edges improve the energy flow in your home and create a more harmonious environment for improved health and wellness.

And finally, bringing nature into your home in any way possible will have healthful, relaxing benefits for you and your entire family. Live plants, river rocks, bamboo and wood all make great accent pieces that are inexpensive and help to create a more natural living environment.