Turn Unwell into Well

These days the term “wellness” is often synonymous to lifestyle and spa treatments but is should include designing wellness into the very fabric of our homes and work spaces.

Sick Building Syndrome was officially recognised by the World Health Organisation in 1986. With indoor air quality generally being five times more polluted than outdoor air, it’s kind of scary when you calculate we spend, on average, 90% percent of our lives indoors (and 56% of that at work).

Could your space be causing “unwellness”?  

Many treatment spaces lack good ventilation or even windows. Clients come in wearing shoes, shedding clothes, skin, hair and even emotion so it’s possible that your clinic space may be more physically and energetically sick than most.

Illnesses that could be linked to a sick home, office, spa or clinic include allergies, fatigue, asthma, hay fever and recurrent colds and flu.

How do you create a new wellness space?

In the best case scenario of building from scratch, you can create a building biology checklist that begins with choosing the best location and site and then creating a design that maximises natural ventilation and natural light.

In the case where you are renovating an existing space, see if there is a way to introduce or increase these natural elements into your new design.

Consider the wellness of our planet too by choosing sustainably sourced or recycled materials and bear in mind the effect of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that give off gasses and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

If a new build or major renovation are beyond the budget, there are other ways to improve the wellness of your space.

Air Purity: Invest in an air purifier or, cheaper still, green the space with house plants which balance humidity levels, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Dust & Mites: Avoid fabric curtains and minimise soft furnishings and fabrics as much as possible. When this can’t be avoided, go for natural fibres that can be washed regularly and dried in the sunshine. Use a damp cloth for cleaning surfaces and floors so the dust doesn’t fly up just to resettle elsewhere, and invest in a good vacuum cleaner with a Hepa filter.

Mould: Exposure to damp and mouldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, the most natural way to keep it in check is to clean with vinegar.

Water Filters: Ensure you are drinking pure water and, equally, serving pure water to your clients.

Electro Magnetic Frequencies exist wherever there is electricity, this can inhibit our ability to relax. Help to mitigate this by removing cordless phones and WiFi, as well as turning off power points that aren’t being used.

Cleaning: Minimise the use of harsh chemicals, use natural cleaning products as much as possible, it’s better for both us and the planet. Use essential oils instead of synthetic air fresheners and go eco with your detergents.

Temperature: In older buildings, that haven’t been designed with sustainability in mind, maintaining a fairly consistent comfortable building temperature can be a challenge. Whatever you decide on for heating and cooling, choose a system with a good energy efficiency rating and keep it well maintained to minimise health risks and running costs.

Candles: They look and smell lovely but can also be filling your space with carcinogenic chemicals. Buy good quality soy or beeswax candles or delete the fire risk entirely and use battery ones and use an essential oil vaporiser for aroma.

Smudging: Yes really! Science is slowly catching up to the spiritual, and studies show benefits ranging from reduced airborne bacteria, lower anxiety and stress, enhanced cognition and improved  sleep and mood.

These are just a few suggestions on how to bring wellness to your practice, I’m sure you can come up with more. By taking a “whole” approach to wellness we are demonstrating true care of our clients, ourselves and our planet.