Original Version
The holistic approach to wellness and wellbeing are oftentimes overlooked by the general public and mental health officials. Throughout my career as an Architect and Interior Designer and my 2-year-long research accepted by the National Institute of Health; I was able to compile evidence-based solutions that support physical health, emotional wellbeing, and neurological responses in regards to the physical environment. There are simple stimuli we can add to our immediate environment that can possibly support positive behaviors and emotions. As Gage (2003) explains, “Changes in the environment change the brain, and therefore they change our behavior” (p. 2). In other words, we can create spatial conditions that can facilitate neurobiological balance, physical movement, socialization, introspection, motivation, positive emotions, and focus at a subconscious level in our homes, gyms, offices, and even in our cars.
Here are some clear and simple evidence-based guidelines:
1. Get Indoor plants! Real indoor plants will not only enhance the indoor air quality it will also lower your stress levels just by looking at it! These plants not only oxygenate the air, they will also filter it from hazardous pollutants. The Power of Place theory (Gallagher, 2007) explains that views of nature of any kind encourage dopamine production, hormonal balance, and positive emotional reactions.
2. Place an image of water on your walls or wherever you spend a lot of time looking at! From all the images and natural settings that exist, the one that is the most effective to lower stress levels is water. You can also add an image of water on your phone, computer or any digital background. It is best if you can get an indoor mini water fountain or something like that!
3. Try to have furniture, surfaces, gadgets, utensils, etc… made of natural wood! The natural fractal patterns found on wood are proven to produce endorphins and lower stress levels just by looking at it. “Biophilia” is an Interior Design Theory that connects the users to nature through the physical environment. This connection supports healing at all levels as Van den Berg et al. explains (cited by Andrew et al., 2014, p.64), “This collected evidence leads us to deduce that good biophilic design could have a number of positive impacts. Some of these include enhance productivity and performance and have a positive impact on attention restoration and stress reduction…” Hartig (as cited by Andrew et al., 2014, p.64), also states that biophilic design can “increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions.” Utilizing a biophilic design approach in the interior of a recovery facility can possibly support the emotional and neurobiological healing of the patients.
4. Balance your sleep cycle with the proper light bulbs! Synchronize your circadian rhythm by changing the light bulbs to ones that mimic the natural sunlight cycle. (you can get these in amazon) Light quality is proven to affect our hormonal balance. You can also turn on your phone’s “night mode” in order to harmonize all the illumination around you. Gallagher (2007) analyzes light in his book: Chapter one explains that the light we absorb from the sun, moon or artificially produced light can also influence behavior, circadian rhythm, menstrual cycles, and emotions. He also discusses light therapy and its relation to depression and mania.
5. Be mindful about the temperature you expose yourself to! A simple element such as the temperature of the interior physical environment can influence our behavior and mood dramatically! “Body temperature is controlled by cardiovascular rhythms. Our state of mind can influence it. Cold is a stimulant and heat is a sedative” (Gallagher, 2007, p. 30)
6. Always have an object, a photograph or some type of physical reminder that makes you smile. Norman (2005) explains: “Some objects evoke strong, positive emotions such as love, attachment, and happiness” (p. 7) “…now we have evidence that aesthetically pleasing objects enable you to work better” (p. 10). Then Norman (2005) continues explaining that “We like attractive things because of the way they make us feel” (p. 48).
Any place that you spend a significant amount of time at, will affect your mood, your physical health, your sleep cycle, and even your productivity. It does not matter if it’s in an indoor or outdoor setting; your house, the gym, in a car, at the movies, shopping, etc… We have not only made interior spaces a shelter from diseases and natural disasters but we have also made them the places were we create memories with our loved ones. We spend most of our lifetime indoors, and the physical qualities that constitute it will inevitably influence our physical and mental health. This is why the design, the air quality, the illumination and spatial conditions of your bedroom, your shower, and even your car can affect our emotions, thoughts, and physical wellbeing.
And always remember our emotional needs matter. Our emotions need to be acknowledged, expressed, and taken care of in order to live as holistically as possible. “Emotions are inseparable from and a necessary part of cognition. Everything we do, everything we think is tinged with emotion, much of it subconscious” (Norman, 2005, p.7). So the places you spend your life at will affect your health because “…our emotions change the way we think, and serve as constant guides to appropriate behavior, steering us away from the bad, guiding us toward the good” (p. 7).
Footnote:
Interior spaces can be specifically designed to support important brain substances and emotional states. It has been scientifically proven that the physical environment influences our overall emotional state, behavior, and brain development. As Gallagher (2007) explains referring to the ideas of Hoefer: “The biology of behavior concerns the four elements of molecule, cell, organ, and organism, and the physical environment is important from the simplest level up through any stage of development” (p.16). Since we spend most of our lifetime indoors, we have developed an unconscious emotional and neurobiological connection with the spaces we habituate as Gallagher (2007) confirms: “Throughout history, people of all cultures have assumed that environment influences behavior. Now modern science is confirming that our actions, thoughts, and feelings are indeed shaped not just by our genes and neurochemistry, history, and relationships, but by our surroundings” (p. 20).
Written by Lila Hasbun.
About Lila H.:
Liliana Hasbun was born July 1st, 1992 in the DR. Upon completing her Bachelor of Architecture degree from UNIBE in the DR, her innate passion for design drove her to enroll at Parson's the New School in NYC, where she cultivated an indepth understanding and appreciation for different areas of design. Shortly after, she returned to her hometown and became a multidisciplinary designer. She worked as a fashion designer, graphic designer, interior designer, architect and furniture designer. Liliana also holds a postgraduate degree in Visual Merch. from Bau in Spain, which she completed in 2016 prior to enrolling at SCAD for her M.F.A. in Interior Design. Liliana’s accolades include winning 1st place in the Bienenstock INDS National Student Competition, and being awarded the “Outstanding Healthcare Project of 2018” by the Institute of PatientCentered Design. She also presented her research at the Interior Design Education Council 2018 South Regional Conference. This same research was submitted to the National Institute of Health and was received as "Idea No.98." After she concluded her education in 2018, she started working for the USA's No.1 hospitality design firm called Hirsch Bedner Associates.
