8 Things you can add to your home to enhance your mental health

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit source for mental health information, 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, up from the 2019 statistics of 1 in 10.

Since we're spending more time at home, it’s a great time to implement the psychology of design and mental well-being into your interior. Whether you're doing a complete renovation or just looking for a few minor changes to enhance your mood, there is something that will work for everybody. 

Here are 8 things you can add to your home to enhance your mental health:

1. High Ceilings

Recent research suggests that ceiling height can affect the way we think and act. These studies showed that home dwellers tend to think more creatively and abstractly in a space with 10-foot ceilings. A person in a room with a lower ceiling tends to focus more on specifics and thinks less creatively. The theory is that a higher ceiling makes a person feel freer whereas a low ceiling makes them feel confined.

2. Cohesive decor

An interior design that flows well allows the eyes to absorb the space easier. When you enter a room your eyes naturally scan the space and your brain is in search to determine whether you’re in danger or not threats. A well-designed home will be planned out according to the psychology of design and using design principles that allow your eyes to seamlessly flow across the room. 

If you're not 100% confident in your ability to create a cohesive design consider hiring a trained interior designer.

3. Plants 

There are numerous benefits to including live plants in your decor. We could probably write an entire blog just about the benefit of plants, but we'll save that for another day. In addition to improving air quality, plants have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression possibly due to bacterium in their soil but also because they subconsciously remind us of our connection to nature.

4. Colour

Colours are long known to have a large impact on her mood. Every colour in big brand logos and stores has been used intentionally to evoke an emotion in you. You can use the same psychology within your home.

You'll want to stay away from colours in the red and orange family as they can increase our heart rate making us feel on edge, rushed, and uncreative. Cool colours like blue and green tend to calm the body, lower blood pressure, and make us feel at ease.

If you're intending to paint your home anytime soon it's imperative to plan your colour palette using the colour theory. Again, if this is not your forte you can hire an interior designer to help.

5. Light

It comes as no surprise that humans need natural light. Natural light provides nutrients from the sun such as vitamin D and is well known to increase her mood. Both natural and bright artificial light (that mimics natural light), particularly in the morning, has been shown to improve depression, agitation, sleep, our heart health, and seasonal depression.

If you're doing a full rental consider adding more windows or larger windows to your house, but if a renovation isn't an option there are small things you can add to help. Consider using translucent curtains to allow more sunlight in or light sources that feel more natural like “natural light” light bulbs and Himalayan salt lamps.

6. Nature Art

 Studies have proven that Art that depicts nature highly increased our feelings of well-being by improving our self-esteem and decreasing social isolation. It is likely that it also reminds us of our connection to nature the same way plants do.

Boost psychological well-being by replacing some of your art in your home with photos of nature. You don't have to change all of your artwork but select a few places in your home where you feel you can use a little more positive energy.

7. Declutter 

Clutter in your home is equal to clutter in your brain. A messy home or a home with too many things in it can leave you feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, and uncreative. Take a day to organize the things that are on the counter, bookshelves, and cabinets.

Take an honest evaluation of your home to determine if all of the decor elements are needed or if they just create a sense of clutter. If an item doesn't bring you happiness through it's sentimental value or it's visual appeal then you can feel safe packing it away.

8. Texture

Humans tend to feel more comfortable in nature-inspired interiors. This means using earthy tones and raw materials to create warmth. This could be as easy as implementing some potted branches into your decor, wood accessories, or tweed woven chairs and baskets. If you're ready to do a complete Reno consider creating a beachy-earthy inspired interior which naturally leads to more nature-inspired textures.