Open Those Windows!

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

30 Mar 2006 09:33 AM

Today in New Jersey it is sunny and mild. A light breeze is blowing, and you can really feel the warmth of spring and the coming of summer. This is the sort of day that makes me throw the windows open and bask in the flow of fresh air!

Think about how you feel when you're cooped up on an airplane, or in a stuffy office. The air doesn't feel, smell, or taste fresh, does it? Impurities are being breathed in and out and you end up feeling sleepy, cranky, and all around icky. (Yes, that is a technical term!)

Now think about your first taste of fresh air after being stuck inside all day. You breathe a little deeper... you stand a little straighter... you feel the day's tension start to melt away. Fresh air is chemically different from the recycled indoor air that you may be breathing all day at work. Fresh air doesn't carry the same bacteria that recycled air does -- no matter how great your air filters are.

Suck in a deep breath of fresh air for both mental health and physical well-being!

• Your body starts to slow down and relax with deep breathing
• Your lung function improves with deep breathing
• Your body temperature can go down
• Your blood pressure can go down
• Your heart rate can decrease
• As everything slows down, you will find tension starting to disappear!

If you can't go around opening all the windows at work today, make sure you get a chance to sneak outside and enjoy some fresh air. Take a walk at lunchtime, or drive home on the back roads with your windows open. (Breathing exhaust on the highway probably isn't going to help you much.) If you have extra time, walk through a local park or near a body of water. As soon as I'm done writing this, I'm going to go walk on the boardwalk and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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