If you were to think back over the last year — and January of 2024 may feel like ages ago — do you have a general feeling about how it went in terms of your health and wellness?
For me when I start to think back on the last year, I see that there are changes that were made, some stuck and some didn’t. Often I start to see a recurring theme or word that keeps coming up when I look back and reflect.
In past years the word has been “consistency” more than once. Some years it was “fresh starts” and other years it was “unfinished projects”.
Whatever your word or theme is this last year, it’s a good place to start when looking towards the year ahead.
Sometimes we don’t like the themes of the previous year and we want to change. And sometimes we love how the previous year played out and we want more of it in the coming year. And more often than not, it’s a combination of both of those things.
I encourage you to look back on your health and wellness journey last year and see how you used your house in positive ways and how you could do more of that this year as we plan ahead.
WHY RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST TIME FOR GOAL SETTING
January is an opportunity for new in so many aspects. Many of us start the new year with ideas in mind for a big 2025. And while yes, some things fall off as the year goes on, the more momentum you have starting out, the more likely that MOST of the goals you’re implementing or striving for will stick.
Take advantage of those feelings. Wanting to make a change to benefit your health and home is a huge step in the right direction. Creating a plan and working on goal setting more methodically will help you stay consistent and stay on the right track throughout the year.
The trick is to create habits through consistency for the small day to day changes that need to be made. And then plan ahead in super small, tangible tasks for the bigger areas that you have planned out for 2025.
INCLUDE YOUR HEALTHY HOUSE IN YOUR HEALTH GOALS
A healthy house is a low toxin sanctuary that benefits your body in multiple ways. The proof is there and
Reduced Inflammation: Reducing the level of VOCs inside your home has been shown to lower respiratory and inflammation markers. This can be achieved by increasing ventilation inside your space and reducing items in your home that contain VOCs. (STUDY)
And keeping your space clear of mold and reducing humidity levels also shows that the benefit is reduced systemic inflammation inside the body. (STUDY)
Balanced Hormones: Even low levels of exposure to toxins like PCBs, bisphenols and phthalates can have subtle but cumulative effects over time (STUDY). The other thing to consider is that exposure during sensitive life stages like pregnancy or early childhood can have profound long term health consequences (STUDY)
By removing endocrine disruptors from our environment, our body has a chance to naturally balance hormones and reduce the risk of developmental issues, reproductive challenges and even reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Clear Headed & Decreased Brain Fog: Using your home to support your brain health is a huge opportunity we have. Incorporating natural elements such as indoor plants, natural light and wooden materials, the brain can be supported by improving attention and cognitive abilities as well as contributing to psychological restorativeness and overall brain function (STUDY)
VOCs in the indoor environment as well as microplastics and pesticides contribute to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. These processes are associated with cognitive decline, mood disorders and increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. By removing these toxins from your space, you can very quickly start to create an environment that supports brain health and function. (STUDY)
Better Sleep: If your goal setting for 2025 includes sleeping better, then certainly take a look at your home environment. A study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found a significant association between VOC exposure and sleep disturbances, including short sleep duration and trouble sleeping. (STUDY)
Another body of research has linked mold exposure to increased risks of insomnia and sleep apnea. Mold-related toxins can irritate the respiratory system and trigger allergic reactions, both of which interfere with restful sleep. (STUDY)
Natural Liver Detoxification: The liver definitely works overtime the more you’re exposed to environmental toxins. A study from 2021 shows that by reducing the toxins inside your environment and home, you can also reduce the risk for liver disease. The liver can naturally detoxify more and more from the body without being overworked when it is surrounded by an environment that protects the body rather than burdens it down (STUDY)
CHOOSE WHICH ASPECTS OF YOUR HEALTHY HOUSE ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU
When you start looking the list above and considering what you plan to add to your goal setting for 2025, it’s important to take into consideration what is the MOST important to you and your health and wellness.
For you the goal may be all about healing. Or it may be more about preventing disease and illness. Or maybe it’s more about feeling good and supporting your body. Whatever aspect you take with your goal setting, take a moment to think about what is truly important to you in regards to your health.
You could also think about this in another way too. You could consider what area of your house you want to focus on.
Many of us spend the majority of a 24 hour period inside our bedrooms. This may be a space that you want to consider getting under control in 2025. Or maybe your goal setting will prompt you to focus on your kitchen and really getting a handle on the items and products you have and use every day.
Other things to consider in your goal setting might be really taking charge of your maintenance or tackling a big project in 2025.
Whatever the area is (or maybe it’s areas), you have to come up with a bite size way to improve that space a little bit at a time. I challenge you to break it down into the most miniscule tasks and spread them out over a period of time to ensure you get them all done and you don’t feel overwhelmed.
ASSESS YOUR BUDGET
One of the mistakes I see families make all too often is that they don’t do anything in their home because they think any change has to be expensive.
I completely get this line of thinking. So much of what we see online and from experts is all about building a brand new house or gutting an old house. And while these can be EXCEPTIONAL ways to create a healthy house, it’s not the only way.
I wish more people knew that you can make your current home a healthy house with a little goal setting and work putting things in place. I wish they knew that it isn’t always about moving or remodeling. Sometimes, you can improve your space drastically with small changes while planning ahead for big ones.
That being said, each major change you make will come with some sort of price tag — big or small. And that’s where goal setting and budgeting come together.
You have to assess what you’re willing or able to spend on any item or project in your home. Start planning one of your projects or changes out and then research just what it will take financially.
Once you know how to work it into your budget, it becomes easier to either execute the plan or stay in the planning mode for longer.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER FOR A MASTER GOAL SETTING LIST TO TAKE YOU THROUGH 2025
Once you’ve gone through all these areas, it’s time to put it all together for master goal setting and a healthy house blueprint plan.
First off, revisit the ways you want to make 2025 different from 2024. Write down a few things that came to mind. It could be being more consistent with changing HVAC filters, or it could be being more diligent about the products you bring in for cleaning.
Second, think back on the things from 2024 that you want to keep going with in 2025. It could be an unfinished project, or it could be sticking with your schedule to remove as much dust as possible from your home.
Create a list of things that you plan to do this year in terms of habits.
Next, think about those areas that were really important to you. Whether it’s an area of your home or a particular aspect of your health. Choose and rank these areas in order of importance.
Finally, budget these areas out and readjust the order. You want to start with the areas that align with your budget first and foremost and continue to plan for the ones that are outside your current budget.
LET’S PLAN TOGETHER
Coming up in January, I’ll be teaching three classes all about creating your own healthy house and the steps you need to take to successfully plan it out. One of the biggest mistakes I see families making is over-complicating the whole process of reducing toxins in their space. They either over research, or get bogged down with all the information out there.
With an overwhelming amount of information out there on what toxins to reduce inside your home, many people start to get analysis paralysis. They spend more time thinking about the toxins in their space and what route they should take rather than taking action.
One thing I know for sure, and one thing I teach all of my families: imperfect action and small action is better than no action at all.
In other words, even making small changes, or imperfect changes that might be temporary are better than letting your space be filled with unnecessary toxins.
And while you might think you’ve got a pretty good handle on getting toxins out of your house, I promise that you will learn new things, new methods and get bigger ideas on how to simply and cost effectively create a healthier living space for you and your family.
