One good thing to come out of the pandemic was that many realized their homes can have a profound effect on their mental wellbeing. A blog post recently published by Hope Healthcare Services (HHS), an Avon, IN-based nonprofit that offers low-cost, quality healthcare to those without health insurance, offers a variety of tips on how to create a positive home environment that supports mental wellness.
A large part of the workforce has switched to working from home, which likely means the vast majority of their day is now spent in a single environment. This is true for many students as well. As the post states, having to stay in our homes caused many of us to notice things about our immediate surroundings that could use improvement. Clutter is a good example.
A home should be a place of serenity, safety, peace, and positive energy, and this is just as true when people have to spend all their time at home as when they commute elsewhere. Learn more here: Home Is Where the HOPE Is: How Your Home Can Impact Your Overall Wellness – Hope Healthcare Services.
One of the primary messages of the HHS post is that mental wellness can mean very different things depending on the individual in question. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. However, there are often common solutions that work for certain groups, and HHS encourages people to try a variety of strategies to safeguard or bolster their mental health. This became particularly important in the wake of the pandemic as routines were uprooted and many experienced severe instability.
One aspect of a healthy life that is universally true is the need for good sleep. Sleep is vital to keeping the mind and body in good condition, and good, restful sleep is influenced by how comfortable a person is. One key part of this is choosing a good bed, but HHS also advises devoting some thought to bedroom decor. The goal should always be to choose decorations and colors that promote a feeling of relaxation and serenity. It’s for this reason that the bedroom should not be used as a workspace as well — a room that is decorated to promote focus and limit distractions may prove unhelpful when the time comes for sleep.
As the post says, the impact that serene surroundings, ample light, and a comfortable bed can have on your overall mood and energy levels should not be taken lightly. Goldilocks had the right idea: finding a mattress that’s “just right” is incredibly important.
Another tip HHS offers is for people to consider the amount of light that fills their home, specifically natural sunlight. Whether a home is less well lit due to small windows or thick curtains, the lack of sunlight can have an impact on its residents’ mental health. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a clinical type of depression that is brought on by changes in seasons and the level of sunlight. In most cases, SAD symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.
It’s worth noting that a lack of natural light can affect a person’s mood even if they don’t suffer from SAD. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to alleviate this — HHS recommends people open up their windows whenever possible and keep their curtains drawn. Similarly, choosing to spend the majority of the day in the best-lit room of the house can help.
Many more tips on making a home a better environment for mental wellness can be found in the post, and the team welcomes any additional questions from their readers. Hope Healthcare Services has given patients access to low-cost, quality healthcare services for many years, and they’re committed to helping their community stay healthy in every possible way.
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For more information about Hope Healthcare Services, contact the company here:
Hope Healthcare Services
317-272-0708
info@myhopehealth.org
107 Park Pl Blvd
Avon, IN 46123
