Home is where the heart is. We’ve all heard the saying. Home is where the mind is, too. When your home is cluttered, in poor repair, or a place where you feel alone or scared, it can be not very good too. The reality is that your home’s condition and the things and people in it can make a huge difference in your state of mind. Suppose you’ve been feeling down and aren’t sure why to take a look around your home for clues. To find out if your living space is harming your mental health, read on.
Clutter
Too much of anything can make you feel locked in. If you’re feeling trapped by things or just too much clutter in general, it might explain why you’re feeling blue. While collectors and people generally buy things to make them happy, too much of anything can get overwhelming, too. Look around your house. Are the things you own taking over or becoming too much to manage? If this is the case, a good clean out could help.
Consider gifting treasures to family members and friends. Or, send things you no longer use or need to charity. You might feel better just knowing that your things are being put to good use by people who need them.
Maybe your bathroom counter’s covered with beauty products you don’t use regularly. It could be that it’s too small and you need to call a bath remodel company to help out, or it could be that you need to clear some things out. Better still, you could have the best of both worlds. Sell off your extra belongings and get that perfect bathroom to remodel. Before you know it, you could be transforming that cramped bathroom into a magical oasis that gives you both peace of mind and improves your mental health.
Home Repairs
If you’re a homeowner with a long list of things that need repairs, make a list. By writing down things that need fixing, you’ll be taking the first step toward solving a problem. Like that bathroom renovation, something as simple as fixing up your hanging gutters could go a long way toward helping your overall mental health.
Before you rush off to find a therapist, be honest with yourself. Is your home environment part of the problem? For many, it’s easy to get stuck between bouts of sadness and depression simply because of static environments and the doldrums of daily living. If you’re caught between the same routines and tired of looking at peeling wallpaper or busted baseboard, do what you can to prioritize fixing them now. While it’s always a great idea to call for mental health help, it’s also important to do what you can to help yourself.
Unhealthy Relationships
Sometimes, the hardest thing about our homes is not the things inside them. Instead, it’s the people and relationships that make home life difficult. If this is the case for you, it’s definitely worth giving the right therapist a call. Family therapists with years of experience can often help repair broken or poor relationships. From couples therapy to work with children with behavioral issues, psychologists and psychiatrists can do a lot when making your household happier.
Love should never hurt but often does. While your home might be free of serious issues like domestic violence or abuse, it’s perfectly normal to experience frictions and tensions between family members during times of stress or even from being cooped up together during a global pandemic. There’s nothing wrong with reaching out for help. Some family therapists will even travel to your house for home-based sessions. If you’re brave enough, you could even ask them to take a look around. They might be able to point out areas where your house needs work for mental wellness.
Broken Appliances
Maybe it’s not a bad relationship that’s got you down. Maybe you already have your dream bedroom. Instead, it could simply be that you need a change that simple home improvement projects won’t help. Sometimes, the problem is the tiny details that often get overlooked. When looking around your house to determine how it impacts your mental health, think about the items you use every day.
Is your refrigerator working properly? What about your faucet? Maybe you live near Boise. A simple search for ‘appliance repair Boise‘ could go a long way toward fixing the tiny things that make your days harder. Imagine a day without worrying about plumbing, fixtures, appliance warranties, or even if your oven will work. Simple fixes like these could be enough to lift your mood and contribute to better overall mental health.
Air Quality, Heating, and Cooling
Think about the air quality at your house. Few people are strong enough to stay positive when it’s too hot or too cold. When’s the last time you had your heating and cooling systems looked at? Have you had your furnace cleaned or your air conditioner fixed? When’s the last time your thermostat worked?
Consider air filters, ventilation, and other factors that play a role in the air quality of your home. After a year of a pandemic, working remotely, and having kids home, it’s not odd that things might get a little stale. Going through your home to address your overall air quality could go a long way toward helping everyone’s mental health.
People often underestimate just how much a home can impact a person’s mental health. The truth is that homes are our safe havens and the one place we should feel most comfortable to be ourselves. Whether it’s the things, people, appliances, or conditions of our living spaces, addressing them one at a time is as important as other self-care routines. Even rearranging furniture can make a difference with how you feel. If you’ve been feeling down, the next step toward fixing moods, low motivation, and helping yourself could very well be an honest look at your home. Take one thing at a time and find ways to make it fun. You can even get the whole family involved.
