Therapists share 8 things in your living room that could be causing you stress

Some common living-room stressors include too little light and too much technology.

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Your living room may add unnecessary stress to your life, depending on your furniture and decor.
Therapists shared common items that could add to stress in a den, such as visible plugs and cords.
They pointed to interior design trends that may make your living space less relaxing.

Your living room should be a chill zone, but the way it looks might be raising your stress levels.

That’s according to three therapists: Cecille Ahrens, Mark Loewen, Weena Wise, and Ariel Sank Wallins. They shared with Business Insider common trends and items in living rooms that may increase stress.

Some are as simple as tidying up, but others may require a full interior redesign.

Light-colored living-room furniture and decor can cause stress for guests.

Consider brightening up dimly lit living spaces.

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Wise said that rooms with insufficient lighting could make certain tasks hard to accomplish, while rooms with bright artificial lighting that can’t be dimmed can make sleeping and relaxing difficult.

“It’s important to consider the function of each room in your home and purchase lighting that helps achieve its purpose,” Wise said. “Adding lamps, wall sconces, dimmers, or ceiling lights can help redefine a space that promotes stress.”

Ahrens said she uses neutral tones and has plenty of sunlight in her home to keep calm and centered.

“While the research on color psychology is mixed, it appears depression is helped by white and green light,” she said.

Ahrens takes advantage of natural light in her living space and will “open windows and doors for fresh air whenever” weather permits.

Certain common living-room sounds, like background conversations and what’s on TV, might induce stress.

Large flat-screen TVs can be the source of stress.

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Ahrens said that exposing yourself to visual technology can induce stress, especially if it’s a lot in one space.

Clutter in your living room can make it tough to relax.

An old chair that was kicked to the curb.

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“Outdated decor or run-down furniture can bring down our spirits,” Ahrens said.

For example, Ahrens said a run-down dining table might keep you from eating in that space often.

“If your living-room couch is old, dirty, or outdated, you may not feel as relaxed being in that space,” Ahrens said.

Working in your living room can make it hard to relax in the same space.

An unfinished living room.

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An unfinished living room renovation could add to your stress.

“When we are surrounded by things that do not feel inviting or soothing or invokes some kind of a stress response, we tend to spend much less time in that space,” Ahrens said.

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source:https://www.businessinsider.com/things-your-living-room-that-cause-stress-according-to-therapists-2021-3