Now that we’re home more than ever, we need it to be a place of calm. So here are the things in your home can increase cortisol levels – the stress hormone. This comes from the UCLA Center of Everyday Lives and Families. Rein these in and your life will be a lot calmer:
We’ll start with your kitchen counters. Even if you don’t keep food sitting out – any visual clutter on your counters can raise stress levels. Like having appliances sitting out, mail that needs to be sorted, and cookbooks. And that stress makes us more likely to overeat, and eat unhealthy foods.
Another household stressor is bills and financial papers, like your tax return and receipts. According to the American Psychological Association, 75% of us say finances are a significant source of stress in our lives. So seeing those papers lying around is a constant reminder. That’s why the experts at UCLA say to isolate financial papers in one room of the house.
The experts also say mirrors can be a source of household stress. A report by the Institute of Psychiatry found that looking in a mirror often made people feel stressed about their appearance. So you may want to limit mirrors to the bathroom and a full-length one in the bedroom.