How the Design of Your Space Can Decrease
Your Anxiety and Increase Productivity
It’s March 2021 and we are all still spending much more time in our homes, trying to live productive, fulfilling and happy lives during a pandemic. Who the heck would have predicted this a year ago? The problem is that our homes were not actually designed to be both a family space and a space to host virtual conference calls. Forcing so much to happen within a space, no matter the size, is often overwhelming, frustrating and anxiety provoking. This is when interior design REALLY is important to your mental well being. Interior design CAN make you FEEL better, I promise.
CLUTTER
The friction generated by navigating through so much noise or clutter within a space can be the cause of anxiety. Clutter in a space can translate to a cluttered, anxious mind. In imagining a calming space, one typically imagines a space such as a spa where the colors are neutral, the accents are minimal and nature is often incorporated through artwork, sounds and smells. While you can incorporate these things into your space, realistically, you aren’t going to live in a space that looks like a spa. But small changes can be made to declutter your space and your mind.
If you need help with decluttering, we created a whole Declutter Challenge that involves you doing one task per day for a month. We walk you through each day with tons of tips that’ll help you be organized and decluttered by the end of one month. You can find that HERE
CONTROL
Now, look around the space you’re in. What is currently going on? Is there a dog barking? Are there kids running around? Is there a pile of never ending laundry? No matter how much you clean, does your space somehow still feel messy? Now look at the items in the room. That mug you’re sipping from, where did you get it? How do you feel when you look at it? Does it feel right when you hold it? Sounds a little crazy, but if it doesn’t feel right, swap it for a mug that you enjoy. I know we all have one that fits our hand just right. Find that mug. Now how do you feel while holding that mug? Better? Despite everything else continuously happening around us, the simple change to a more comfortable mug can change our mood, calm us, decrease our anxiety and thus allow us to focus on whatever task we have at hand. Most importantly this is something you can control, unlike your barking dog, screaming kids or the global pandemic, and can be transferred to any object in any room.
EMOTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
While, yes you can control objects in your home, you can’t control the emotional associations that you make with an object and negative associations can trigger anxiety. For example, if you see a painting that was given to you by a friend whom you had a falling out with, you’re going to be upset every time you look at that painting, no matter how beautiful it is. Get rid of the painting. Wouldn’t you rather have artwork that provokes a happy emotion? This is one of the core concepts of generating a space devoid of clutter that is influencing your mental wellbeing. I’m sure we have all heard of Marie Kondo’s question: “Does it bring you joy?” If the answer is yes, then you keep the object. If it’s no, then get rid of it.
ATTACHMENT
How many times have you heard “But I can’t get rid of that! So and so gave it to me!” Or, “It cost so much money!” Or “I got that at my father’s 50th birthday.” Same rule applies. If it does not make you happy or comfort you, get rid of it! You have no obligation to keep an item simply because someone gave it to you or because it cost a lot of money. If you have an item that you aren’t sure if you can part with, put it away for a while. See if you miss it. If you do, then simply add it back to your space. If you don’t, then it’s clutter and get rid of it. Your space is valuable. If something is taking up space that does not serve a positive purpose, then get rid of it because I guarantee that you have plenty of other “things” to take up that space, even if that “thing” is just more air to breathe. And if you suffer from anxiety, then you know that finding air to breathe isn’t always easy.
NEED
Another thing to assess is if you need that item. Be careful to not mistake want for need. If you want it, then assess the attachment you have to it as discussed previously. Need is a different concept and is often influenced by external factors such as the salesman stating that we need 8 mugs in the house in case we have guests. The problem is, oftentimes by owning too many things we can lose the things that we appreciate the most. Like that mug that we discussed earlier. How many mugs did you have to go through to get to the good mug? Get rid of the mugs that aren’t good mugs. Or if you really need 8 mugs, make sure that they are all “good” mugs. That way, every time you pick up a mug, you’re picking up one that makes you feel good.
As much as you want to control everything, life happens! The pandemic happened. Working from home happened. Anxiety happened. You can’t control the world but you can control what is in your home and your home needs to be a place you enjoy, not a place that provokes anxiety. So, make space for the new activities occurring in your home by observing what you truly enjoy in it. The rest of the items once served their purpose, but are no longer needed and can be let go of. Without the items containing negative associations, taking up space, and thus provoking anxiety, your home will feel less messy and your attention can be given to the tasks you have to get done, consequently increasing productivity and improving your mental health.
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