The importance of environment

I moved house a few months ago to a house renovated over the preceding year. Now I am here, the garden project is ongoing. I have really noticed the impact to my state of mind of diggers, delivery lorries, tradespeople...it's not been the usual peaceful environment I go for.

It prompted me to write a little about the importance of environment for mental health. I think our living space can both be a reflection of our inner state, and also that it has an impact on us, we are connected and inter-dependent.

When you are not feeling your best this is well worth reflecting on. It can be hard to find the motivation to do jobs around the house and garden, and yet the doing of them in itself may give a lift, and once completed the difference is quite likely to impact your internal state. Rather than looking at the sum total of everything you might do, picking small, manageable tasks and building up a sense of achievement bit by bit can be better for mental health.

Making your environment a reflection of the state of mind you would like to have is a powerful thing. It might be setting up a small corner of a room that is your chill out space, or decluttering a surface so that you can easily see and reach the essentials, or having a few flowers close to your window so that you can enjoy them. We are each individual and there is no one fixed answer as to what uplifts, the important thing is to know what makes your heart sing and to give yourself that very medicine.

For me, I am tending flowers and keeping the inside of my home nice and clear, controlling what is within my gift just now, and breathing through the feelings of discombobulation the ongoing works bring. Like everything, they will pass in time, hopefully to be replaced by savouring of what replaces the current mayhem!

For support with maximising your well-being and finding peace of mind, get in touch at fejrobinson@gmail.com or on 01325 790495.

#psychotherapy #depression #anxiety