How Does Your Environment Affect Your Mental Health?

 How Does Your Environment Affect Your Mental Health?

Environment and mental health are intrinsically related. The places you spend a lot of time, such as home, work, school, and even social gatherings can have a big impact on your mental health. In psychology, these environmental factors are called mental health and are the main focus of environmental psychologists' research.

Identifying environmental factors that can affect you psychologically can reveal whether the places you frequent help or detract from your mental health. It can also help you identify if you need to make changes to feel better mentally and emotionally.

Environment And Mental Health

In some cases, environmental factors can affect mental health by changing the structure and function of the brain. Research on children supports this, showing that children who grow up in poor environments have stunted brain development and an increased risk of memory problems, learning problems, and behavioral problems. 1

Environmental factors can also affect our mental health with a psychological effect. For example, your environment can increase or decrease your stress levels. 2 It can change your overall mental health and either protect your mental health or pave the way for developing mental illness.

The world around you can protect you from mental illness, or it can be a trigger for developing mental health problems.

LMFT's April Snow explains that mental health can be affected by everything in your environment, but the most important factors include:

Aesthetics: A cluttered space can create feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, while an organized space can evoke feelings of calm. Having meaningful colors and objects in your environment can also boost your mood, says Snow.

"The light, temperature, sounds, smells, and color palette of your environment are critical to your sense of comfort, peace, and security," says Snow. For example, bright lights or loud noises can cause anxiety and agitation. On the other hand, a dark and cold environment, especially in winter, can cause demotivation.

People: Indirect or inconsistent communication, conflict, and unreliable people in your environment can be very stressful to manage. Conversely, sharing space with someone you trust, such as your partner, spouse, roommate, friend, or loved one, creates a sense of calm, Snow says.

Culture and values: -It is vital to interface with others to share your way of life and values and grasp them on a more profound level, - says Snow. Otherwise, you may feel lonely and depressed.

Habit: When something in your environment reminds you of a difficult time, such as a difficult relationship or disruption, old emotions like anxiety can be triggered, says Snow. However, positive associations around you, such as family mementos, photos, and familiar objects, can boost your mood and create a sense of connection.

Environmental factors affecting mental health

Several things in our environment can directly or indirectly affect our mental health. These environmental factors are everywhere we live, work, go to school, and spend time socially.

Home Environment

The home environment only includes physical residence.  Our current circumstance is a mix of both actual elements, similar to where we live and individuals around us, - says Dr. Rachel Scott, MD, director of psychiatric medicine at Eden Health. Both domestically and on a wider regional scale.

Family environmental factors that can have a significant impact on mental health include:

Climate. This includes things like the general temperature of where you live, the amount of sunlight, and exposure to natural hazards. Climate change is also linked to more serious mental health problems. Rising temperatures are associated with higher rates of violent aggression and suicide, and for example, increased frequency of disasters causes depression, adjustment disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Crime Level If you live in a high crime area, you may feel the psychological effects. The level of crime affects women more and increases their risk of depression and anxiety. four

Environmental racism Environmental racism is defined as racial discrimination in environmental policymaking. It is considered an important environmental factor affecting the mental health of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals and communities. five

Pollution Scott points out that studies show that depression rates increase in areas with more pollution. A 2019 review supports this, finding that long-term exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of anxiety, while even short-term exposure can increase the risk of suicide.

There are poisons in the house. This includes cleaning products and molds. Assuming mold is available in the home, the expanded rate of asthma because of its belongings and the expanded contamination itself can likewise prompt emotional well-being issues, - says Scott.

poverty Social stress, stigma, and trauma from living in poverty can hurt the mental health of children and adults, which can lead to career problems and broken relationships. This creates a difficult cycle for some people. Escape. 

Work Environment And Mental Health

According to the 2021 American Time Use Survey, more than half of our waking hours are spent at work or in work-related activities. 8 For this reason, Scott says that the work environment plays an important role in our mental health.

Several factors in the workplace can contribute to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The factors are:

Have a job that is in high demand

Too much stress in certain roles

Have experienced bullying at work

Imbalance between effort and reward

low relational and procedural justice;

Low social support at work

The feeling of lack of value and respect

I can't control my work

School Environment And Mental Health

Children, teenagers, and students often spend a lot of time learning in class, studying, or completing homework. The environment in which these activities are carried out can affect mental health.

School-based environmental factors that positively affect students' mental health include: 10

Schulte-Körne G. Mental health problems of children and adolescents in the school environment. Alzteber International Airport Germany 2016; 113 (11): 183-190. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2016.0183

Sense Of Belonging

Feeling associated with the school (eg I'm delighted to be a piece of this school!)

I feel safe both mentally and physically at school.

