A Man Is Only As Psychologically Recharged As His Interiors Allow Him To Be

A man is only as psychologically recharged and productive as his interiors allow him to be

- Jonathan Ho

We have all found ourselves heading home after a stressful day. Maybe we experienced defeat at an important game, or maybe we fumbled on a business deal. When such things happen, our natural instincts often tell us to go home ‒ to retreat to our private space where we feel a sense of spiritual or social protection. This personal spaces has offered solace and safety when we needed them before. However, with Work From Home being the norm these days, the last bastion of mental and emotional wellbeing has also become our corporate arena.

With most of our lives spent at home now, the place that used to be a private domain has also become the work space, and this has a significant impact on our mental health. Environmental psychology, or space psychology, is the interaction between people and the spaces they inhabit. Although the link between interior design and our emotions has gained much attention in the last decade, this form of environmental psychology has existed for thousands of years through traditions like Indian Vastu Shastra, and the Chinese Feng Shui, etc. According to a survey published in A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, certain rooms can produce very tangible emotions. The 200 participants of the research were given a list of hypothetical rooms typical for an average home, and asked to choose two ambience descriptions for each of them. Unsurprisingly, the results matched the conventional wisdom of interior design, e.g. the entry room should be inviting, the master bedroom reflects a sense of romance, the closet represents organisation, etc.