As I write this, there are blue skies and the sun is peeping shyly from behind a puffy white cloud. It may be November but the day is balmy and rather warm. Yes, we’re now well into autumn but it’s a very mild and gentle one so far. But it is getting darker earlier at night. The warmth of the day doesn’t extend into the evening and there’s a definite autumnal freshness each morning.
I may have spent the day in the garden (goodbye geraniums; hello pansies and bulbs) but I know I will be inside more and more as we get further into autumn. I want my home to be welcoming, warm and comfortable space – and to make me happy.
So it was interesting to come across a book, Happy By Design: A Guide to Architectural and Mental Wellbeing (RIBA Publishing £20) by Ben Channon. He is an architect, a mental wellbeing advocate and a thought leader in designing for wellbeing and happiness. The book explores how buildings, spaces and cities affect our moods. It discusses how architecture and design can make us happy and support mental health, and explains how poor design can have the opposite effect.
In a fascinating TED talk, Channon discusses mental health and wellbeing, including how our built environment can affect our mental health. Coming back to a messy house produces cortisol, the stress hormone (the response is stronger in women than men!). Colour affects us which is no surprise. Including nature or views of nature have a huge positive impact on how we feel; textures are important. And light, natural light is crucial to our wellbeing.
We’ve all spent more time at home recently. For many of us, home also became our work space and continues to be a place of work. So the more our home and our work space can empower our mental health and wellbeing the better.
We’ll be exploring ways to make our homes places that support our wellbeing in future blogs. If you have ideas or examples of what works for you, I'd love to hear about them.
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