How Your Living Space Affects Your Mental Space – And What To Do About It

Something which you might not often consider when you move into a new home is what kind of an effect it is going to have on your psyche. But this might turn out to be one of the more important factors in choosing a place to live. It might even influence the way in which you decorate your home, or where you place your furniture. In the hectic confusion of modern life, looking after one’s own mind is more important than ever, and a vital and central part of that must be paying attention to the space in which you live, relax and sleep. So how exactly does your home affect your mental well-being?

Let’s All Move To The Country

First of all, if you want to know fully how your home can affect your mind, you will need to look into the various effects of living in different areas. It is a repeatedly proven fact that those who live in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, are less prone to anxiety, depression and more able to remain relaxed in their daily lives. As it turns out, those living in apartments by a lake or cottages in a village just might be the happiest people of all. This is all well and good, but what if your routine disables you from being able to move out to the country? Well, there are other factors which affect your mood too.

Choose Your Colors Wisely

In all likelihood, when you are planning out the decor for your home, you are probably not putting much thought into what kind of an effect it is going to have on you psychologically. But ignoring the unconscious effects of the wallpaper might be subtly damaging your mental health, and there is no single factor of the decor more powerful in psychic terms than the choice of color. Those who know even a little about color psychology will tell you that certain colors can cause anxiety, while others can calm you. Moreover, these tend to be generalized across the population, with relatively little disparity between individuals. So if you want to feel happier in your home, go for those blues, yellows and mossy forest greens. And please avoid the reds.

Embrace The New Minimalism

There is something of a growing trend at the moment regarding the clutter you might find around your home. Clutter is just that: nothing special, just taking up space. If you want your home to be more of a shrine to your sanity and happiness than a pit of worry, you will want to take a hint from the new minimalists and pare down a little on what you own. Keeping the home as clear of extraneous items as possible has a hugely positive effect on your mental health, as evidenced by a number of studies. It just might change how you feel about how you feel.

With a little conscious change in your home, you can make a lasting positive difference to your own happiness. And there is nothing more valuable in this world than that.

Featured image courtesy of Pexels.