If you’ve noticed that as soon as you step into your home, you feel exhausted and ready to collapse, the issue may not just be work stress or weather. Surprisingly, the interior of your home can also play a significant role in making you feel tired. Some household items and choices may be silently draining your energy without you even realizing it. Here are a few things to check in your home that might be contributing to your fatigue:
1. Cool Wall Colors
The color of your walls, especially in bedrooms, can influence your mood and energy levels. Studies have shown that cool shades like gray, blue, and light turquoise have calming effects, slowing heart rates and reducing blood pressure, which might make you feel sleepy. To feel more energized, consider repainting your walls in warmer, more uplifting colors.
2. Constantly Running TV
Having the TV on all the time creates informational noise, which can overwhelm the brain and lead to headaches or mental fatigue. The blue light emitted from screens also suppresses melatonin production, which interferes with your sleep cycle, leaving you restless and unable to recharge.
3. Clutter and Mess
A cluttered, messy home can keep your brain in a constant state of low-level stress, preventing you from fully relaxing. Experts say that clutter signals to the brain that work is never done, which eventually leads to mental exhaustion. If you’re feeling tired all the time, organizing your home and eliminating excess clutter could help you feel more energetic.
4. Fast Food and Alcohol
Diet plays a huge role in how you feel. Junk food loaded with simple carbs and sugars causes spikes and crashes in blood sugar, making you feel sluggish and fatigued. Alcohol, especially before bed, disrupts your sleep cycle, leaving you feeling unrefreshed in the morning.
5. Aromatic Candles
While candles, especially those with lavender scents, may seem like a calming option, they can also make you feel overly relaxed and sleepy. Research has shown that prolonged exposure to lavender can make people feel drowsy. Instead, try energizing scents like citrus or mint, but don’t go overboard—too many candles in one space can lead to headaches.
6. Closed Curtains
Constantly closed curtains or blinds prevent natural light from entering your home, leading to feelings of depression or low energy. Lack of sunlight can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythms, affecting your mood and mental health. To avoid this, open your curtains during the day to let in as much light as possible.
7. Cold Rooms
Low indoor temperatures can make you feel lethargic. When your body feels cold, it conserves energy, and you may start feeling drowsy as a result. Make sure your home is adequately heated, especially in rooms where you spend the most time. Briefly airing out the room before bed can improve sleep quality without making it too cold.
8. Mobile Phone on the Bedside Table
Keeping your smartphone by your bed disrupts sleep. Notifications and the glow of your phone can wake you up during the night, making it hard to feel fully rested in the morning. Experts recommend leaving your phone outside the bedroom or at least putting it on silent and out of sight to improve sleep quality.
9. Unsuitable Bedding
Synthetic bed linens can interfere with your sleep, causing you to feel too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. They also fail to absorb moisture, leaving you feeling uncomfortable. To improve your sleep quality, opt for natural fabrics like cotton or linen, and invest in a good-quality mattress, pillow, and bedding.
Making these simple changes to your home environment can significantly boost your energy levels and help reduce feelings of chronic fatigue.