Hey cats!

Well the idea behind them is that the salt helps to create negative ions which balance out the positive ions (which aren't all that positive) created mainly by electrical devices such as phones, computers, TVs, washers and microwaves; but also by substances like tobacco smoke. A build up of positive ions is meant to degrade the quality of the air around us, which in turn leads to poor physical and emotional wellbeing. The crystals themselves help to purify the air and produce negative ions regardless, however their effectiveness is greatly increased when heated, hence why so many salt rocks have been made into lamps and tea light holders! There are also numerous medical benefits that come from owning a salt lamp including but not limited to:

Now that these have become popular they're quite easily accessible from most alternative/health shops. I chose to buy mine from an independent business purely because the owners knowledge was brilliant, the lamps were very decently priced (mine cost £36) and I like to support local businesses over larger shops any time I can.

The lamp is in my study on the windowsill right next to my desk. I figured this was the best place for it since it's where I spend a lot of my time and where I'm most exposed to electrical smog from my phone and laptop. Salt lamps are also a great addition for introducing Feng Shui into your home.

I do believe in the science behind it having researched around this as well as seeing documentaries about salt mining, how healthy the miners actually were and how they were found to rarely suffer from respiratory system diseases. However, the other part of me wonders if these lamps simply create a placebo effect in a mind over matter way. I'm mainly curious to see what happens either way and feel there is benefit behind each outcome.

For the past 3-4 weeks I've had the dregs of a chest infection hanging on to me and causing me to cough like a 60-a-day chain smoker, but I figured this situation is a great way to see if the salt lamp can do any good. But then, the twist! Within a few hours of being home I can feel my body turning: one nostril is completely blocked, my face has puffed up into chipmunk mode, my body aches, my constant tiredness and snarky attitude from that day starts to make sense...I'm getting another cold. The universe must be testing me. But this is an even more perfect way to see how the salt lamp affects me, if at all! The conditions couldn't be more perfect.

Day 0

8pm-12am: I feel psychologically better knowing it's there, its warm glow radiating over me. I feel calmer, less worried, and hopeful that it will ease this illness. Plus it looks bloody good on my windowsill.

Day 1
5pm: Resisted the urge to turn the lamp on until now when I started to feel really exhausted and low. I feel better for having put it on but I'm worried that I'm creating the placebo effect I mentioned earlier. Having said that, is it really that bad of a thing to happen? As far as I'm concerned all I want is to feel better, whether it be because of my own mind or because of negative ions!

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