Air quality can gravely affect our health as well as our mental balance. Strong smells of toxic products, toxic waste, pollution from the outside, dust, dirt and some cooking products can be overbearing, creating (depending on your sensitivity) irritation, migraines and physical embalances. A sensorial invasion which can kick you off tack from work or even prevent you from just chilling at home.
We live within a culture of excessive information and pollution, be it visually, sound, mentally, socially and the list goes on. A lot of these excesses we may not have control of, because they come from outside sources, but we can diminish some, by being mindful of choices you may not have noticed, contribute to these pollutions. Air Quality is one of these choices.
HOW COME?
Oxygen is one of our systems basic needs to keep living. Anything that affects our most primordial physical needs will rock our mental stability, preventing the quality of our present focus and well being. Some of these needs are: Oxygen, hunger, bodily hygiene, shelter, human connection, to name a few. We can help with the oxygen part.
What can improper air quality cause?
The main concern of poor air quality is the fast spread of disease. We have seen first hand the consequences of this in the Pandemic, but even before then, poor air quality is a source of sickness and death, specially within industrial work spaces, and poor ventilation architecture planning. Over 10 million people die PER YEAR around the globe because of particular intoxication. It is a major workspace hazard and something most of the population overlooks while choosing how to clean and operate their homes.
4 things to consider:
1- VENTILATION
- Open your windows and allow cross ventilation!
- Make sure you have adequate ventilation systems
- Change your ventilation filter with frequency
- Use exhaust fans in the kitchen
- Use regular vans in the house
- Make sure to close the windows that face construction site’s or some other source of pollution (garbage cans, toxic waste, car pollutions, etc.)
2- SOCIAL HABITS
- Refrain from smoking. If you cannot, then at least, make it a point not to smoke inside your home or car.
- Refrain from strong perfumes.
- Refrain from toxic repellents or sunscreen.
3- CLEANING & PRODUCTS
- Choose VOC (Volatile organic compounds) free products. non-toxic GREEN based cleaning products are the go to. You can also make them yourself quite easily with home products such as lemon, vinegar, baking soda, to name a few.
- In the case of a home renovation, make sure to leave the entire house or the room that is being renovated. Especially if it has fresh painted walls.
4- PESTS & MICROBIAL GROWTH
Always keep an eye out for mold, microbial growth and pests, such as rats, cockroaches, bedbugs and termites. This are serious indicators of disease, even fatal ones. For all cases you must immediately seek professional help. Depending on the scale, leave your home at once, while the infestation is being handled by a professional.
.