The impact:

Colour isn’t just seen; it’s felt. While our personal responses to colour are shaped by individual sensitivities and cultural influences ( we dig a little deeper into that nuance in our paid e-guide - coming out in a few days -particularly for those of us on the neurodivergent spectrum and experiencing perimenopause and postmenopause ), neuroscience shows that certain colours, especially high-saturation or high-contrast schemes, can trigger a universal stress response.

These schemes activate the limbic system (the emotional centre of the brain) and increase cortisol levels, keeping your nervous system in a heightened state. 

When your environment is visually loud, your brain struggles to relax — even when everything appears tidy. That persistent fatigue you would blame on poor sleep may be due to your surroundings preventing your brain from getting deep, restorative rest.

The aim is not to eliminate colour, but to understand which hues soothe your system and which agitate it.

If you are curious about real world research, this research paper by Mary Jo Ross et al. The Impact of Modulated Color Light on the Autonomic Nervous System, will tick the right boxes.

The impact:

Clutter is more than just creating visual chaos; visual clutter creates a kind of neurological noise. Intentional clutter is all the rage this year as a trend, and this is where interior design trends fall down - hard.

Human beings are nuanced in every way and our visual thresholds for clutter vary from person to person. However, the baseline for creating a restorative space speaks a different language. Environmental studies like the one by Hassan, Najmaldin Ezaldin and Sonia Khalil ( page 5072) explains how visual clutter significantly reduces focus, increases anxiety, and impairs cognitive function. 

Every visible object sends signals that your brain must process—even if you believe you've ‘tuned it out’.

Your prefrontal cortex is still exerting energy to manage this input, leading to cognitive fatigue and decision paralysis.

This is not to say that if you enjoy an infusion of vibrant colours and patterns in your home, you should not do it. Individual DIYers tend to go overboard and cause more harm than good for themselves.

It is important to carefully and intentionally curate those spaces that have a lot of visual focal points ( like the one in the example image above ) in a way that allows your brain to take a break every now and again.

The core point here is : trends do nothing to support your cognitive and emotional health if it is working against you. An infusion of pattern and vibrant colours are cool, if it is in alignment with your brain's needs and not tipping it over its threshold of tolerance.

A visually quieter space - whatever that 'quieter' looks like for you - doesn’t just look better; it supports cognitive clarity and emotional calm.

Be the detective in your own space, and understand what works with you and what works against you. Awareness is how you begin to make real, lasting and tangible changes.

The impact:
Lighting is a powerful biological regulator, dictating your circadian rhythm, or internal clock. Poor lighting can disrupt sleep, impair focus and decrease emotional resilience.

Exposure to blue-toned light at night, such as those from screens and certain types of LEDs, suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset and compromising sleep quality.

Similarly, not getting that morning sunlight or exposing yourself to bright lighting in the morning ( for those who live in places that experience longer nights and shorter days ) can delay wake-up signals - which makes and keeps you alert - making it harder to focus and impairs your mood throughout the day.

Read more in this study by Wang et al. here.

Light does not just affect your eyes, it impacts your hormones, brain chemistry and cognitive performance. Ensuring your lighting supports your natural biological rhythm is essential for long-term mental wellness.

The impact:
Our brains crave intuitive flow and predictable structure. When your home interferes with natural routines or movement patterns, it creates friction and micro-stresses.

Neuroscientific research like this one by Lara Gregorians et al. and Abbas et al. show us that disorganised or ambiguous spaces can activate regions in the brain associated with spatial processing and stress, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus.

When your layout fails to support intuitive navigation or lacks defined zones and flow, the nervous system remains alert, hindering deep rest and cognitive clarity.

While I love the idea of open plan spaces ( when done properly ), a lack of delineated boundaries can leave your mind uncertain about where activities begin and end, leaving your brain in a constant state of alertness.

The nervous system finds safety in structure, especially in spaces intended for rest or focused work.

The impact:
Your home reflects your self-image and plays a critical role in identity formation, continuity and transformation.

As you evolve - particularly during major life transitions, healing or personal development - your surroundings should evolve too. Spaces that are anchored in past identities can subtly reinforce outdated self -perceptions.

If your surroundings only reflect who you used to be, it can create a sense of identity dissonance.

This mismatch can lead to cognitive dissonance, which is a state where your environment is not fully aligned with who you are working on becoming. In other words, your space is not supporting your desired behaviours and belief systems, which stifles growth and emotional congruence.

Spaces that align with your evolving values and identity can empower you, and affirm your emotional trajectory.

In order to truly step into your next phase, your space must reflect your current values, aspirations and identity.

Your home is a responsive system. Every colour, object and layout choice either supports your healing or quietly works against it.

Design is not just visual; it is also cognitive, chemical and hormonal, and deeply personal. It directly influences how you think, feel, focus and recover.

This isn’t just about rearranging furniture. It's about creating an environment that supports your nervous system, restores your clarity and honours your growth.

If you are ready to translate these insights into tangible changes in your own space, here are a few pathways I offer:

• Dive Deeper: For a comprehensive guide with practical, step-by-step strategies grounded in neuropsychology to help you design a truly brain-friendly home, explore my e-guides to learn and implement changes you can begin making in autonomy and at your own pace. Explore the e-guides here.

• Join the Reinvention Mastery or Reinvention Essentials 6-month coaching program for women navigating perimenopause and postmenopause, and who want to learn how to use their spaces to support the evolution of their next chapter. The next cycle begins July 1st. Learn more about that here.

• Personalised Insight: If you'd like tailored guidance on how the specific dynamics of your home environment are impacting your well-being and receive expert recommendations for change, consider booking a Home Diagnostics Session.

• Ongoing Support: For continued learning, gentle accountability, and connection with a community exploring these ideas, you are welcome to join my Community. It is new and we are excited for where it is going.