Many studies show that stress is the leading contributor to many illnesses and diseases. Stress related diseases include high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, depression and anxiety, chronic headaches, and asthma. It is easy to overlook the daily contributors of stress in our lives. They can come from any aspect of our lives, such as financial, emotional, environmental, or even simply poor time management. We ignore them because we become accustomed to many of these stress factors. They are as simple as line ups when we are pressed for time, heavy traffic, and not having easy access to certain amenities which adds more travel time in our already busy schedules.
Studies have shown that reducing our stress load and leading active lifestyles can reverse harmful effects of stress. Although eliminating stress completely out of lives is not necessarily feasible (or desired for those who need that bit of a push), we can reduce it by making a few simple changes in our lifestyles.
So how can buying a house reduce your stress and improve your health?
For some people, not having the time to be active is a big barrier. This is why it’s important to ask yourself a few questions before you decide to buy a home. When looking to accommodate an active lifestyle, here are some things you may want to consider and prioritize as you browse for your new home:
– Do you like to run, cycle, or go for walks around the neighbourhood? Then you may want to consider and prioritize your future home to be in an area that has easy access to bike paths or parks.
– Do you prefer indoor exercises or participating in group fitness classes? Look to see whether your future home is located near a gym, fitness center, or yoga studio as a positive outlet for emotional release.
Other things to consider that could help reduce your stress may include finding a home that has easy access to the highway for those relaxing mountain getaways, or a neighbourhood close to your workplace and multiple methods of transportation to help reduce commuting time. Making sure your home is close to amenities may also help reduce unwanted stress in our “time crunched” society, such as grocery stores, gas stations, veterinarian’s office (for those with animals as part of the family), and perhaps even a spa for those rare moments of relaxation.
It’s important to share your lifestyle needs with your realtor so that they can not only help you find the perfect house, but the perfect neighbourhood to create your perfect home. Click here (“here” will link to your contact me form) to contact Anna and begin your search for your new healthier life.
With the growing awareness of unwanted stress factors in our lives, we are empowered to make healthy choices that will lead us to prevent illness and disease in our lives.
– Clara Cuzzani
Health & Wellness Consultant