Super Eco

Photo credit: The Spiral Tree

Despite good intentions, many of us find it difficult to find time for ourselves.  If you're anything like me, you find it difficult to institute stress-reducing changes over the long hall. Yoga? I have a groovy new purple yoga mat. Looks great in my closet. I went to yoga—once. Taking breaks from the computer? Not a success—I still find myself taking a shower at 2 or 3 and eating "lunch" at 4. Since stress relief and taking time for myself is my one and only New Year's Resolution I did a bit of research. Here's what I came up with.

First, make your home your sanctuary. Your "soft place to fall" as Dr. Phil likes to say. Stress is among the leading causes of health problems so your home should help eliminate stress and making it a place of inspiration and calm is important. Lots of detoxifying plants, inspirational books, soy candles, and comfortable seating can set the tone for a green relaxing environment.

Plants are hugely important to creating a stress free environment. They clean the air we breathe inside our homes. They absorb air pollutants by helping to remove formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia and other chemicals left behind by cleaning products, paints, and varnishes. A minimum of two plants per 100 square feet of space in an average home is recommended—but you can't go wrong with more.

Eco-friendly candles made of pure beeswax or soy are the healthiest environmental candles. They do not use paraffin (as traditional candles do), which is a petroleum product which is not a renewable resource and causes pollution in its production.

Finally, enjoy some eco-friendly inspirational books. Many publishers are using recycled paper which means you can be environmentally inspired. You can also go digital, cutting out paper altogether by using a media library such as Digital Media Library or Amazon.com's Kindle Books.

Now, I'm off to practice what I preach. Right after I do these 23 other things on my to-do list... but definitely by January 1st!