Why Decorating Your Home Is Good for Your Mental Health

The past few months, we found ways to connect with others while physically distancing. We fought for justice and equality, protesting safely in the streets. We turned out in record numbers (and in masks) to cast our ballots in the most consequential election of our lifetime. And here at Vivaco, we continued to tell impactful stories — even when we’re all apart. 

We’ve all had to get a little creative when making video calls from home. From arranging the right background, adjusting lighting, or testing mics — you work with what you have. For our work with Senator Elizabeth Warren, it’s not too different. 

In March, her campaign had just ended and a pandemic had begun — which meant the work was far from over. Senator Warren was working non-stop on issues like holding the Trump administration accountable and calling out voter suppression in Georgia, so we produced videos to make her a leading voice on these causes — all in the safety of her home. For production, our best friend quickly became QuickTime Player, Zoom, and an external mic we could plug into her computer. We also put a few Astra lights in front of her set-up and propped the computer on a few books. (Production tip: eye line is important!) 

This awareness of impermanence has me desperate for something, anything I can cling to for comfort. So, perhaps like many of you, I’ve sought out refuge at home, my safe haven where I’ve been riding out these uncertain times.
Melany Rose

My home isn’t my home, but somebody else’s home. When I moved in, I intended to stay for four months, a pit stop on my way to I didn’t know where. Five years later I’m still here, which I didn’t expect but am grateful for, entrusting that the universe will kick me out when the time is right. I thought I would have It All figured out by now, but it turns out while you’re waiting for life to happen, life is happening.

Which is why I’m not sure why I’ve lazily propped framed art on shelves instead of putting a nail in a wall. I truly can’t stand this rug, every day resenting it more, but I haven’t changed it. It took me five years of procrastinating and five minutes on eBay to finally buy a lamp to replace one I inherited and hate. The only things I’ve regretted in life are the things I didn’t do sooner, including making my (not-so) temporary space the best home I can make it.

Photos by Frenify Team Studio

The Benefits of Experimenting

Even if you’re not living in your forever house, and don’t know when or where you’ll be moving next, don’t you deserve the comfort of home, wherever that home is? Life is too short to live with that lumpy mattress, don’t you think? (I think.) That said, now likely isn’t the time to throw down thousands of dollars on decor. The good news is, you don’t have to. Small changes in your home can make big changes in your life. It’s not the things, but the feelings, which hopefully are brought out by the things.

Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.

Josephine Sanchez

Even if you’re not living in your forever house, and don’t know when or where you’ll be moving next, don’t you deserve the comfort of home, wherever that home is? Life is too short to live with that lumpy mattress, don’t you think? (I think.) 

That said, now likely isn’t the time to throw down thousands of dollars on decor. The good news is, you don’t have to. Small changes in your home can make big changes in your life. It’s not the things, but the feelings, which hopefully are brought out by the things.

Here to help is Victoria Sass, founder and principal

“Home is more than housing,” Sass says. “It’s an extension of yourself, a place where you can truly be yourself. Home is also a state of mind. It could be a social place or a place of refuge; it might be a space that holds memories and/or allows you to grow.”

Exactly. Here are Sass’s top tips for making a temporary space feel like home.

Consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in your design.

“If you are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, think about the base two levels of your needs,” Sass says. Maslow breaks it down to the basics: air, water, food, shelter, security, and health. “You might be surprised how few spaces actually, truly, meet those needs. Think about how you eat, how you rest, what makes you feel healthy and safe.”

Take eating, for example. That could mean dedicating a space for dining, not the indent in the couch in front of your TV, or even simply reorganizing your refrigerator. Maybe you invest in kitchen tools that encourage you to cook or replace the harsh overhead light with a softer bulb. Think small and simple.