2023-07-18 07:32:33
Now more than ever we are aware of the importance of the home in well-being. One of the effects of the pandemic was, precisely, making us spend more time indoors, with all that this entails, positive but also negative. At a time when the mental health debate is very lively, we are beginning to understand how our surroundings can affect our state of mind and, ultimately, our well-being. The place where we rest, do daily life and take refuge from noise should be a place of comfort and security, although sometimes it is not so much.
This awareness of the role of the home itself in the quality of life is reflected in the Life at Home study, carried out by IKEA in 2021. In it, 86% of those surveyed affirm that it is important for them to have a sense of control over the space where they live, while 76% acknowledge that home is the place where they feel most in control of their lives. Helping the house to be that space of calm and stillness is the purpose of IKEA and the podcast series Tomorrow I start, made in collaboration with Podium Podcast.
Linked to the concept of wellbeing, or well-being, this series of podcasts analyzes different aspects of life at home, offering guidelines that can improve daily life through small but significant changes. Feeling that one’s life is under control is one of the premises that can be followed to get the mind to rest and, with it, the body.
Sleeping better is living better
It is one of the keys not only to well-being, but to a healthier and more lasting life. Last year, research from Stanford University directly linked sleep quality to life expectancy, as well as a lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease or mental health disorders. Through the psychiatrist Miguel Ángel González, the podcast Mañana empiezo analyzes the most frequent reasons that disturb sleep and possible ways to remedy it.
In addition to mitigating other external factors, such as stress or the abuse of electronic devices, creating a welcoming and suitable environment for rest can also influence the quality of our rest. Light, for example, regulates our biorhythms. Choosing adequate lighting, soft and dim, helps us prepare our body for rest.
Organize to simplify
Chaos calls for chaos, and a lack of organization at home can lead to tensions and discussions that, in the long run, seriously affect our emotional state. Several of the podcasts in the series address this point from different perspectives. One of them is to opt for minimalism at home, eliminate all those superfluous objects and resist consumer impulses. Focusing on those things that are really necessary can help us achieve a beneficial mental balance.
Another way to find an organization that contributes to well-being is to adapt the spaces to the needs. Separating the place where some activities are carried out from others, reserving rooms for rest or sleep, distinguishing them from work areas, provides a sense of control that has beneficial effects on a day-to-day basis.
Eating well is a matter of order
Cooking and eating are basic activities in any home that also have an effect on mood and health. Getting used to following a healthy diet has clear benefits that, many times, is impeded if an organization is not followed. Especially in the cases of families with small children, following some dietary guidelines is key to a healthy environment at home. In one of the chapters of Tomorrow I start, the pediatrician Carolina Imedio addresses this issue with recommendations when it comes to managing possible conflicts at the table, to achieve a more relaxed and leisurely atmosphere in eating habits.
In the same way, having a series of utensils that help to cook in a healthy way, as well as an organization in the kitchen that better preserves food, helps to achieve those habits. Making the best use of the resources at our disposal is another of the points touched on in the podcast.
Take time for yourself
In a time of hectic pace, another of the aspects that help us put the brakes down that can lead us to restlessness is taking time for oneself. The so-called emotional well-being also involves incorporating routines such as skin care or physical exercise, activities that can often be done at home. The dermatologist Paloma Borregón talks in the podcast about how caring for our skin can help us find balance, while the personal trainer and director of the SER Saludable program, from Cadena SER, offers her advice when it comes to taking these practices to the field domestic.
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