A Cozy Home for Health and Wellbeing in Winter

The home is at the heart of wellbeing in winter and contributes directly to your health. A house needs to be safe and warm. But also much more than that to help you through the wind, rain, and darker days, literally and figuratively. So, how do you go about making your home somewhere that balances your personal life and mental clarity? There are a few tricks you can try, from mastering warmth to Hygge Living and indulging your senses in various ways.

Find Your Warmth Sweet Spot

In winter, a home needs to be warm. We can all agree on that. But believe it or not, a home can be too warm, and finding the sweet spot is one of the critical ways of balancing your environment. It doesn’t help to turn the heating up to 11 as this will waste energy and can damage your system to the point of needing professional heater repair services such as Central Oregon Heating Cooling & Plumbing. Use a thermostat to keep your ideal temperature.

Don’t Forget to Ventilate

Heating is an essential part of winter life at home. But there also needs to be a good balance between warmth and ventilation. Ventilation is vital in winter, even more than in summer, because you generally try to keep the heat inside. Here are a few reasons why:

• Ventilation helps keep moisture levels low in winter to prevent mold from growing.
• With the cold, you may keep windows closed, resulting in more air contaminants.
• Insulation works efficiently in well-ventilated homes for more warmth and lower bills.
• Fresh air will help with everyday issues in winter, such as breathing when you’re stuffy.

Mold and damp are two of the most destructive things a home can have. They can damage your home’s structure. But they will also cause a myriad of health issues. Opening the windows for a few minutes throughout the day will be enough to get the air flowing and keep them at bay.

Plants Boost Wellbeing in Winter

Health and wellbeing are essential in winter because of the increase in everyday issues like colds and flu. In the US alone, around 1 billion people get a cold each year. There are many reasons for this, such as mingling at work. Poor air can also contribute to cold and flu at home. In 1989, a NASA study found that houseplants can help make the air better at home. Plants breathe in harmful toxins from the air around your home and expel fresh, clean air with oxygen.

Get Creative with Lighting

Winter is a great time to play around with lighting because the days are shorter, and we get more darkness. This gives us a great opportunity to play around with lighting in the home and get more creative than usual. Layered lighting is an option for using multiple sources of light to accent a room. This involves a mixture of a single point of light accented with multiple dimmer light sources, such as ceiling light and table lamps or smart-controlled LED lighting solutions.

Soften Up Your Surroundings

One of the easiest ways of feeling better while at home is to make it cozier than usual. And nothing makes a cozy living space quite like soft fabrics and materials. In the living space, for example, accent your couch with soft throws and cushions. And the same is true of the bedroom. Using throws, blankets, and pillows, you can make a cozier space for relaxing and spending time with loved ones. Even if it is just to lie down and watch Netflix for a few hours.

Organize and Declutter Your Space

We experience more anxiety, stress, and mental health impacts when we surround ourselves with meaningless items and objects. Otherwise known as clutter. Clutter takes up space in rooms and gathers dust. This is vital when considering health. We need space at home to feel free and enlightened. And more dust on objects in the house contributes to health conditions and lower air quality. A winter decluttering spree can be what you need to organize the home.

Embrace Hygge Living

Hygge? What the heck is that? Hygge is a way of living calmly and in a relaxing way, as the Danes do. In a nutshell, it helps to maintain a balanced way of living where your home becomes what it really should be; your sanctuary. It’s a complex concept, but you can try these first:

• Decorate the home using natural materials such as wood wherever possible.
• Use softer and warmer lighting tones that mimic the feeling of natural fire and candles.
• Make a plan for doing cozy activities with loved ones, such as a movie by the fireplace.
• Hang artwork inspired by nature, such as paintings of plants or waterfalls.
• Think about how you can make the space you use more inviting and comfortable.
• Cook seasonal winter dishes with homemade foods such as warming breads.
• Try to socialize and invite people to share the warm and cozy space you have made.

Hygge tries to incorporate nature as much as possible in the home. Natural materials and décor will help relax the mind and can lower your heartbeat. Wooden furniture, indoor plants, and even slate coasters on the coffee table are good examples. Think natural and cozy, and you’ve got it.

Make a Cozy Space for Yourself

Further to cozy, it may not be possible to go over the entire home or adopt the Hygge approach. When this is the case, it is vital that you have at least one space you can retreat to that makes you feel like you are at peace when home. For most people, this is the living room. But this can be a disaster if you have a family or share a home. Other popular options include making your bedroom warm and inviting, sprucing up the home office, or making a comfy reading nook.

Accent with Seasonal Décor

Nature always provides, and the home is no different. Seasonal décor is around us in summer, spring, autumn and winter. Seasonal pieces will elevate the feeling of the season itself and bring you a little closer to nature, enhancing health, wellbeing, and coziness. Pinecones, acorns, and leaves are a great addition to a table’s centerpiece. You can also get crafty and make these into artwork, such as pressed leaves. Seasonal fruit provides nutrients while also looking great.

Get Into Soothing Tea

A nice warm beverage can be just what you need after a long day. And winter is probably the best time for indulging in hot drinks. There’s coffee, of course, which can be soothing when done correctly. But the king of soothing is tea. There are so many varieties of tea to choose from that it can become a genuine hobby. Green tea, chai, and ginger tea are all popular winter drinks. They taste great, but most teas are also bursting with antioxidants for feeling better, too.

Wellbeing in Winter is Helped by Vitamin D

The shorter days mean we get less sunlight in winter. This can lead to some severe health and wellbeing issues, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder and even vitamin D deficiency. Too little Vitamin D is actually believed to be a cause of SAD, and around 1 billion people globally are Vitamin D deficient. The reason is that most of our Vitamin D comes from the sunlight. And in winter we also stay inside more. It helps to get 15 minutes of sun per day or take supplements.

Indulge the Senses

A home should be a sensual place where you have no trouble relaxing. There are, of course, many reasons why you may not be able to. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It is easy and cheap to indulge your senses at home, and you can begin by trying some of these:

• Add candles with natural woody scents around your home.
• Play relaxing or sensual music to keep your mood calm.
• Listen to the sounds of nature when taking a steaming bath.
• Pamper yourself with home massage devices and foot spas.

The aroma alone can invoke many different feelings and even boost nostalgia since smell is linked to memory. But of course, some relaxing music is a quick and easy fix when relaxing at home or even taking a bath. You can enhance the overall experience with home spa equipment.

Try Some Cozy Video Games

Video games may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to health and wellbeing. However, there is data to suggest that video games are good for the brain, including focus and memory. But some games are also very relaxing. Cozy games like Animal Crossing, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and, of course, The Sims are very popular. Games provide escapism when you need to relax. And there are even dedicated VR games for relaxation and meditation.

Summary

Warming and ventilating the home are two of the key ways of looking after your personal health and wellbeing in winter. A cozy home is also vital, and you can do this with Hygge living, candles, and lighting. Yet you could also try some relaxing video games as an escape.