This is a guest post written by Jennifer Brown Banks.
Home
It’s a small word with great impact.
It’s where we “shelter” our hopes, fears and dreams. Where we cultivate cherished memories.
Ground zero. A place where we can be ourselves and seek refuge from the hustle and bustle and demands of the outside world.
So integral to the quality of life, in fact, that it’s called “The American Dream.”
But unfortunately for some it’s a mere pit stop between grueling hours at work and traveling from coast to coast. They don’t enjoy it.
Such is the case with a friend of mine who recently shared with me how she travels often to escape an environment that she finds depressing and overwhelming. The stress of not attending to required maintenance and upkeep, has unfortunately caused her to have greater expenses, greater grief and a sense of being burdened and trapped. Perhaps it’s even you.
But, in an economy where millions of folks have been devastated by the reality of foreclosure, let me state for the record that I feel blessed to be in mine.
In fact no matter where you hang your hat, whether it looks like a palace or a shack, here’s why it should still be a blessing, and how it affects your overall health.
- Other than work, it’s where most of us spend the most of our time. With this being the case, it has great impact on how our days are shaped and how we rejuvenate ourselves at night.
- It’s where kids are given a sense of security and where we enjoy family pleasures and form bonds.
- It’s equity in the future, and has the ability to impact our “financial health”.
- It’s where we rule and where we make the rules!
Now that you know the WHYS, here are some HOWS of how to make your home your haven and experience optimal health .
- Surround it with things you love and things that resonate with your spirit. For me that means soft, earth tone colors, photos of love ones and friends, scented candles, a vast selection of music, my crystal collection, and more books than I can count. How about you?
- If you are blessed to live with others, make it a place of warmth and peace, with kind words, warm hugs, and laughter.
- Keep it uncluttered. Doing so will allow you more time to relax and less stuff to feel stressed about.
- Bring a touch of nature indoors! Plants are such a pleasure to have. I discovered this a few years ago. Before then I had convinced myself that I didn’t have a “green thumb”. Not true. 🙂 What I’ve found is that sometimes you have to experiment with different types of plants and different placement, but stay the course. They look great, help to give better air quality, and add warmth to the environment. After a little trial and error, I now have a lovely botanical garden in my upstairs powder room where Calgon often “takes me away”.
- Take care of your castle and it will take care of you.
Instead of traveling to foreign lands to find beauty and pleasure, try having a
Stay-cation at home, with a minor mental adjustment and efforts to beautify and grace your own space!
About Author: Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, relationship columnist and pro blogger. You can view more of her work at Technorati and Pen and Prosper.
There is no place like home, the only place which can be most relaxing and peaceful is home. When buying a house we think only of monetary investment but a home can give us so much. Its not just a place to eat and sleep but a home is where we feel secure, comfortable and happy. All I want at the end of the day is to be home, relax and be peaceful.
I totally agree on the gardening aspect, one should have a few good leafy plants in the house. I find a lot of peace when am working on those plants or watch them grow. My favorite is the money plant which grows quickly and covers the walls. Here is a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrlUcs4KvX8
I was away for the last month or so, which proved a bit fatal to few of my plants, a lot of those leaves of the money plant also died during that period. That is the only problem with growing plants in our homes.
I like this post very much, i believe in making a peaceful and happy atmosphere at home. I like the uncluttered point as well, the more simple your space and the more free space you got, the easy and comfortable you will feel.
Uttora Sen,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful input. I didn’t realize how lovely plants could be in the home and how gratifying growing and tending to them could be until about 5 years ago. Before then I had convinced myself that I didn’t have a green thumb. 🙂 But, so glad I got over it. Thanks for sharing the info on the Money Tree. Funny, I just saw an ad in the local paper where they were on sale. I’ve never had one. Now, maybe I’ll try it.
Hi Susan,
Good to hear from you. Gotta’ love our books and nooks, right? Thanks for joining in.
And thank you, Karen for your time and feedback.
This is so true. Our home, whether rented or owned, is a haven of some kind. Striving to make it the best kind is worth it. Thanks so much for this reminder! Thanks also to both of you for sharing this. 🙂
Out with gout,
This is so true. Thanks for your input.
Dia,
Well stated. I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
This is a very nice post! Home is indeed where health is. To surround our home with things we love is crucial. This tends to bring peace of mind to the individual. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Henway,
I’m with you on that! Thanks for adding to the
mix. 🙂
These days, I definitely care a lot about how my home looks. No matter how stressful my job is, I just want to come home to someplace relaxing, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.
Thanks, Mitch. Here’s a relevant quote I read some time ago, “A small house holds just as much joy as a big one. ” Either way, it is indeed a blessing. 🙂
This was a very nice post, and it’s one I should share with my wife. I never wanted a home, always being content with living in apartments. Now we have a house my wife isn’t always crazy about and I want an even bigger, albeit nicer house. The thing about maintenance is definitely true, but to me the benefits still outweigh the negatives.
The declutter thing; yup, always working on that one. Great guest post.
Hi Jennifer, you post really hit home. I’m the kind of person who is very domesticated. I just love doing home chores like cooking, sewing, rearranging, not to mention eating and sleeping 😀 and of course maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a healthy relationship.
Anne,
Glad this post resonated with you and other readers. I enjoyed sharing it.
Hi Evelyn,
You’re more than welcome! I have always been a “home body” and I think that now and days when so much is going on in the world, and with our frantic pace, many are rediscovering its simple pleasures. 🙂
I have to echoe Sharman’s sentiments above–“you have to create” the haven you desire.
Are you keeping it healthy at home? @jenpens2 tells us, Home is Where the Health Is http://t.co/sL4JWNj
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for bringing it home! 🙂
I absolutely enjoy being at home. It’s where I’m most comfortable and secure. I use to be out and about, but after so much of that, I’ve realized that home is truly where health and heart is.
Take care,
Evelyn
Hi Sharman,
Mine is too. 🙂 Thanks so much for your thoughtful input. Take care.
Very truthful and thoughtful writing!
Many people make their home a prison or dungeon. You’re right; taking the time to make a house a “home” can bring peace to the mind, body, and soul, in spite the “storms” outside of the four-walls. I love being at home, working from home, and making my home my castle. A person’s home really should be their refuge and place of escape, but they must make it that way
Bryan,
As we say, “Can the church say Amen?!” 🙂
Thanks for your compliment and your valuable input.
Jennifer, you knocked it out of the park again, my friend. Good to see you! We are so blessed to have a place to lay our heads. I work with real estate agents and can tell you, foreclosures are becoming more and more rampant each day. Thank you for the reminder to not take anything for granted. To be grateful for what we have!
Grace and peace to you, my friend.
Home is Where the Health Is http://t.co/jmod95K via @evelyn_parham
Dandy,
I can relate. 😉 Spending time with a special man can definitely add warmth to our spiritual and physical dwelling. And nothing quite beats serenity. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jennifer & Evelyn,
This is a lovely post. Home comforts are needed to sooth us. For years I lived alone and it had its pros and cons. The past 2 years I’ve been living with my partner. It’s been so nice hearing him tinker around in the kitchen in the morning, smelling the coffee he brews. I like hearing my puppy snore in the middle of the night. We have a great home and it isn’t about the location or the furniture. Yeah, I’ve been told my curtains look like old dishtowels:) But it’s quiet and peacefull – two important ingredients for good health! Thanks Ladies!
Home is Where the Health Is:
This is a guest post written by Jennifer Brown Banks. Interested in making a gues… http://bit.ly/hYzDRV