When it comes to health and wellness, moving to a large city has its pros and cons. On the positive side, living in a big city can mean better access to plant-based restaurants, health food stores, and public transportation — but some downsides include noise and air pollution, lack of green space, and a higher cost of living.
Whether you’re relocating for work, family, or housing reasons, Skin Elegance recommends keeping the following health concerns and considerations in mind as you make the transition from small town to city living.
Pollution and Air Quality
From a health perspective, one major disadvantage of moving to a big city is the danger of living in an area with heavily polluted air. Exposure to air pollution increases your risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, depression, and anxiety, and it’s also been linked to skin damage. But luckily, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your skin from unhealthy air as you adjust to city living:
- Apply a pollution defense spray to your face in the morning and always wash your face with a quality cleanser from Skin Elegance before going to bed at night.
- Purchase a portable air purifier for your new home or consider installing a whole-house air cleaner.
- Exercise for better lung health, but avoid exercising in heavily polluted areas (e.g., near busy roads and highways).
- Avoid exercising outdoors when pollution levels are elevated in your area.
- Take supplements to protect your body, mind, and skin from air pollution: Vitamin C, cordyceps, and holy basil are a few good options.
Furthermore, noise pollution can be jarring when you’re coming from a smaller town. Try soundproofing your doors and walls, wearing noise-reduction earplugs, and adding healthier noises to your new home, yard, or patio (think waterfalls and wind chimes).
Stress During and After the Move
Moving is stressful, regardless of whether you’re relocating to a big city or small town. And while some stress can be good for you, too much stress causes musculoskeletal pain, respiratory and cardiovascular issues, and other health problems throughout the body.
To reduce stress during and after your move to a big city, consider hiring professional movers to pack, transport, and unpack your belongings. You’ll reduce moving stress; protect your back, neck, and shoulders from injury; and avoid having to drive a car into the big city if you plan on selling your personal vehicle and relying on public transportation.
To minimize stress even further, finding a moving company is as simple as Googling “movers near me” or using a home services website to search for reputable moving professionals. When evaluating companies online, be sure to read customer reviews and look for deals and credits before requesting a quote.
Limited Green Space
In some cases, living in a big city also means less green space — especially if you don’t have a backyard of your own. However, this just means you’ll need to get creative about how you spend time outdoors. A few options for spending time outdoors could include beaches, sports fields, walking trails, parks, or even restaurants with outdoor seating. Just remember to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) in your area before spending a lot of time outdoors.
Moving to a Big City: Is It Worth It?
Moving to a large city can be scary when you’re used to living in a smaller area, but there are lots of health benefits of city living. Big cities, for instance, are usually more walkable and bikeable — which means you could spend less time driving a vehicle and more time walking or biking. Additionally, you might spend more time socializing with friends, shopping at farmers’ markets, and dining out at healthy restaurants.
Moving to an urban area has its pros and cons, and it’s important to prepare yourself for city living well before you’ve moved into your new home. The more you can do to prepare, the healthier and happier you’ll be as you adjust to urban living.
Skin Elegance sells clean, cruelty-free, and Australian-made skincare products and cosmetics. Visit skinelegance.com to find cleansers, serums, moisturizers, foundations, blushes, and other products your skin will love.
Author Bio
Sheila Olson is a personal trainer with more than five years’ experience, who believes in setting small goals to achieve physical fitness and good health. She’s a keen advocate of positive thinking and mindfulness as part of her training programs. Read more of her posts at FitSheila.com.
Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
