Home 9 Uncategorized 9 Renewing Your Environment to Benefit Your Mental Health in 2022

Renewing Your Environment to Benefit Your Mental Health in 2022

Jan 1, 2022 | Uncategorized

With some families taking days, weeks, or even months to prepare, the stress and anticipation brought on by the holiday season are enough to wear anyone out. Maintaining your physical environment can contribute positively to the chain of wellbeing that ultimately benefits both your body and mind. Whether you’re fighting the post-holiday clutter or just looking for a fresh start to the year, here are some tips to renew your surroundings, declutter your mental space, and bring intention back into your home.

Sort & Declutter

It’s important to evaluate your current living environment before changing anything major. Start by gathering old items you no longer have use for and preparing them for donation. Properly donating, recycling, or disposing of possessions you no longer need can help ease consumer guilt and packrat habits while also making room for new goods received around the holidays. If your space looks cluttered, your mindset might be as well, so use this time to sort through the rest of your home’s trouble spots. Junk drawers, closets, and lesser-seen rooms of the house (e.g., the attic or basement) often become catchalls for those items we need out of sight and out of mind.

Stress-Causing Clutter Comes In Several Forms

Dedicate time to sort last year’s finances to help you prepare for 2022. There’s never a wrong time to create a monthly budget, get caught up on bills, and declutter for the year ahead. Set goals for you and your family to create healthy spending and organizational habits. A few ideas include:

Going paperless on all of your bills and banking statements
Starting—or contributing further to—a college fund for your children
Preparing for tax season and gathering the required documents
Ensuring that your investments and emergency funds are sufficient and in order

Food storage is another area of the home that often gets overlooked. Be sure to clear out your fridge of holiday leftovers and expired goods, and wipe down shelves and drawers of any spills. Organize your items and determine which perishables need to be used as soon as possible. Planning meals around these goods is a great way to cook with greater intention and less waste.

It’s also important to sort your pantry for food and kitchen items that you could throw out or donate. Wipe your shelves and start an inventory list for the goods you have enough of to avoid stocking up on multiples that might go unused.

Choose A Passion Project For Your Home

Now, more than ever, there’s an opportunity to put some TLC back into your home. You can scale your project to best fit your lifestyle, goals, or budget, allowing you to develop a space that’s entirely your own.

Start Small

If interested in a smaller project, consider creating a “nook” in your home that can act as a safe, quiet, and/or engaging space for you to enter when needing a sense of comfort. These can also make for excellent sensory areas for kids who need to regroup. Corners, alcoves, window benches, and other semi-enclosed areas of the home are great places to set up a nook. This space can carry whatever purpose or ambiance your family chooses and can even come with its own set of rules (e.g., being a mandatory quiet area for all who enter).

Refresh a Room

A medium-scale passion project for your home could be to redo a room that your family spends a lot (or too little) time in. Themed rooms are growing in popularity with families who might want to designate a space for things such as movies, game nights, sports, or art. You don’t need to choose a theme when refreshing a space, just consider your needs and wants for the room. Move furniture around from other parts of the house, experiment with hanging fixtures, or invest in a unique feature that the whole family can enjoy. Too far from the kitchen? Create a mini snack bar or add a drinks fridge for entertaining.

Find a Clean Slate

A larger project example would be looking for an entirely fresh start in a new house. Your family may have outgrown its current living circumstances or might need room for working and learning at home more consistently. Perhaps the kids have moved away, and you’re ready to rightsize your space. Try to set a timeline for your move and stay up-to-date with how the housing market fluctuates. In the spirit of financial organization, be sure to get a mortgage preapproval to secure your budget and find a home that’s the right fit for you. Doing so can help streamline the rest of the house-hunting process for you and your family.

Small Details that Make a Big Difference

Passion projects aren’t your only option when renewing your physical environment. Small touches can often restore minor imbalances to your home that may have caused subconscious stressors.

Try switching over to energy-efficient bulbs, making sure the correlated color temperature is the same across fixtures (e.g., cool or warm) and fits the intended ambiance of the room. If walls seem dulled, dark, or chipping away, lighten things up with a fresh coat of paint and primer or use mirrors to make the area appear more open. Hang drapes above the top of your windows to create the illusion of a taller space and have fun playing with color and texture in your furniture and decor.

