Written by: Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Both social and physical environments can significantly affect our mental health and behavior. The environment can impact our mood, influence our actions, create or reduce stress, and inspire or discourage social interactions.
Home and Work Environment
Different studies show that bright rooms with lots of light (both natural and artificial) can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. Moreover, scientists believe that a healthy and relaxing environment can do much more than simply boost your mood – it can affect your health and improve the immune system.
On the contrary, toxic environments can negatively affect your feelings, thoughts, and behavior. An unhealthy environment can create stress, weaken your confidence, and impact your emotional and physical health.
How Your Home Environment Affects Your Behavior?
Keeping your home organized and clean will bring harmony and peacefulness to your living space and mental space. Also, decluttering and organizing your home environment can help ease stress and anxiety and promote positive family relationships.
For example, a clean and organized hallway will encourage you to store all your items away. Similarly, an inviting family space will encourage interactions and strengthen bonds within the family.
Furthermore, one of the best ways to promote relaxation and happiness at home is the wall colors. Colors can be a great stress management tool. One research found that room colors can affect our feelings and stress response. Therefore, they can help reduce stress and promote calmness and harmony.
Research has also proved that when we look at the colors, our brain releases neurochemicals that affect our mood and overall mental and physical well-being. For example, green and white environments promote relaxation and have the power to calm us down in stressful situations, while red color can make us more tense and anxious.
Similarly, the emotional atmosphere within the family can have a significant impact on our health and our behavior. For example, toxic family life can cause frustration, depression, anxiety, and a variety of physical symptoms.
Toxic Work Environment and Mental Health
Studies by the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) found that 35 percent of workers in the U.S. report being bullied at work. In addition, the intimidating treatment in the workplace may trigger mental health issues related to anxiety and depression.
One research found that the negative rumination or the mentally replaying of an event from a workplace can affect insomnia and thus overall health. A toxic work environment stimulates people to ruminate about their negative experiences, causing anxiety, depression, and substance use.
Further research has found that this negatively affects organizations as well. For example, toxic work environments can lead to decreased productivity and a lower level of employee commitment.
How to Cope with Toxic Environments?
Coping techniques can help lessen the negative effects of a toxic environment on your overall well-being.
Relaxation and meditation. It has long been known that practicing relaxation techniques is associated with fewer health complaints and less fatigue. Some relaxation techniques you can practice involve meditation, listening to music, reading a book, and spending time with positive people.
Counseling. If you think that you cannot cope with a toxic environment on your own, seek the help of mental health professional.
The Boundaries. Setting the boundaries can help you manage stress and frustration. In addition, boundaries can boost your self-esteem and help you feel in control of your life.
Kamini Wood, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kamini Wood is the founder and CEO of Live Joy Your Way and the AuthenticMe® RiseUp program. An international best-selling author Kamini is driven to support people of all ages to heal their relationship with themselves and to stop outsourcing their self-worth. As a result, her clients become their own confident, resilient self-leader with healthier relationships. Kamini is a certified life coach, board-certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, holds specialty certifications in Calling in the One®, Conscious Uncoupling®, NewMoney Story®, and teen life coaching. Also trained in conscious parenting, Kamini aims to meet her clients where they are, supporting and guiding them on their journey to where they want to be, both personally and professionally. Her mission: create space for each person to see the unique gifts they bring to this world.
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