What Makes Us Feel At Home

Last Updated on September 17, 2024

Even though I consider myself an immersive traveller, I am first and foremost a foodie. Living somewhere safe and having a healthy diet makes me feel at home. I settled into a suburban life by choice, but it took me at least six months to finally adapt to the environment.

What do we have nearby? All we have here is a few chain businesses, serving comfort food. I used to live in an area where new establishments were launched every now and then and I only cooked for fun or I saved up for entertainment. What I miss the most about city life is its diversity and atmosphere – there are always abundant resources and events in the city.

A sense of safety

One of the benefits of living in a retirement suburb is that I feel safe. Ballard (2020) indicated that more than two-thirds of Americans would not feel safe in large US cities based on a survey conducted by YouGov, a market research company. I feel exactly the same way. Despite having to drive more frequently due to a lack of public transit system, the environment is quiet and tranquil.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggested an individual’s physiological needs (e.g., water, air, food and sexual needs) should be met before achieving a higher need, safety needs (e.g., home and sustainable employment). However, in our time, we often need at least a survival job to pay bills (i.e., rent, gas, transit, groceries and entertainment) in order to feel safe – and this is merely the bare minimum. Feeling safe, from my perspective, is an essential need. One of the social determinants of health is an individual’s state of mental health. Having poor mental health (e.g., not feeling safe physically and mentally) can cause chronic physical conditions. We cannot and should not ignore the influence of mental wellness. Our physical and mental health conditions are interconnected.

Because I feel safe living in my neighbourhood/community, I feel more at home and empowered to change my Type A traits.

new environment

A new way of living

Our environment is slow-paced, peaceful and relaxing. People in our neighbourhood love to give back to the community via kind gestures and participating in volunteering events. We bake healthy cookies for our neighbours during the holiday season and we help each other out as needed – this is something new to me.

“Hi and bye” was my experience growing up living in an old apartment building in the centre of the city. Our neighbours at times gossiped about people in the community, but most conversations were done within 2 minutes. That didn’t change much after moving to another big city in my youth. People even avoided taking the elevator with others so that no one would feel compelled to initiate an awkward conversation.

Where we live determines how we live. I truly believe that our living situations have a great impact on our overall health, which determines whether we feel at home. Whenever I am out walking, jogging or running, I always feel a friendly and welcoming vibe in our community. People in late adulthood here are vigorous. They are living their lives to the fullest regardless of their age. In How I Manage Stress and Combat Stress Eating, I concluded being active is how I manage stress and combat stress eating.

Fun fact: While I was struggling to find motivation, I noticed an older adult walking slowly with a hemi walker in our neighbourhood. I thought if they could do it, then I definitely should get started – no more excuses!

Once I made exercise a daily habit, my emotional stability naturally increased.

A healthy lifestyle is a Collective effort

A healthy version of Chicken and Veggies Udon Noodles — Chicken and Veggies Udon Noodles

A home version Japanese Curry — Chicken and Veggies Udon Noodles

I am a foodie, but what can I do when there are not many restaurants serving unique cuisines in our community?

I do not like cooking, but I learned to enjoy making these healthy meals for my family. My determination moved my partner, he is now a good home cook as well.

What we eat daily matters. Good health and nutrition are essential needs that strengthen our minds and help us build muscles. During my first weight loss journey, I barely ate anything. I had little intention to build muscles, so I had spaghetti arms and legs. I was 105 lbs, but my body fat percentage was between 23% and 24%.

As for now, in addition to healthy meals (i.e., less fat, sugar, salt and carbohydrates), I am very active. My daily goal has increased by 125%. Moreover, not only my metabolism but also my menstrual cycle has significantly improved. Neither do I feel cramps as often as before nor do I get constipated.

Building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a collective effort. A well-maintained home, a welcoming, clean and safe neighbourhood and grocery stores and restaurants that offer fresh and healthy food options – all of which need people, from immediate households and neighbours to small and large business owners, to work collaboratively together.