How Your Home Affects Your Mood and Health

There are many ways to control how your home affects your mood and health.

A dark, cluttered, disorganized home invariably leads to feelings of stress, depression and anxiety.

When there are too many items in a room or belongings are haphazardly arranged, when your spaces are dark, when the colors aren’t conducive to energy or restfulness, it becomes challenging to focus or relax.

 

Natural Light in Your Home

Bright, natural light has been shown to improve mood and energy levels. Exposure to natural light during the day helps regulate your circadian rhythms and promotes healthy sleep patterns.

Avoiding excessive artificial light is important too. Blue light emitted by device screens can disrupt sleep and increase feelings of anxiety and depression.

As your eyes age, having plenty of natural light in the home improves efficiency and prevents accidents.

Replacing and expanding window size is ideal. You can also lighten up on the window treatments, using sheer draperies on rods and rings. Solar tubes are an easy fix if your ceiling and roof allow.

Lastly, keeping trees and shrubs trimmed will create more natural light in the home.

Clutter, Dust and Grime in the Home

Unfinished tasks and clutter act as constant reminders, preventing your brain from fully unwinding and recharging.

Declutter and organize your space room-by-room. Cut down on unimportant belongings and use furniture with built in storage to create clean and organized environments.

A clean home is calming and empowering. It allows you to unwind without the nagging thought of chores that need to be done.

Why does clutter have such a hold on our stress levels? Well, it’s often a visual representation of unfinished business.

Each item out of place is a task waiting to be completed, and that can be overwhelming. By tackling these tasks, you’re taking control of your environment, and in turn, taking control of a small part of your life.

Moreover, a clutter-free environment can improve your focus. Without the distraction of disarray, your mind is free to concentrate on more important things, whether it’s work, spending quality time with family, or simply enjoying a moment of peace.

So, how do you start?

Begin with small, manageable tasks. You don’t have to clean the entire house in one go. Start with a drawer, a shelf, or even just your desk. As you clear out the clutter, you’ll notice a weight lifting off your shoulders, bit by bit.

And remember, it’s not about perfection—it’s about progress. Each step towards a cleaner space is a step towards a clearer mind.

Using Color in Your Home to Help with Moods

Colors can significantly influence our emotions and behavior. Each color has specific psychological qualities.

I prefer to use one main color scheme throughout the home.

Granted, the bigger the home, the more color variations you need to make it look interesting. In other words, if your color scheme is tool simple in larger homes, it will end up looking like a cheap furniture catalog.

In three words. No, thank you.

1. • • Red: Love, warmth, excitement, passion, anger.
     • Blue: Calmness, cooling, serene, peaceful.
     • Green: Balance, serenity, joy, restfulness, freshness.
     • Orange: Creative, playful, stimulates appetite.
     • Pink: Feminine. Happy. Tender.
     • Yellow: Joyful, communicating, friendly, simple.
     • Purple: Relaxating, imaginative, calm, regal.
     • Gray: Cooling, mature, calm, serious, depressing.
     • Brown: Earthy, stodgy, stable.
     • White: Clean, bright, simple, classic, difficult to maintain.
     • Black: Strong, serious, classic, difficult to maintain.

How to Use Color in the Home to Combat Anxiety and Depression

Choose colors intentionally based on the mood you want to create in each room. For example, warm colors such as red, orange and many yellows stimulate energy. Cool colors like blues, greens and purples soothe and calm.

Using Nature & Fresh Air in the Home to Help with Anxiety & Depression

Exposure to nature and fresh air has a huge impact on mental health. When you think about it, is it even possible to feel depressed out on a walk?

Opening up your windows daily, even just a crack on cold days, cleans the air and makes the home smell nice. I love the outside sounds in my home during warm days. It makes me feel like I’m outside in nature, when I’m actually working!

Incorporating indoor plants into all your rooms is a great way to bring nature indoors. My favorite way to do this is with ferns, hydrangeas and collections of topiary in good quality pots and containers.

Cleaning and decluttering are more than just chores; they could kind of be considered self-care. They create spaces where you can relax, rejuvenate, and escape the chaos of everyday life.

Get Started with a Free Download

 

 

To get started on a home where you feel healthy, happy and connected grab my complimentary design and wellness download, The Wellness Home, 5 Steps to a Beautiful, Restful Home for Women Who Value their Health and Wellness!

It’s the prettiest little book. It’s a quick read with super easy design solutions that help you lead a beautiful, healthier lifestyle at home, plus my 3-to-5 Things Framework that gives you step by step actions to get started and stay on track. 

That’s it for today. Thank you for stopping by!

Shiree’

PS – this year marks my 25^th year in business this year and that’s something to celebrate! We’re cooking up some great gifts for you and some special discounts on my signature courses and virtual services!

And if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, check out my blog post, “Hiring an Interior Designer”.