How to boost your indoorphins..
Finally we have a word for that lovely feeling of coming home – and staying home. While staying in has become the new going out, now we have the word ‘indoorphins’ to describe the happy, warm feeling we get when we’re home, curled up and relaxed, happy to not be anywhere else.
In a recent piece of research, kitchen and home brand Brabantia (who have come up with the word indoorphins, clever them) found that 93% of UK people believe their homes are fundamental to their overall wellbeing. Their research also revealed that over 29’s prefer staying in to going out, and as a result, are more invested in creating homes that work harmoniously with their lifestyle and provide joy.
A harmonious home – everything working perfectly, a place for everything (and everything in its place) and with decor that makes us happy – offers mood-boosting benefits that can’t be underestimated. We’ve written already about the endorphin boosting benefits of outdoor exercise in winter, but the double whammy of coming home afterwards to an indoorphin-boosting home would be hard to beat.
Here’s how to boost those indoorphins in your own home:
Get home organised
It’s been scientifically proven that a cluttered home can result in disrupted sleep, increased stress levels and a serious lack of indoorphins (okay, maybe not so much that last part, but it definitely does!).
You can take various approaches to this, from the room-by-room attack that is most common to the by category approach developed by home organising guru Marie Kondo. If you’re looking to boost your indoorphins, this is absolutely the best place to start. If you’re not sure where to start, close your eyes and think of the room in your house you feel most frustrated by. Is it the kitchen, with packed worktops and cupboards full of who knows what? Or maybe the bedroom, with an overflowing wardrobe, a chest of drawers you have to wrestle with to get the drawers closed and a bedside table with barely enough space for a reading light? Does your bathroom leave you cold? Or does your living room spark no joy? Is your home office a sea of papers and files that need a really good sort?
Whether you decide to tackle one room at a time, or go category by category, giving your house a good clearout and organising everything into an easily managed system will bring you joy – and boost those indoorphins. If you think you might need a hand with this, reach out to local business Serene Space by Sally. Sally will have you sorted in no time!
Review your decor
Next, have a look at your interior decor. Does it need a refresh? Could you do with adding a little more softness and comfort? Your living room and bedroom should invoke the feeling of cosiness and comfort. Choose colours that make you feel wrapped up and warm. This might mean starting with a neutral base, on your walls and floor, then adding cosy natural tones of taupe, caramel and chocolate, for example, as you layer up through furniture and soft furnishing, with cushions and throws the cosiest of finishing touches. Or you might prefer to create a more cave-like space, with deep dark walls in mulberry, smoky blue or bitter chocolate. Add pops of contrasting colours in your soft furnishings and accessories. If you’re not sure where to start, Pinterest is a magnificent resource.
Add personal touches
Now it’s time to place those sentimental pieces you have hung onto, so they’re there to make you happy every day, rather than being stuffed into a drawer or hidden amongst a shelf full of less important items. Find artwork that speaks to you – remember art is intensely personal, so if you love it, it’s perfect. Finally find candle or diffuser scents you love and set about scentscaping your home.
Create the right light
Use natural light and layered lighting to create a welcoming ambience. Humans are designed to respond to different types of light. We aren’t so far from our prehistoric ancestors who work with the dawn and took to their caves when night fell. Getting your lighting right, creating a sense of calm and relaxation, or focus and alertness when you need it, will certainly help with your drive to boost the indoorphins. Need a little help? Check out our guide to layered lighting.
One step at a time will bring you closer to achieving the cosy contentment that makes a home feel like the only place you want to be.
Eddie – Friday 8th November 2024. (Image used from JP & Brimelow marketing team).
