Your home may be your castle but is it one that inspires mental, emotional and physical wellness? It can.

Click on a room of this house for great room-specific tips — all designed to help keep you and your family well where you dwell.

Or print out all tips for every room.

Bathroom

1. Practice good oral hygiene

The health of your teeth and gums could be more important than you think. While poor oral hygiene can cause tooth loss, toothaches and even bad breath, new research shows that oral health and other conditions (such as heart disease) are possibly connected. It’s important to:

• Brush and floss daily
• See a dental professional regularly
• Eat right for a healthy smile
• Stop smoking

2. Don’t weigh yourself every day

If you’re obsessed with jumping on the scale, it may be time to step off — at least for a little while. Your weight is affected by:

• The time of day
• Your intake of salt
• The time of the month (if you’re a woman)

So, weigh yourself only once a week and explore other ways to measure your progress.

3. Move your medicine cabinet

While bathrooms are a common place to store your medication, it’s likely too hot and humid in there for your medicine cabinet. Move your medication to a cool, dark place that’s away from children. You should also:

• Keep your medication in their original bottle/container
• Refrigerate medication only when you’re instructed to do so

Try our medicine cabinet clean up guide that’s part of 10 smart steps when buying over-the-counter medication.

Bedroom

1. Don’t be fooled by surviving on little sleep

Think you’ve adapted to getting just a few hours of sleep every night? Think again.

• If you’re not getting as much sleep as you need, it will catch up to you. That’s just the way it works.
• Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of health problems including high blood pressure, negative moods, decreased productivity at home and at work, and even obesity.

While we all have different requirements in terms of amount of sleep we need, it pays to get the sleep that you need.

2. Get dust mites under control

While you can’t see or even feel dust mites, they are a common cause of asthma, runny noises and irritated eyes. These critters live in warm, dark places and feed off the skin cells you shed every day. And that makes your mattress, pillows and blankets a perfect home for them — especially if you live in an area that’s humid. To help keep them under control:

• Use a zippered allergen barrier to cover your mattress and pillows. Also consider buying a comforter that has an allergen barrier.
• Wash your bedding (including blankets) in hot water at least every couple of weeks.
• Remove anything that collects dust in your bedroom: stuffed toys, throw pillows, fabric furniture and even drapes and carpeting.
• Think twice about using a humidifier or vaporizer in your bedroom. If you do use a humidifier in your home, maintain the humidity level at only 30% to 50% in the winter.

3. Make intimacy a talked-about topic

Our sexual health is an important part of wellness. If you’re not happy with the type or amount of intimacy you’re having with your partner, it’s time to speak up:

• Put your partner at ease by expressing your wants and needs in a sensitive way from a personal perspective. Don’t make any judgements about your partner.
• Be open, honest and clear. Try to be specific about what you want; otherwise, you could confuse things.
• Really listen to your partner and always take their feelings into consideration.

Family room

1. Ban eating in front of the TV

Eating in front of the TV can bring a slew of pitfalls:

• Children who eat in front of the TV tend to eat few fruits and vegetables and more fatty foods
• Teens who eat in front of the TV tend to take in less nutrients
• Eating while watching TV can lead to overeating and mindless eating, even when you’re full.

Instead, focus on what you’re eating and plan your meals. And if you do find that you’re eating in front of the TV from boredom or frustration rather than for hunger, read Put a stop to emotional eating — for good! for help on coming up with a healthier eating strategy.

2. Exercise your mind

Video games aren’t just for kids anymore. Today’s games can help you exercise your brain.

• Choose brain games that test and improve your memory and response time.
• Choose games that are challenging; for example, if you’re good with numbers, opt for a video game that offers language or logic puzzles.
• Try Train your brain or How healthy is your brain? to get started with some interactive brain teasers.

3. Get social for a good dose of positive vibes

Rather than retreat to your family room alone, consider inviting a few friends over for some social time. Your mental and emotional health will thank you.

• Connecting socially helps protect your mental health
• Emotionally, your social ties can lead to positive feelings of attachment and companionship
• Social ties can also boost your self-esteem and give you a sense of purpose
• A supportive social network can help you cope with stress better

Kitchen

1. Make it a point to share a meal as a family

Try to sit and eat as a family as often as possible. Family meals are a great way to bring everybody together so that you can connect with each other. But you may not know that sharing mealtime with your family can:

• Contribute the physical, mental and social wellness of every member
• Helps children learn social skills such as carrying on a conversation or learning manners
• Help children learn developmental skills like using a knife and fork and holding a cup
• Test your family nutrition smarts and make nutrition a family affair.

2. Make meal prep a time saver

There’s no need to slave away in the kitchen to enjoy more home-cooked goodness.

• Try one-dish meals. Simply brown meat in a skillet and then add whatever you wish — like rice, veggies, pasta — and you have a one-dish wonder. Eggs and beans also provide a good base for one-skillet dishes.
• Leave no leftover behind. Even small amounts of leftovers can help with your meal preparation time. Use leftovers to make a soup more hearty, spice up a stir-fry or even add zing to an omelette — just be sure to use your leftovers within two or three days of refrigeration.
• Make it fun. Take an afternoon and gather the family or some friends and share the chopping, stirring and tasting. Once food has been prepared, divide it up into smaller batches, freeze and use later in the week.
• Learn other ways to prepare healthy meals when you’re strapped for time.

3. Start and share a weekly meal planner

With just a little planning, you’re more likely to enjoy healthier meals, even if you’re just planning weekday dinners.

• Think of meals that the entire family enjoys and write them in a calendar.
• Make a grocery list of ingredients you’ll need to make those meals.
• Display your meal planner where the entire family can see it. That way, the first person home can start preparing dinner.

