With the sun setting before 5 p.m. these days, seasonal affective disorder is creeping in for many of us. We’re likely spending more time indoors, too, and licensed therapist-turned-interior designer Anita Yokota encourages everyone to update their homes to improve their mental health year-round.
“Our homes can actually help our nervous system regulate,” Yokota, the best-selling author of Home Therapy and the forthcoming book Grounded Living, explains. “And often, it is the small, unexpected shifts that make the biggest difference.”
Yokota centers her philosophy around the idea of “biophilic design,” taking nature’s cues to bring light, rhythm, texture, and pattern into a space for calming, stress-relieving effects. Below, see the minor changes she prioritizes for a physical and physiological transformation.
1. You’re not facing light.
For an instant mood boost, simply turn your chair, desk, or bed toward a window. “Morning light energizes, while softer afternoon light signals the body to slow down,” Yokota says. “You are aligning with the natural rhythm our brains are wired to trust.”
Ali Harper
2. Your lighting is too harsh.
Yokota prefers what she calls “soft, human scaled lighting,” as opposed to an overpowering glare overhead. “This soothes the senses and creates a sense of grounded containment,” she says, mentioning examples such as table lamps, wall sconces, and candles at eye level. “It is a physical reminder that you are home, not under scrutiny.”
3. Your furniture and decor isn’t made from natural materials.
Biophilic design extends to textural, natural materials like linen, oak, wool, or clay. “These trigger calm through tactile connection,” Yokota says. Here’s one of her go-to swaps: Replacing a plastic cutting board with one made of solid wood.
Ali Harper
4. You’re only using mirrors as decor.
Mirrors can show your reflection, of course, and even make a room look bigger. But there’s a surprising fact most people don’t know: “Placing mirrors or artwork opposite windows extends daylight deeper into a room,” Yokota says. “Your brain reads that soft reflection as spatial openness, easing the subtle sense of confinement that many modern interiors create.”
Ali Harper
6. You don’t have any “transition zones.”
Yokota recommends creating gentle thresholds with furniture—think a chair by the door or a bench at the foot of your bed. These somewhat small pieces can serve as physical reminders to pause and rest. “They signal a shift, just like walking from forest to clearing,” she says. “It is how we reset energy between doing and being.”
7. You have too much clutter.
It’s easy for clutter to pile up, which inevitably spikes our cortisol levels. To combat this overstimulation, Yokota tells her clients to stick with a few meaningful pieces. “Negative space is not emptiness, it is restoration,” she adds.
8. Your home is lacking sensory cues.
Though decluttering is a must, there are some thoughtful additions that gradually serve as comforting invitations to unwind. “A signature scent in the bedroom, a birdsong playlist in the kitchen, or a soft wool throw in the living room becomes a cue that trains your body to associate that space with calm,” she says. “Over time, your home itself becomes a co-regulator rather than a source of stress.”
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