Home | Fact or Fake? Hidden stressors at home

A Guide to Detoxifying Your Living Space

Home sweet home. That sounds like a place to let your guard down, reset your nervous system, recover. But some things make it unnecessarily hard for our brain, and you might not even be aware of it.

What’s causing you stress

Fake stressors

When I said I’d write an article about stressors at home, lots of suggestions came up. Some didn’t make it past the evidence bar but clearly many people are worried. Let’s start here:

• Microplastics: There is lots of evidence that microplastics can accumulate in human organs: through air (from laundry), through water (from bottled water), from food (wrapped in plastic). However, we feel that the weak evidence for actual health impact doesn’t justify the massive work it would be to avoid all these.

• WiFi radiation: There is no good evidence for health effects from WiFi radiation, including cancer and fertility. The signal is much weaker than holding your phone next to your ear when on a call, and that is also fine.

• Tap water: Most tap water is generally safe to drink. Fluoride is good for your teeth. Check it for your city but keep in mind that the alternatives have issues: Water filters grow bacteria when you don’t replace filters. Bottled water often has worse levels of heavy metals than tap water.

Microplastics is a hard one. There seems to be something there but then evidence on actual effects seems to be inconclusive. And it’s so hard to actually avoid them. For me personally, I decided it’s not worth the effort caring about this for now and revisit next year. Let me know in the comments if you feel differently!

Christoph

Hidden stressors

Unfortunately there are some real risks still out there. These are the top-three toxins still present in many houses.

• Flame retardants: Flame retardants have long been added to furniture and other products and have been shown to have an impact on hormone levels, brain development, and fertility. Fix: Don’t let dust accumulate, get an air filter, use a HEPA vacuum. Replace furniture with “crumbling” yellow foam, look for certificates that apply in your country (TB117-2013 US, EN 1021 EU, UK is tricky)

• Mold: Grows wherever things get damp. It has been shown to cause persistent asthma in children, and can cause respiratory and mental health issues in adults. Act on signs like peeling wallpaper and earthy “basement smells”; check the underside of your roof and the base of your walls. Always fix the water source first.

• Lead: Lead is highly toxic for children’s brain development. Yet it’s still found in old piping and use in paint is unregulated in 50% of countries. To figure out if you are at risk, check your house and infrastructure age and region with an AI, then if you are suspicious, you can often request a test with your local water provider.

Stress from clutter

Turns out it’s not just the hidden stuff that’s causing stress. The stuff you buy has been shown to cause stress as well. Voluntary minimalism has been shown across over 20 studies to increase life satisfaction and lower depression, most likely through lower clutter and less decision fatigue. Minimalism 101:

• The bar: For each item in your house, check if it serves a functional purpose or cause genuine joy. No on either? Get rid of it.

• The box: Letting go is hard. Start by just putting things in a box. If you didn’t miss them after three months, you’ll find it easier to let go.

• The cycle: Instead of throwing things out, bring them to a charity shop or put them on a local marketplace app. There will be plenty of people who still have a use for it.

For every new nonperishable item I bring into the house, I have to get rid of two existing items. That means whenever something new comes in, my overall clutter still goes down. This applies to clothes, furniture, books, and similar items.

To make it more challenging, I sometimes try to remove items of the same type. Of course, you have to be reasonable with it. If you followed this rule forever, you would eventually end up with nothing, so sometimes a one to one ratio makes more sense. But aiming for a two to one ratio whenever possible is a great way to declutter.

Cameron

Things to get started

• A lot of these were specific to the location you live in. Do a quick double-check on flame retardants, mold, and lead in your household. Any obvious risk items?

• Try minimalism for a small space in your house. Take ten minutes and identify two items that might go. How did you feel after?

• Learn how to change

• Bet money on your change

• Discuss this in our community

• Missing something? Add a comment and we’ll add it to next year’s version