Comments on: Working from Home can be unhealthy?

By: Administrator

Administrator — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:25:43 +0000

Thanks, girlfriend! 🙂
Nicole

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:02:20 +0000

Hey again,

I added a comment from Lynne on my blog Nicole – I emailed her asking about this since it raised so much interest, and she wrote back saying it was indeed an issue of indoor air quality.

The air inside our homes is anywhere from 2 to 10 TIMES dirtier than the air just outside the front door! Add this to the stats that show that women who work in the cleaning business have double the rate of cancer, and it makes sense. Not only are we spending too much time in tight houses, but we’re using chemicals to clean and deodorize (even candles) our homes.

Take home message – what you said. 😉 Open doors and windows, use vinegar and baking soda to clean, use all natural candles, and get out more.

Lynne’s book was VERY well researched. She (along with her brother who cowrote the book) basically analyzed all the available research on cancer and put all the info together in one book. She’s an M.D. too, not just someone starting internet hoaxes. 🙂

By: Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:44:38 +0000

Hey Shannon,

I agree. That’s why I’m making this a discussion about health in general while working from home. We all can do things to be healthier. I see my friends stressing and not taking care of themselves. (Not exercise, not eating well, feeling anxiety, etc.)

We’ll check with the author to see where she got her stats.

Nicole

By: Shannon

Shannon — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:10:49 +0000

Nicole,
Thanks for bringing this up. I am not a stay at home mom but I am a stay at home wife. As a newly crowned Uterine cancer survivor 559 days as of today I am very much for awareness. However with so much false information out there I am extremely cautious. Can anyone show proven studies of this by the AMA or American Cancer Society? I need concrete proof. Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying it isn’t true I just need more concrete validation.

By: Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:37:45 +0000

Hi Carrie.

I agree that, in this stat, the indoor air quality is the main issue. I just think that eating lots of veggies and getting regular exercise helps our bodies to fight a lot of illnesses. (And, as work at home moms, we may not take the best care of ourselves.)
I hope I didn’t confuse the author’s original statement. I was just adding my 2 cents and inviting more discussion on other issues relating to being healthy as a work at home mom. 🙂

Thanks for the clarification!
Nicole

By: Carole

Carole — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:52:57 +0000

It sound so scary and I hate to think about that. I know many of us tend to keep window closed through the winter to keep the house warm. I usually open window about one inch once a week for about few hours or half a day. I mostly prefer my bedroom where I sleep there and breath through the night plus others sleep in my room as well. Thanks for letting us know about mom who stay home get cancer.( I stay home a lot).It time for me to change my thinking and habit. Wow! I never thought of that.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Nicole, I emailed the author who said the stat you mentioned, and she said it was indeed a combo of indoor air quality and also fumes from toxic cleaning products.

Incidentally a woman I interviewed who owned a natural cleaning service – she said there are really scary stats about women who work in the cleaning industry, they have a much higher cancer risk because of exposure to cleaning chemicals.

Let’s all grab the vinegar, baking soda… and open the windows! 🙂

By: Ellen

Ellen — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:26:10 +0000

I have been working for 8 years now helping families make their homes less toxic, and I can tell you for sure that indoor air quality (from household products) has a great deal to do with the the rates of not only cancer, but asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and many other illnesses that are growing out of control. On another front, as a WAHM, I really have to make an effort to get out and get exercise as it’s way too easy to spend all day at the computer! But eating well, exercise, AND cleaning up our indoor environments all go a long way to protecting ourselves from chronic disease. Thanks for the great post, Nicole!

By: Judi

Judi — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Air quality inside is worse than outside. We bundle ourselves up in our well insulated houses. We need to open those windows and let the sunshine and fresh air in. Guess I can do that better than most. Nice and warm here in GA.

By: Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:08:54 +0000

Helen,

Your post cracked me up. Sleet in April? Yikes!

The first few years I worked from home, we *really* needed the money, so I was stressed and stopped taking care of myself. (Working long hours, eating poorly, and not exercising at all.) Needless to say, it was not a happy or healthy time.

Now that my business has grown, I work a lot less, exercise daily, and am on the South Beach Diet eating plan which is working very well for me. (lots and lots and lots of veggies)

I live in Florida, so my window is open right now. Maybe you should throw on a scarf and go on a 15 minute walk around noon. 😉

Looking back, I really wish I had taken better care of myself. I think my work day would have been much more productive if I was healthier (and happier). I share my experience because I have seen friends whose marriages have crumbled, who have gained weight, gotten migraines and other stress-related illnesses, all while trying to build their businesses. I hope my story helps the moms realize that it is NECESSARY to take 15 minute breaks every hour or so to *shower* (wink), paint your toenails, go on a quick walk, kiss your husband, or prepare a healthy snack.

Live and learn. Hopefully, I’m wiser now than I was. 🙂

Thanks for sharing!
Nicole