The presence of school-based support systems such as teachers, school social workers, and school psychologists

The factors that can harm the mental health of students are: 10

Being Harassed

An instruction manual is not available

Teachers do not know how to deal with students with mental health problems due to insufficient guidance or training

Academic goals are unclear or unfocused

Social environment and mental health

Scott also points to the fact that social environments can affect mental health. This includes socioeconomic factors such as race/ethnicity and lack of social support, all of which can significantly affect a person's ability to cope with stress.

For Gail Saltz, MD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the social environment plays a large role in mental health. Having a trusted, close, and loving person in your life is very positive for your mental and physical health, -she says.

This also applies to healthy marriages, good friendships, and other important family relationships, Saltz points out. Loneliness from a lack of relationships can lead to depression and anxiety, while noisy and disruptive relationships can lead to chronic stress, low mood, and increased anxiety, - she says.

Relationships with substance abusers increase the likelihood of substance abuse, Saltz said, and growing up in a home where there is domestic violence, substance abuse, or emotional or physical abuse negatively affects mental health.

How Cognition Affects Mental Health

It's easy to blame poor mental health on a toxic work environment, a messy home, or humid weather. However, in some cases, your perception of the environment can affect your mood. For example, one study found that when patients with depression perceived inadequate social support, their symptoms, recovery, and social functioning worsened. 11

But the opposite is also true. If you recognize that you are satisfied with your life, you are likely to be more satisfied with your life. 12 This suggests that if some aspect of the environment negatively affects mental health, changing its perception may improve it. I feel better.

Trying to find appreciation in your environment, even if it's a positive thing, can help you rethink the way you think about your environment, - says Scott. To do this, practice gratitude and create routines and habits to reduce the amount of stuff around you. The latter can help give you a sense of control when you feel out of control, says Scott.

Snow recommends focusing on what works and is supported in your current environment. She also suggests small changes to make the environment more relaxing and welcoming, such as organizing, adding photos, and designing. Also, process any feelings or frustrations you may have by writing in a journal, venting, or talking to a friend or therapist. Don't bottle up your emotions, -  says Snow.

Determine if any changes are required in your environment

Understanding that the environment plays an important role in mental health is the first step. The next step is to determine if changes are necessary.

According to Snow, it's important to be aware of the relationship between your mood and what triggers those emotions. Then you can make small changes to your current environment and decide if you need that big change, -  he says.

For example, if you live in a city and feel constantly overstimulated or anxious, Snow recommends doing more relaxing activities at home. Even if it doesn't change your mood, if you're feeling more relaxed every weekend when you're out on the town, that's a sign that something needs to change, -  explains Snow.

Scott points out that constantly moving from one environment to another is not necessarily an option for most of us. However, moving temporarily from the city to the countryside, or perhaps to the water, is one way to test how your physical environment affects your mood.

For example, being out of the city lights reduces stress, there's less smog in the air, and less noise to deal with, which in turn helps me sleep better and clearer. I think about it. Once you figure it out, I think if you do it,-  Scott says, you have important evidence to support your decision. 

Environmental Changes That Can Improve Mental Health

If you want to improve your mental health, a change of environment can help. Snow recommends starting with things you can control and that are relatively easy to do. For example, organize your space or buy audio equipment to cover the noise of the city.

Or you may live in an area with no sunlight. This is a genuine worry with occasional emotional problems (SAD), says Scott. One solution is to introduce brighter light into the environment. Scott says this may help improve depression and anxiety, especially during the winter months when the days are long.

For maximum impact, start with the rooms you spend most of your time in and arrange them in a way that's functional and clutter-free. For example, if you work from home, start with a home office. If you spend a lot of time preparing meals in the kitchen, start there instead.

To improve your social environment, focus on your social environment, improve some relationships and become closer, become more vulnerable to people you trust, and hurt mental health, says Saltz, says Saltz. away from toxic relationships can make a big difference.

If You Can't Change Your Environment

Changing jobs, breaking up with a partner, or moving to a new place is not always possible. The good news is that there are ways to support yourself where you are. Below are some simple solutions from Scott.

Increase the amount of light in the room.

Paint your room a bright color.

Clean and organize your space in a way that helps you focus and feel relaxed.

Balance your mood by using different senses in your environment. If you're in a stimulating environment and want to slow down, choosing soft music or soothing sounds like ocean waves or the scent of lavender can help reduce anxiety. If your energy is low and you want to feel more energized, try peppermint scents and bright lights.

If you're in a toxic relationship and it's impossible to leave, Saltz recommends using emotional distance, even if you're in the same space. You can do this by finding an unrelated confidant to talk to, and increasing the amount of time you spend away from that person at home, such as going for walks, -  she says.

In any case, on the off chance that the circumstance is oppressive, Saltz suggests calling a hotline for guidance and assistance on how to leave the home.

 A Word From Briol

Many of us experience changes in our mental health due to environmental factors. For some, the impact may be minimal, but for others, it affects their mental health. If you experience increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions, make an appointment with your doctor or mental health professional. Help is available.