09 Sep It’s Not You. Sometimes It’s The Place You’re In

Sometimes regular exercise and a balanced diet are not enough. When it comes to your health, every facet of your lifestyle and habits is accounted for.  

The place you’re at sometimes plays a crucial role in your overall health status, raising the question of whether your environment is making you feel better or worse.  

Your Environment is Not Just a Place  

Our environment has the power to dictate our moods, with cluttered spaces can create feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, while clean spaces can prompt feelings of calmness.   

A 2021 study concluded that household chaos can serve as a stressor in caregiving activities. The study further recommended that targeting household chaos can be targeted as an intervention to address physiological stress in parents.  

Aside from stress, cluttered spaces can also affect how your brain processes information and your decision-making skills. It can also result in difficulty focusing, procrastination, and trouble controlling impulses.  

Your sense of belonging can also affect health outcomes. 

A 2022 study found that a sense of belonging can result in positive life outcomes, while having no sense of belonging has been linked to a lack of meaning and purpose. 

It was also found to have increased risk for experiencing mental and physical health problems, and reduced longevity.  

Lack of sense of belonging has also been associated with common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicide.  

How to Cultivate Better Space for Better Health  

Your environment reflects your state of mind and health. Here are ways to create a better space for yourself:  

• Have a cleaning schedule.  

• Evaluate your purchases and avoid impulse buying.  

• Incorporate micro habits of cleaning into your routine, such as making your bed, tidying up at the end of the day, and cleaning up after every meal.  

• Give every necessary item a place to be  

You need patience and effort to create a sense of belonging in your environment and community. 

The best thing you can do is to be authentic about yourself and allow other people to be the authentic version of themselves. Eventually, you’ll find your people with the same interests, identities, and values.  

Sometimes, finding the place where you belong starts with choosing better.  

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Bodrij, F. F., Andeweg, S. M., Prevoo, M. J. L., Rippe, R. C. A., & Alink, L. R. A. (2021). The causal effect of household chaos on stress and caregiving: An experimental study. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 8, 100090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100090 

‌ Fuller, K. (2023, August 21). How clutter and mental health are connected. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/decluttering-our-house-to-cleanse-our-minds-5101511 

Allen, K.-A., Kern, M. L., Rozek, C. S., McInerney, D. M., & Slavich, G. M. (2021). Belonging: a Review of Conceptual issues, an Integrative framework, and Directions for Future Research. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(1), 87–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1883409 

Theisen, A. (2021, December 8). Is a sense of belonging important? Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-having-a-sense-of-belonging-important 

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