I“Home is where one starts from.”
-T.S. Eliot
Are you one of the many people who made a New Year’s resolution not so long ago? Maybe it was to eat healthier, exercise more, read a book a week, or have better quality family time. It’s widely reported that only about 8% of resolutions stick. And when we fall short of reaching goals, we often lay the blame squarely at our own feet, chastising ourselves for our pathetic lack of self-discipline.
While taking personal responsibility for outcomes is in some respects noble and no doubt better than blaming others for our shortcomings, it may distract us from other potential contributing factors that, if recognized, could increase our chance of future success.
Specifically, I’d like to suggest that in addition to looking within, we consider how our environment affects how we feel and what we do. While this might fly in the face of ever-popular self-psychology theories, the effect of environment factors on behavior has been widely recognized and documented. With a background in psychology and interior design, I’ve developed techniques that combine principles from both fields into a practice of Psychoenvironmental Design that I’ve successfully used with clients over the years as well as in my own home.
The idea is pretty straightforward. If you want to make changes in your life, take a look at your immediate physical surroundings and see what you could alter to help support your goals. Things like light, color, furniture placement and the objects in our home can all affect our physiology, our mood and our behavior. My practice of Psychoenvironmental Design draws upon many different theoretical orientations including behavioral, psychodynamic, Gestalt, experimental, and social psychology. To illustrate the basic concept, let’s look at a few recommendations that might be made in the hypothetical case of a client trying to eat healthier and lose weight.
You might start by taking a page from the grocery stores playbook and more prominently display foods you want to choose more frequently (in this case, healthy ones) while putting junk food in less visible and harder to reach areas in your pantry. Keep prewashed fresh fruits and vegetables front and center in the fridge or on the counter, and put cookies in the back of your upper cabinets. While this probably seems like stating the obvious, always remember that we’re more likely to do easier things — and never underestimate the impact of this basic principle when designing your home. Easier could mean keeping what you need to perform the target behavior close by, more visible, better organized, easily accessible, well lit or visually associated with other things you already do.
Packaging and presentation can make healthier foods more desirable. Splurge on fancy bottled water in elegant glass bottles to help break a soda habit, and use beautiful place settings and a cloth napkin when eating your new, healthier meals to help bolster your willpower. Look at the way restaurants present salads, fruits, and vegetables to inspire you. Adding a drizzle of balsamic glaze on a serving of steamed vegetables or poached fruit can make these healthy eating options seem a lot more appealing and satisfying.
Also consider the size and color of your plates. According to the Delboeuf illusion, smaller plates will lead to smaller portions, and research suggests that by contrasting the color of your plates with the color of your food, you’ll also tend toward smaller servings. Just switching out your dinner plates for lunch plates for all meals may help you eat less automatically.
A 2016 study published in Environment and Behavior suggests that we’re likely to eat greater quantities of unhealthy foods in a cluttered environment, particularly when we’re feeling out of control. If this holds true, editing down excessive countertop clutter and kitchen knickknacks may actually help us consume less junk food, as might having a notepad strategically placed in the kitchen where you can quickly jot down a memory or thought about a time of feeling in control before you eat. Subjects in the experiment consumed fewer calories from unhealthy foods when they were directed to recall a memory of a time they felt in control.
Finally, some recent research suggests that mindfulness can be a useful tool in the battle of the bulge. Have you ever found yourself parked on the sofa watching a sitcom, and hitting the bottom of a chip bag before you even realized what was happening? Focusing more fully on the experience of eating can help you recognize feelings of satiety earlier and consume fewer calories. Sitting at the table without distraction can assist in mindful eating. But if your couch is the most comfortable seat in the house, you might continue to be drawn to it. Outfitting your dining space with fully upholstered chairs, relaxing lighting and attractive décor can help make mealtime at the table a more enjoyable mindful and healthful experience that brings you closer to your health goals.
There are a number of other interventions that could be made depending on a client’s personality and aesthetic preferences, but hopefully this conveys a basic approach that we’ll explore in greater depth in the future. For now, I’d encourage you to simply examine each room in your home, looking beyond color and decor trends to consider how its current design supports your personal goals.
While there are many factors that can influence behavior change — intrinsic motivation, time management strategies, distraction, fatigue, etc. — Psychoenvironmental Design is one thing that can help tip the scale in your favor. One definition of the word design is to intend for a purpose — your home should serve your life’s purpose, not the reverse. Remember when you’re designing your home that you’re also designing how you’ll live in it, for better or worse.
