I’m going to give you a primer on the first steps you can take at home to reduce your exposure to EMFs – no meter required!
First, though, I thought it might be useful to review why anybody would want to do such a thing in the first place.
A Low-EMF Environment is What Nature Intended
Some people simply feel much better in a low-EMF environment.
It also happens to be the way we humans evolved: EMFs are man made and change the naturally occurring waves around us.
Some people develop sensitivities to EMFs and cannot tolerate them.
In more extreme cases EMFs can cause cancer (in power line workers, for instance, who have higher rates of some forms of cancer). Some researchers have noted harmful physiological effects even with lower exposures.
Creating a low-EMF space is just one more thing you can do to benefit your health and feelings of well-being – for some individuals it may not be optional, but may be a requirement.
If you’re interested in reducing your exposure to EMFs in your home, these are the first steps you can take:
Change the Settings on Your Smartphone
If you have a smart phone, this is probably one of the biggest sources of EMFs in your home, specifically, radiofrequency radiation.
All of those apps you have installed on your phone are all getting your phone to connect, constantly, to either your local cell phone tower, or your wi-fi.
The more apps you can REMOVE from your phone, the better.
If you don’t want to remove apps from your phone, the next step is to TURN OFF push notifications.
When push notifications are on, the app itself is deciding how often it will try to connect to the cell tower or wi-fi. When you turn push notifications off, YOU are the one who decides – the app is only supposed to connect when you tell it to.
Turn Off Wi-Fi on Your Smartphone
If you use the wi-fi on your phone, go ahead and turn it off when you’re not actively using it.
That way if you get a call on your phone, you’re not beaming the wi-fi signal at your head in addition to the cell tower signal.
Use a Wired Internet Connection
I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but wi-fi and cell towers are not where the internet comes from. It is 100% possible to use the internet with a wired connection.
The easiest way to do this is with a computer, but there are adapters out there that will enable you to do it with a tablet as well. (Apparently – I don’t own any tablets, and haven’t tried this myself, but that’s what I hear.)
Connect one end of an ethernet cord to your router, and then the other end to your computer.
Some computers don’t come with ethernet ports (also called LAN) anymore, but you can use an ethernet-USB adapter.
Make sure to turn the wi-fi on your router off if you’re adopting a fully wired connection. You may have to contact your internet provider and get their assistance. Some routers have a wi-fi on/off switch, others don’t.
Banish Other Smart Devices
While cell phones and routers are the main culprits in most homes, there are other smart devices which emit EMFs in the form of radiofrequency radiation, such as baby monitors, wireless landlines, roku, appletv, smart speakers, etc.
The number of smart devices has increased exponentially, and honestly, I’m sure I’m not even aware of most of them. If it works with bluetooth or wi-fi, it’s a problem. Either get rid of it, or if possible, use it in airplane mode or with an ethernet connection.
Check Around Your Bed for Plugs
Radiofrequency radiation isn’t the only form of EMFs. Many beds are hot spots of electric fields because of all the things plugged in around them.
Since you are (or should be) spending eight hours a night in your bed, that is a substantial amount of time spent in one place. Therefore, the impact of your sleeping environment on your health is proportionally large.
When a device is plugged in (whether it’s on or off) it’s creating electric fields. That goes for lamps, electric beds, alarm clocks, and anything else you might have plugged in around your bed.
If these things are plugged into a power strip, it’s not enough to just turn it off. You need to unplug it from the wall.
Less things plugged in = less electric fields.
Check Around Your Bed for Appliances
Large appliances like refrigerators, stoves, and so on create yet another type of EMF, magnetic fields.
These are more of a concern when they affect you where you sleep.
Check where your bed is – is there any large appliance on the other side of the wall? If so, you may have high magnetic fields in that area. Also be wary of electric panels, which are another common source of high magnetic fields.
If your bed is in a problematic area, relocate it.
Check for Smart Meters
Most homes now have digital electric meters that send information about your electricity usage out wirelessly – these are called smart meters.
Unfortunately, many (perhaps most) smart meters are calibrated to send out RF signals every 30 seconds, representing a potentially continual exposure.
If your home or a neighboring home has a smart meter on it, rearrange so that the areas where you spend the most time are the farthest from the smart meter.
You may also be able to opt-out of having a smart meter, depending on your power company. Ask them to find out.
Next Steps
Once you have taken these first steps, you will be much closer to creating a low-EMF environment for yourself.
If you implement all of these changes, you will likely notice an improvement in your anxiety levels, sleep quality, and ability to focus.
Sometimes there are bigger, underlying sources of EMFs. These can be detected with the proper use of meters, but taking the first steps listed above is integral and shouldn’t be skipped.
If you’d like to know what to do next, contact a building biologist or other EMF specialist, or read my article on detecting EMFs at home (coming soon).