3 steps to a healthier, happier home

(BPT) – Today, people are more focused on health and wellness than ever before. You know this because you are constantly flooded with advice on what to eat, how (and how much) to exercise, and what to ask your doctors.

All of these things are important but what about the vital role the home plays in your healthy lifestyle? As you prepare for another season of indoor living, it’s time to ask: how can I improve the functionality, efficiency and health of my home?

A healthy, safe and comfortable home is essential for those you love. When winter weather keeps you indoors, it’s even more important.

Tackle a few home-health tips now and your family and guests will be comfortable now and any time of year. Review and handle these must-do’s, happy home style, today!

* Adhere to a maintenance schedule. Your body requires continuous maintenance to be at its best; the same is true for your home. Simple tasks, done on schedule, can make your home a safer, more enjoyable place to live. Important items for your to-do list:

– Shut your exterior faucets off before the winter.

– Check the batteries in your smoke detectors each month.

– Clean your gutters.

– Test your sump pump each spring.

– Clean the coils under your refrigerator.

– Make sure your attic, bathroom and kitchen fans are in working order.

These maintenance tasks are easy to tackle. Once done, they will help reduce dirt on your floors and decrease any future mold risk.

* Clean up your air. Did you know indoor air can be five times dirtier than outdoor air? Did you know it can include respiratory irritants and common allergens like mold spores, fungus, pollen, mites and pet dander? Fortunately, these unappealing airborne invaders can be removed continuously by your home air filter. All you need to do is change the filter regularly, about every one to three months depending on your system. The problem – research shows up to 58 percent of us forget to do this regularly or simply don’t!

Canopy, a new subscription-based air filter service, addresses this clean air concern by providing its subscribers with the specific size and qualification air filter they need. These filters are provided on a specific schedule to save homeowners time, energy and money and to avoid a trip to a big box home care store. To learn more about how Canopy can help you improve the air quality in your home, visit canopyair.com.

* Make cleaning a family affair. A clean home is a happy, comfortable place everyone deserves but you don’t need to do it all by yourself. Encourage your entire family to work together instead. Children of all ages can help out with chores matched to their skill level. Set family rules that maximize home care and minimize cleaning chores. For example: no food outside of the kitchen, picking up towels and wiping down surfaces after a shower and removing shoes upon entering from outdoors. Your home is your sanctuary and it should feel that way all the time. Apply the tips above today, and your home will be a happier, healthier place in no time.

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Written and created by Mitchell Moffit (twitter @mitchellmoffit) and Gregory Brown (twitter @whalewatchmeplz).

Depression Resources:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/mental-health-information

http://www.who.int/mental_health/en/

http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/Pages/home.aspx

http://www.ementalhealth.ca/

Home

http://www.thejackproject.org/resources

Further reading—

Depression review:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/what-causes-depression.htm

Cell Communication:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23502536
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130318105329.htm

Role of serotonin:

Teen insomnia linked with depression, anxiety
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140730093516.htm

Physical fitness can help prevent young adolescents’ depression, study finds
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140807121448.htm

The Science of Depression