We lead such busy lives, juggling work, family, friends and the constant demands of mobile phones and social media. Searching out self-help, I stumbled upon an article in the Guardian some years ago in association with Headspace, “How To Meditate in Ten Easy Steps”. It can help to take ten minutes out for yourself each day to promote one’s own simple path to wellness.

There are many small shifts we can make in our day to day lives to enable wellness and a healthier lifestyle for ourselves, our families and for the planet. Another article I came across that had an influence on me is, “My clean green epiphany”, by Michelle Ogundehin, featured in the ft.com. Here Michelle waxes lyrical about her love of cleaning and lists eight ‘hero’ products for green cleaning, to reduce the environmental impact of detergents and household cleaning agents and to offer green alternatives to lower water pollution, chemical waste and toxicity in the home.

If you are updating your home, consider installing solar panels and alternatives to gas heating, including electric or biomass boilers or air or ground source heat pumps for wellness in the planet. Air purifiers to cut down on allergens and viruses and dehumidifiers to prevent mould in environments where there is poor air circulation can help to purify the air we breathe. Consider installing an electric car charging point, if you are doing electrical work, whether you have an electric car or not, as you may well have one in future.

Discover 10 tips to pave a simple path to a healthy home and wellness for ourselves, our families, and for the planet:

1. Improve Air Quality

Air purifying plants can remove toxins in the home such as benzene and formaldehyde emitted by some household products and modern furnishings. Plants can improve air quality, raise our oxygen level and reduce airborne dust. NASA’s Clean Air Study lists Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement.

2. Offset Carbon

Alternative Flooring have committed to a Product, People, Planet pledge with Ecologi a climate crisis proactive organisation that supports tree planting and carbon reduction. Some of the plant fibre materials Alternative use in their flooring, such as sisal harvested in Madagascar, is in support of Ecologi’s projects, which include reforestation in Mozambique, planting in Boswas, Nicaragua and mangrove planting in Madagascar. Alternative have, to date, participated in planting 4695 trees, resulting in 227.82 tonnes of carbon offset.

3. Shop Antiques & Vintage

Vintage design is sustainable design and has never been more popular. Anna Unwin offers a curated collection of antique, mid-century and vintage pieces chosen for design excellence as well as individuality. The AU inventory features only items that have been loved and valued previously, that have a history which has withstood the test of time and many items are rare and even unique. Anna Unwin, an interiors stylist who assembles the collection, ascribes great value to an object’s environmental and ethical credentials as well as to its quality and appeal. The collection includes furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories, many of which are hand-crafted and passed down through generations.

4. Swap Single Use For Reusable Products

Borough Kitchen’s guide to eco-friendly tools swaps some single use kitchen products for reusable items that promote wellness in the home and on the earth. Included are reusable storage containers, bags, flexible lids, straws, baking cups, piping bags, tea infusers and teapots, bottles and coffee presses amongst a selection of highly covetable kitchen pots, pans, knives, utensils and tableware.

5. Choose Linen

Chalk Pink Linen Company are specialists in natural linen, one of the oldest textiles recorded, 30% stronger than cotton, incredibly durable, resilient to wear and exceptionally eco-friendly, as it is produced from the flax plant which requires very little water to propagate. Linen is naturally hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial. It becomes softer and more beautiful with age. Chalk Pink’s range of linen bedding bundles and separates, bed throws, cushion covers and table linen adds a level of eco-luxury to your home.

6. Reduce Waste

The Haines Collection provides a solution to environmental challenges facing the interiors industry by pioneering a platform for the resale of designer fabrics, handmade cushions and trims that may have been headed for landfill – all at hugely discounted prices.

7. Source Responsibly

Hypnos, makers of some of the finest mattresses, work with internationally recognised partners like Red Tractor to ensure all the materials they use are responsibly sourced and traceable. Hypnos is also involved with climate initiatives which include planting trees in the UK and in the Amazon and providing clean water in Uganda amongst other projects protecting natural resources and involving carbon off-set programmes.

8. Opt For Salvage And Reclaimed 

Maitland & Poate established a business which grew out of a passion for tiles, specialising in reclaimed, handmade encaustic tiles from Andalucia sourced from ancient farmhouses and haciendas throughout Spain, Belgium and France. Originally dating from the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th century, tiles are carefully salvaged and painstakingly cleaned by hand.

9. Select Non-Toxic Products

Edward Bulmer Natural Paint is made excluding the plastics and microplastics in many modern paints and using instead plant-based binders and natural earth and mineral pigments rather than chemical dyes. Edward is an experienced interior designer renowned for restoring historic properties and a ‘colour expert’ who creates the beautiful colours in the range.

10. Use Timber From Managed Forests

At Natural Bed Company all wooden beds are made using timber purchased from sustainable sources, with pine from Scandinavia and hardwoods (ash, oak, maple, cherry, walnut and beech) from the USA or Northern Europe. Buying timber from managed sources ensures that new trees are cultivated and the cycle of planting, growth and harvest is perpetuated. They never use endangered hardwoods nor wood from parts of the world without regard for the sustainability of the environment or the future of the planet.

Toto pioneered the self-cleaning toilet, where the bowl is sprayed down before and after use. They also developed the touchless, warm water washlet®, the modern bidet. This innovative company is now working on the concept for a Wellness Toilet which scans your body when you sit down on it, analyses your skin and waste and supplies health and diet recommendations through an app. We can look forward to this as an aid to wellness in the future, but until then, develop healthy new habits such as healthy eating; be conscious of consuming the right nutrients. Cook from scratch and practise mindful eating. Consider probiotics for the gut. Cultivate good sleep habits and daily behaviours, limit screen time. Go for a walk twice a day. Look after your teeth. Buy supplements from reputable sources to promote wellbeing, good health and personal wellness, including the health of your skin, hair and nails. Implement small changes in your lifestyle to fight climate change. Make intelligent choices to follow a simple path to wellness.

Business owners looking for guidance and inspiration about becoming a more sustainable organisation, visit our partners, Positive Luxury on Instagram: @PositiveLuxury. Positive Luxury has been helping organisations adapt to the new climate economy with a mission to shape a sustainable future for luxury.

Click here to read more inspiring and informative blog posts from our members. 

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