Good indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important component of a healthy indoor environment. We spend 90% of our time in enclosed spaces and in the most recent global burden of disease study, household air pollution was rated as the third most important cause of ill health for the world’s population.

The results of poor indoor air can have both immediate and long -term effects on our overall health. According to the EPA, these effects can be triggered and experienced after a single exposure or after repeated exposures to an irritant or pollutant.

 Symptoms of exposure can include:

• Dryness and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath.
• Hypersensitivity and allergies
• Sinus congestion
• Coughing and sneezing.
• Dizziness

Common diseases like allergies or asthma can be exacerbated with exposure as well. The challenge is that poor indoor air quality can be hard to detect because the inside of our home is full of invisible pollutants because they’re all confined to one space. The dust on our shelves, mold infestation, combustion from fireplaces, low humidity, the dirt on the floor, the residue from the cleaning products we use- all of these things can impact the quality our health. In addition, the symptoms of exposure can be subtle and do not always produce easily recognized impacts on our health and well-being. By focusing on cleaning up our indoor air quality, we can bring more balance and awareness to the intimate spaces related to the Surroundings Dimension of the Soul Care Wheel.

Here’s what you can do support your surroundings: 

1. Filter The Air- Dust, particles and pet dander can all contribute to lung irritation and breathing problems. Invest in an air purifier with a HEPA filter to help filter the indoor air.

2. Clean Green- Choose cleaning products that are made with the least amount of toxic chemicals. Look for eco-friendly versions or consider making your own DIY versions with lemon, lavender and tea tree essential oils, vinegar and distilled water. (Use distilled water only because it doesn’t contain any additional minerals) If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you can easily substitute it with vodka or alcohol.

3. Use a Diffuser- Diffusing essential oils like Purification in your airspace is a great way to create ambiance and purify the air at the same time. Essential oils do more than just make the room smell good, certain oils can also help to kill off airborne viruses and bacteria. Lavender oil is anti-bacterial and calming effect, lemon oil is purifying and uplifting , and eucalyptus oil is antimicrobial and has an energizing effect on our surroundings.

4. A Clean House is a Healthy House- Dust shelves, vacuum carpet and mop floors on a regular basis. This means three or more times a week. This can dramatically reduce the amount of indoor pollution you are breathing in. Don't forget to clear out the clutter because clutter can hold on to dust. 

5. Moisturize the Air- Invest in a humidifier. A humidifier will can immediately help to improve the quality of the air by adding additional moisture the environment. Moisture in the air will help with dry skin, dry cough, and congestion. Always use distilled water in the humidifier, change the water daily and clean the filters on a regular basis to avoid mold contamination.

6. Change your AC filter every three months and make sure it’s a HEPA filter. 

7. Light Up With A Salt Lamp- Himalayan pink salt lamps help clean the air through an operation called hygroscopy, which attracts and absorbs contaminated water molecules from the immediate environment and locks them into the salt crystal. The process has the amazing ability to remove cigarette smoke, dust and other contaminants from the air.

      The air that we breathe is our life support system. If we take care to maintain it and care for our air, our air will care for us.