How much do you know about your home’s indoor climate? Did you know that the air we breathe is just as important as the food we eat or the water we drink? Or that an average adult breathes about 15,000 litres of air every day?

By changing our habits and embracing a few accessible tools, we can significantly improve the quality of the air we breathe in at home. This, in turn, will help us feel both healthier and more productive.  

Steam from cooking, wet laundry, candles, cleaning products and dust are some of the common causes of bad air at home. Start by cleaning regularly, choosing natural cleaning products and airing out your space a few times a day for at least 10 minutes. Whether you have vertical windows or roof windows – opening more windows at the same time will ensure the amount of bad air leaving and fresh air coming into your home is maximised.  

Adding these tips to your daily routine can benefit your body by ensuring good amounts of fresh air but adding cooler, fresh air in your bedroom at night will also help to ensure that you are well-rested for a new home work-day! 

INVITE DAYLIGHT

Alongside fresh air, daylight is essential to our wellbeing and has positive effects on our sleep, mood and learning ability. Stable levels of daylight exposure during the day improve our 24-hour circadian, or bodily rhythm, vital for our bodies to feel balanced.  

The availability of natural light varies for different locations due to different sun paths, weather condition and seasons. Put simply, the higher the sun, the greater amount of light reaching the ground. During spring and summer, we are often lucky to have greater access to sun and natural light. 

Arranging your home office area to make it as bright as possible can help the hours you spend in the space feel more pleasant. Moving your desk closer to a window will give you better access to both fresh air and natural light. In addition, choosing light-colored interior elements will maximise the feeling of daylight around you. 

Finally, taking a walk outside will give you a boost with lots of natural light and fresh air. Treat yourself with a short work break and enjoy the outside, if conditions allow.