Your House is Making You Tired (but you can fix it!)

Your home should be the antidote to stress, not the cause of it.

Peter Walsh

When you go home after a long day at work, school, or doing errands, what are you longing for?  Aren't you hoping to rest, relax, and recuperate from the stresses of the day?  But what if your home is actually draining your energy?  That could be the case, and you might not even be aware of it.

Here are the problems you might have, and how to fix them.

6 ways your home might be increasing your fatigue

1.  Your lighting is messing with your body clock.

Light that is too bright or harsh can confuse your body's internal clock, which makes it hard to relax.

Here's the fix:  Choose warm-toned LED bulbs, and install dimmer switches to use in the evening.  Better yet, turn off overhead lights after sunset, and use floor and table lamps to create pools of soft light at different heights.  For an intimate glow, burn a candle or two.*

Your home will feel cozier, and your brain will naturally start winding down toward bedtime.

* Thank you for supporting this blog.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.

2.  You're living in a cave, and your mood is in the dumps.

Without natural light, your energy is sapped and your mood suffers too.  Years ago, I learned this the hard way when I lived in a basement dorm room.  I felt ill and lethargic, and couldn't figure out why.

Here's the fix:  Begin by cleaning your windows and clearing off the window sills.  Then keep blinds and curtains open during the day.  If you must have privacy, use semi-sheers to keep things light.  If possible, move your workspace near a window.  (I'm lucky to work at my kitchen table, which is next to a window that looks out at grass, trees, and the sky.)

If you can, paint walls with light-colored eggshell paint for a gentle, reflective ambience.  Warm whites, light grays, or soft pastels reflect more light than they absorb.  Also minimize wall art, since bare walls reflect more light.  Choose one or two larger pieces in place of a multi-item gallery wall.  You could also hang a mirror to bounce light around.

Choose lighter-colored flooring, or layer a light-colored area rug over a dark floor.

3.  Noise pollution hijacks your nervous system.

Is your TV always on in the background?  Talk radio or music always playing?  Vehicles going by at all hours?  Your brain never really has a chance to switch off.

Even if you think you're tuning it out, your nervous system stays on high alert.  That's simply the way we're wired.  Noises are part of our "early earning" system.  Why do you think an alarm clock is so effective at jolting you from sleep?

Here's the fix:  Stop turning on TV or radio just to have "company."  Save it for when you're actively watching or listening.  Be sure to turn off devices 30 minutes before bedtime, and keep screens out of your bedroom.

Rearrange furniture so that bookcases and armoires are against the exterior wall.  Especially when full, they provide a thick layer of sound insulation.  Add rugs to stone, tile, concrete, laminate, or hardwood floors to reduce that indoor "echo."

Install double- or triple-paned windows, or choose soundproof window inserts.  At the very least, add curtains or wooden shutters to help provide a noise barrier.

Outside, put up a masonry fence, or plant a fast-growing evergreen hedge.  This will reduce road noises a little by scattering and absorbing sound.  But the real benefit comes from having a visual barrier.  When you can't see the source of the noise, it feels less intrusive.

4.  Poor indoor air makes your brain fuzzy.

Stuffy air equals a foggy brain.  In fact, poor ventilation can trigger headaches and make it hard to stay focused.

Here's the fix:  Open windows daily, even if it's just for 10-15 minutes.

Dust with a damp cloth or microfiber cloth.  (Dust is largely dead skin cells, dust mite droppings, and dust mite body fragments.  Ugh.)  Also vacuum, sweep, and mop regularly to reduce allergens.  And declutter!  An uncluttered space is much easier to clean.

Change your heat and air conditioner filters regularly, and consider a portable HEPA-rated air purifier.

Enjoy houseplants that are known to absorb toxins, such as snake plant, weeping fig, peace lily, golden pothos, and aloe vera.

5.  Clutter overloads your mental bandwidth.

Each pile of papers, each discarded toy, and each extraneous toss pillow can multiply your stress.  It's true!  Your brain processes everything in your environment, even when you're not aware of it.  This is tiring and distracting in ways you can feel but might not be able to identify.

So remember that you're not just clearing clutter – you're giving yourself peace, comfort, and space to relax.

Here's the fix:  Start small, because doing something is better than doing nothing!  Get rid of trash and recyclables.  Pick up and deal with stray dishes.  Hang up discarded clothes or put them in the wash.  Sort through the mail.  Put things away after you've used them.

Next, completely clear one small area such as a bin, drawer, shelf, countertop, table, or the floor in one room.  Clean it and replace only what you need.  Practice keeping it clear.

Get rid of three extras – from the kitchen, bathroom, living area, office, or any bedroom.  Do it again every day or two.

6.  Unfinished projects are energy vampires.

Every unfinished project – even a fun hobby – is a nagging reminder.  It triggers guilt and mental fatigue without you realizing it.  Your mental energy is finite, so stop letting unfinished projects steal it.

Here's the fix:  Make a list of everything that's half-done.  Then decide – will you complete it, delegate it, or ditch it?  Schedule a specific time to follow through on your decision.

Remember that just because you bought tools or supplies to complete a project doesn't mean you have to hang on to everything so you won't "waste" it.  The money is gone, and nothing will bring it back.  The waste is letting stuff just sit there.  If you donate or sell the items, someone can get some use from them.  Think of it as a gift, not a waste.

Be honest about what's really necessary, what still interests you, and what is merely a part of your fantasy or aspirational self.

Small changes multiply and build on each other.

Every element in your home – from light and clamor, to layout and clutter – either supports your well-being or harms it.  But you can change what's not working for you.

Fix one thing this week, and another one next week, and before long you'll notice how much better you feel in your home.  That's how to enjoy the peace and rest you deserve.

Available now for pre-order... the newest addition to the Minimalist Basics series:  A Simpler Christmas: Celebrate a Holiday with More Joy and Less Fuss.

This is not my old holiday book.  It's a new volume full of practical strategies to help you focus on what you value about this season, letting you design a minimalist holiday that celebrates what's most important.  Going for the "the best holiday ever" can leave you feeling burned-out by Christmas Day.  In fact, it can leave you tired, stressed, dissatisfied, in debt, and fatter.  So why not ease off for the sake of more joy?  When you trim down a bit and emphasize what you love, you're sure to find the happiness and inspiration you're longing for.

Pre-order the e-book at a reduced price, or wait for the release of the paperback and hardcover versions on October 14th.  Thank you for supporting my work!