How your home could be causing poor mental health…

Last week we discussed how bodily ingestion and environmental toxicity of substances through drinking, breathing and as absorbed through our skin can contribute to poor mental health.

The second part to how our physical environment can impact our mental health involves our home and work environments.

Home environment

Do you feel happy, comfortable and safe at home, or do you feel that you don’t want to go home?  Is this because of someone at home (we will discuss our relational environment next week), or is it because your home environment is stressful in some way?  Some people feel unable to relax in a messy or disorganised place or perhaps one that they consider unclean.  Some people find their sensory environment can be overwhelming, including certain lights, smells, colours and noises.  Perhaps they have noisy neighbours, there are unpleasant smells or the aesthetics in their home are not calming.

Now that we have identified this might be an issue for you, what can you do to improve your home environment that would make you feel happier, more relaxed and less stressed?  Could it be introducing different lighting, such as low lights for the evening, or candles, or letting in more sunlight?  Could it be sound-proofing, asking neighbours to be more mindful of noise, or is it time to move somewhere quieter?  Might it be time to implement a cleaning schedule, or get some help so that you can enjoy your time off, without having to do the cleaning?  Would it help to dedicate a space to relaxation and make it more cosy with soft furnishings and your favourite ways to relax around you?  Is it that you need a man/woman cave?  (Next week we will discuss the profound impact of having a man cave for those men (or other identifications) in our lives.)

Work environment

How about work?  Do you feel useful, recognised and appreciated at work?  Or are you overworked or under pressure?  Is it time to have a conversation with your boss about how you like to be managed, communicated with, appreciated, or how much work you feel you have to do?  Or, are you self-employed and not feeling fulfilled?  What is within your control to change?

It can help to do some exercises of self-discovery to find out what is working for you and what is not.  For example, thinking about times when you were in your ‘flow’, when you enjoyed work or when you felt appreciated or like you accomplished something valuable.  Once identified, you’ll be able to make a plan to address these issues.  Perhaps its time to have an open discussion with your boss about how you like to be managed, communicated with, appraised and appreciated.  A good manager, like a good partner, should be able to hear you and communicate effectively about your needs and model their behaviour accordingly.

Self development

At both home and work, are you growing, learning new things and being stretched?  Is it time to take up a new hobby, finally learn to play that guitar that has been sat in the corner of your living room gathering dust for months or years or what about brushing up on your rusty Spanish?  Is it time to ask your boss about that project you’ve been keen to get involved with?  Or maybe its time to circumvent the boss and head directly to the people involved?

Safe space

So many people I meet tell me that they don’t feel happy either at home, or at work, and sometimes both places!  I ask myself where can they go to feel comfortable, to relax and be themselves where they will be accepted for who they really are?  Where is their safe space?  This is so critical for good mental health and without it, we are missing one of Maslow’s basic human needs: safety and security.

Clearly, our psychological interpretation of our physical environment (home and work) is also important.  If we can’t change certain things immediately or in the longer term, can we change the way we look at it?  When we feel safe, supported and appreciated, we have a better outlook on life and better mental health over-all.

At Mental Health Getaway, we do understand that when our mental health isn’t great it can be really hard, or impossible, to make changes at this level.  This is why we set up the hierarchical Building Blocks Model for Mental Health.  In this case, we refer you back to the foundation building block, which is nutrition and bodily ingestion (this helps you sleep too by the way!).  If you’d like help with this, you can book a free 10-minute exploratory call with us here: Free consultation

Next week we will complete the physical environment trilogy (1: toxicology and 2: work / home) by discussing how our social environment can impact our mental health, including connection with other human beings, our relationships of all types (friendships, families and partnerships) and having animals around us.

In the meantime, well wishes.

Andie. x