Research has shown that the environment you surround yourself with directly impacts your mental health. When you think of your home, it is essential that you have a place where you feel safe and comfortable. Cluttered homes can cause stress and anxiety and make all symptoms worse. Beyond just the clutter, there are other ways your home could affect your mental health. Below, we will dive into the four ways your home affects your mental health and what you can do to make it better.
Getting Better
While making changes in your home can help things get better and be more manageable, getting the help you deserve will ultimately help your mental health. Therapy is available to everyone, and some therapists deal specifically with depression, anxiety, stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. The good news is that there is therapy online that you can do, so you won’t even have to leave your house. Try to look into berkshiretherapists.com to get more information about how you can help your mental health.
1. Out With the Old
Whether it is clutter or an old bathroom, it is time to get out with the old and in with the new. If your home is cluttered, it is time to finally go through and clear out items that are no longer needed or items that are regarded as junk. Clearing this stuff away will lift the burden off your shoulders, and you should immediately start to feel better. When it comes to other old areas of your home, it may be time to start new. For instance, your old bathroom may need a new shower installation so you can have a place to relax after a long day of work. Hygiene is essential to anyone struggling with mental wellness so having a new shower is necessary to affect your mental health positively.
2. Color Changes
If your home is filled with darker colors, this can harm your mental health. On the other hand, studies have shown that lighter and brighter colors can positively impact your mood. One way you can change up the color in your home is to, of course, paint the walls. Other ways to bring more light and colors into your home are with the proper curtains and some hanging decor. Changing your curtains from darker fabric to a lighter material can give you some of the light you need in your home to elevate your mood. With hanging decor, go with mirrors and put them close to windows. That way, they can reflect some of the natural light.
3. Get Comfortable
Making a comfortable space in your home may seem like an easy task until you start to get to it. For example, disorganized and uncomfortable furniture can make you feel less comfortable in your home. Instead, think of rearranging the furniture to face each other to encourage socialization which is vital for mental health. Also, consider getting throw pillows and blankets to make the space more inviting. It can make you feel more at home to have these comfort items just an arm’s length away.
4. Other Home Burdens
Sometimes when our mental health is declining, it may not be a lighting issue or a furniture change, but the other aspects of your home. Maybe things around the house need to be repaired, or your bills are disorganized. Take a day to make a list of all repairs that need to be done and tackle them one by one as you can. It is essential not to take on too much to overload yourself. When it comes to the finances of your home, get all your bills organized and make a budget. Seeing the budget on paper can help calm your mind and create a strategy for your income, making you feel more at ease.