Your House and Your Mind Should Both be “Home”

The season carries with it a lot of outside stressors. Holiday pressures, imperfect families, new year’s resolutions, and even climate-heavy mental health issues such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can leave your mind foggy and your head spinning. That’s why it’s important to have something to look forward to that will have lasting positive effects on your year and help your space reflect your personal growth as an individual or family unit. Experiment with different tasks and projects until you find what works best to bring some life back into your home and sturdiness back into your mindset.

From coffee to soda to energy drinks, caffeine is a part of daily life for many of us. And while it is naturally occurring, overconsumption can cause health problems such as increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, anxiety, headaches, and insomnia. For this blog, we sat down with Susie Roberts, a Registered Dietitian to discuss all things caffeine—why it’s such a big part of our lives, how much of it is in the food items many people enjoy regularly, and how much is too much. We’ll also talk about current trends and tips on how to boost your energy naturally so you can stop relying on caffeine to keep you energized throughout the day.

Q: Just this morning, I heard someone say “I’m not caffeinated enough for this day!” It really is such a big part of our daily lives. Why do you think that is?
A: It’s not surprising at all to hear that! About 90% of American adults consume caffeine daily. People are looking for ways to boost their energy and increase alertness and caffeine is readily available and socially acceptable.

Q: So, what exactly is caffeine, and how does it work?
A: Caffeine is a natural stimulant that affects the central nervous system. After consumption, it’s absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain, where it blocks the effects of adenosine—a chemical that promotes sleep. This interference helps you feel more alert and awake.

Caffeine typically reaches your brain within 15 minutes, peaks in the bloodstream at 30 to 120 minutes, and has a half-life of 3 to 7 hours.

Q: Everyone knows that coffee and many soft drinks contain caffeine. But where else can it be found? If we are consuming these beverages and other items, how can we know the amount of caffeine we are getting?
A: Energy drinks have become very popular—especially among young adults. These contain not only caffeine, but may also have added sugars, so it’s a double whammy. Chocolate and many varieties of tea also contain caffeine. You may also want to check out any nutrition supplements or medications you are taking. And, many people may not realize it, but even decaf coffee contains a certain amount of caffeine.

Q: How much is too much when it comes to caffeine?
A: For most healthy adults, the FDA says up to 400 mg per day is safe. That’s about 4 cups of coffee. But you need to remember, that’s based on an 8 oz cup. Many people order an extra-large coffee, so you need to be aware of exactly how much you are taking in. Each individual reacts differently to caffeine based on their genetics, medications, and sleep habits.

How Much Is Too Much? Make Sure You Know Your Limits.

Q: What are the current trends in caffeine consumption?
A: As I mentioned before, energy drinks are increasing in popularity. They haven’t taken over coffee in the top spot, but Americans spent $19.2 billion on them in 2023 and that’s expected to rise to $33 billion by 2030. Coffee remains at the top, accounting for 69% of total caffeine intake, an increase of 15% in the last decade. And while the number of tea drinkers has dropped by 50%, those who drink it are consuming more.

Q: How can I be more aware about the amount of caffeine I’m getting?
A: Mindful consumption of caffeine is being intentional about what, when, and how much you consume. Track your intake and pay attention to any potential unwanted side effects like jitters or difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. Are you sleeping 6-8 hours a night and waking refreshed? If not, consider a “hard stop” 10 hours before your bedtime. Remember, that cup of coffee you had at 8 am can potentially still be in your system at 5 pm, so it’s important to time it right. And finally, if you decide you want to reduce your caffeine consumption, do it slowly to minimize any withdrawal symptoms such as headaches.

Be Mindful of Your Caffeine Consumption.

Q: Sometimes though, you need extra energy when you hit that afternoon slump. Can you suggest any alternative ways to get that boost and avoid turning to caffeine?
A: There are a few simple ways you can get that energy boost. First, make sure you are hydrated. Water supports joint health, oxygen delivery, temperature regulation, skin health, and more. You also want to move—even a short walk or stretch break can help. Make sure your meals are balanced with a protein and complex carbs. And most importantly, rest and recover. Sometimes rest—not more coffee—is what your body needs.

Q: So, what are your final thoughts on caffeine?
A: Caffeine can be part of a healthy lifestyle and may even offer some health benefits—but it’s all about balance and awareness. If you’re reaching for that third cup of coffee at 3 pm, pause and ask: Am I actually tired, hungry, or just in a habit? And then give one of the things we talked about a try, to get that energy boost naturally and see if that caffeine craving goes away.