Kitchen

1. Make it a point to share a meal as a family

Try to sit and eat as a family as often as possible. Family meals are a great way to bring everybody together so that you can connect with each other. But you may not know that sharing mealtime with your family can:

• Contribute the physical, mental and social wellness of every member
• Helps children learn social skills such as carrying on a conversation or learning manners
• Help children learn developmental skills like using a knife and fork and holding a cup
• Test your family nutrition smarts and make nutrition a family affair.

2. Make meal prep a time saver

There’s no need to slave away in the kitchen to enjoy more home-cooked goodness.

• Try one-dish meals. Simply brown meat in a skillet and then add whatever you wish — like rice, veggies, pasta — and you have a one-dish wonder. Eggs and beans also provide a good base for one skillet dishes.
• Leave no leftover behind. Even small amounts of leftovers can help with your meal preparation time. Use leftovers to make a soup more hearty, spice up a stir-fry or even add zing to an omelette — just be sure to use your leftovers within two or three days of refrigeration.
• Make it fun. Take an afternoon and gather the family or some friends and share the chopping, stirring and tasting. Once food has been prepared, divide it up into smaller batches, freeze and use later in the week.
• Learn other ways to prepare healthy meals when you’re strapped for time.

3. Start and share a weekly meal planner

With just a little planning, you’re more likely to enjoy healthier meals, even if you’re just planning weekday dinners.

• Think of meals that the entire family enjoys and write them in a calendar.
• Make a grocery list of ingredients you’ll need to make those meals.
• Display your meal planner where the entire family can see it. That way, the first person home can start preparing dinner.

Family room

1. Ban eating in front of the TV

Eating in front of the TV can bring a slew of pitfalls:

• Children who eat in front of the TV tend to eat few fruits and vegetables and more fatty foods
• Teens who eat in front of the TV tend to take in less nutrients
• Eating while watching TV can lead to overeating and mindless eating, even when you’re full.

Instead, focus on what you’re eating and plan your meals. And if you do find that you’re eating in front of the TV from boredom or frustration rather than for hunger, read Put a stop to emotional eating — for good! for help on coming up with a healthier eating strategy.

2. Exercise your mind

Video games aren’t just for kids anymore. Today’s games can help you exercise your brain.

• Choose brain games that test and improve your memory and response time.
• Choose games that are challenging; for example, if you’re good with numbers, opt for a video game that offers language or logic puzzles.
• Try Train your brain or How healthy is your brain? to get started with some interactive brain teasers.

3. Get social for a good dose of positive vibes

Rather than retreat to your family room alone, consider inviting a few friends over for some social time. Your mental and emotional health will thank you.

• Connecting socially helps protect your mental health
• Emotionally, your social ties can lead to positive feelings of attachment and companionship
• Social ties can also boost your self-esteem and give you a sense of purpose
• A supportive social network can help you cope with stress better

Bedroom

1. Don’t be fooled by surviving on little sleep

Think you’ve adapted to getting just a few hours of sleep every night? Think again.

• If you’re not getting as much sleep as you need, it will catch up to you. That’s just the way it works.
• Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of health problems including high blood pressure, negative moods, decreased productivity at home and at work, and even obesity.

While we all have different requirements in terms of amount of sleep we need, it pays to get the sleep that you do need.

2. Get dust mites under control

While you can’t see or even feel dust mites, they are a common cause of asthma, runny noises and irritated eyes. These critters live in warm, dark places and feed off the skin cells you shed every day. And that makes your mattress, pillows and blankets a perfect home for them — especially if you live in an area that’s humid. To help keep them under control:

• Use a zippered allergen barrier to cover your mattress and pillows. Also consider buying a comforter that has an allergen barrier.
• Wash your bedding (including blankets) in hot water at least every couple of weeks.
• Remove anything that collects dust in your bedroom: stuffed toys, throw pillows, fabric furniture and even drapes and carpeting.
• Think twice about using a humidifier or vaporizer in your bedroom. If you do use a humidifier in your home, maintain the humidity level at only 30% to 50% in the winter.

3. Make intimacy a talked-about topic

Our sexual health is an important part of wellness. If you’re not happy with the type or amount of intimacy you’re having with your partner, it’s time to speak up:

• Put your partner at ease by expressing your wants and needs in a sensitive way from a personal perspective. Don’t make any judgements about your partner.
• Be open, honest and clear. Try to be specific about what you want; otherwise, you could confuse things.
• Really listen to your partner and always take their feelings into consideration.

Bathroom

1. Practice good oral hygiene

The health of your teeth and gums could be more important than you think. While poor oral hygiene can cause tooth loss, toothaches and even bad breath, new research shows that oral health and other conditions (such as heart disease) are possibly connected. It’s important to:

• Brush and floss daily
• See a dental professional regularly
• Eat right for a healthy smile
• Stop smoking

2. Don’t weigh yourself every day

If you’re obsessed with jumping on the scale, it may be time to step off — at least for a little while. Your weight is affected by:

• The time of day
• Your intake of salt
• The time of the month (if you’re a woman)

So, weigh yourself only once a week and explore other ways to measure your progress.

3. Move your medicine cabinet

While bathrooms are a common place to store your medication, it’s likely too hot and humid in there for your medicine cabinet. Move your medication to a cool, dark place that’s away from children. You should also:

• Keep your medication in their original bottle/container
• Refrigerate medication only when you’re instructed to do so

Try our medicine cabinet clean up guide that’s part of 10 smart steps when buying over-the-counter medication.