Concerned About the Health and Quality of your Living Environment?
- personal995
- Mar 5
- 4 min read
"The first wealth is health." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Turning Around Your Living Environment: A Framework for Health & Well-Being
Your environment shapes your health, well-being, and overall quality of life. Clean air, safe water, natural surroundings, and a supportive community all contribute to longevity and happiness. If you feel that your current living environment is lacking in any of these areas, it’s worth exploring how to improve it or whether a change is needed.
Below are 7 actionable steps for you to start now.
1. Assess Your Living Environment
Before making improvements, you need clarity on what’s helping or harming your well-being. Assess air quality, water purity, noise levels, natural light, and overall cleanliness. Identify sources of toxins, allergens, and stressors.
Action: Awareness & Audit
Walk through your home and audit potential health risks: mold, dust, VOCs (volatile organic compounds from furniture/paint), artificial lighting, excessive screen exposure, and clutter.
Use objective measures if possible—air quality monitors, water testing kits, and noise level apps.
Clean Living Environment: Self Review is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
2. On Clean Air
Indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air due to dust, mold, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and synthetic chemicals. Poor air quality affects focus, energy, and long-term health.
Action: Purify Your Indoor & Outdoor Breathing Space
Ventilation: Open windows daily, use air-purifying plants, and improve airflow.
Air Filtration: Use HEPA air purifiers, especially if living in a polluted area.
Reduce Toxic Load: Avoid synthetic air fresheners, candles, and harsh cleaning chemicals.
Detect Issues: Use an air quality monitor to check for CO2, VOCs, and humidity levels.
Clean Living Environment: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
3. On Clean Water
Water quality varies widely. Tap water often contains chlorine, heavy metals, and microplastics, while bottled water is wasteful and sometimes worse. Clean water is fundamental for health.
Action: Purify Your Water
Filter Drinking Water: Invest in a high-quality carbon or reverse osmosis filter.
Test Your Tap Water: Identify contaminants to choose the best filtration system.
Upgrade Shower & Bath Water: Use a shower filter to reduce chlorine and skin irritants.
Ditch Bottled Water: Store filtered water in glass or stainless steel, avoiding plastics.
Clean Living Environment: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
4. On Clean Soil & Land
The land around you—whether it’s your home, garden, or neighborhood—affects air, water, and food quality. Many areas have hidden pollutants in the soil, building materials, or nearby industries.
Action: Minimize Toxins in Your Surroundings
Test Your Soil: If you grow food or have kids playing outside, check for pesticides, heavy metals, and contaminants.
Avoid Harmful Materials: If renovating, choose non-toxic paints, furniture, and flooring (look for low-VOC or natural materials).
Reduce Pesticide & Chemical Exposure: Avoid chemical lawn treatments and choose organic fertilizers.
Be Aware of Nearby Risks: If living near highways, factories, or farms, understand potential air and water pollutants.
Clean Living Environment: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
5. On Clean Food
Even healthy foods can contain pesticides, heavy metals, and additives. Making small upgrades to food sourcing, storage, and preparation reduces exposure.
Action: Minimize Contaminants
Prioritize Organic for High-Risk Foods: Reduce pesticide intake by choosing organic for heavily sprayed produce (e.g., berries, leafy greens).
Upgrade Storage: Use glass or stainless steel over plastic to avoid leaching chemicals into food.
Cook on Safe Surfaces: Avoid non-stick and aluminum cookware—opt for cast iron, ceramic, or stainless steel.
Filter Water for Cooking: Many contaminants survive boiling—use purified water for both drinking and food prep.
Clean Living Environment: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
6. Enhance Indoor Environment with Nature & Minimalism
A cluttered, artificial space creates low-grade stress and reduces mental clarity. Bringing nature indoors and simplifying your space improves focus, creativity, and well-being.
Action: Optimise Your Environment
Introduce Biophilic Design: Add plants, natural wood, and stone materials to your living space. Prioritize views of nature where possible.
Declutter Ruthlessly: Remove excess belongings, digitize paper clutter, and keep only what adds value.
Create a ‘Calm Zone’: Designate a space for relaxation, reading, or deep thinking—free from distractions.
On The Interconnectedness of Life from Holism: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
On The Mental Energy Quadrant from Energy Management: Models & Theories is a useful guide.
The Workbook is a useful tool.
7. Continually Improve Your Environment with Your Goals & Energy Needs
Your living space should support your personal growth, focus, and well-being. Continually audit and design it intentionally to align with your values and daily routines.
Action: Continue to Progress
Self-reflection: Continue to observe and reflect on what is important to you, your core values and where you feel aligned or misaligned with your living environment.
Learn more: Clean Living Environment: Library for further reading.
Continue to progress: Continue on your Path;
Use Direction (Values, Goals & Action Plan) to keep momentum;
The Workbook to keep yourself on track;
Tactics for scenario handling;
and the Next Steps Assessment for guidance.
Enjoy your journey: and the meaning and purpose it provides you.
We'd love to hear about your progress, so please feel free to contact us if you would like to share your story with us.
All the best and take care of yourself and others.
Key Aspects to Reference
All steps are ultimately inter-related to each other to create your experience. However, these are those most closely related to this instance:
Clean Living Environment (Basics)
Energy Management (Health)
Holism (Fulfilment)
Useful Articles
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