Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri 
When Ada first moved into her new apartment, it felt like a fresh chapter, a blank canvas for her dreams. But weeks later, the excitement began to fade. The space that once promised peace now felt heavy, almost suffocating. Her thoughts were scattered, her sleep restless, and her motivation dim. She blamed her job, her phone, the city’s chaos until one quiet Saturday morning, she realized the truth: it wasn’t just her schedule draining her energy. It was her environment.
Her home had become a mirror of her inner world — cluttered, chaotic, and dim. The piles of laundry, mismatched furniture, and thick curtains shutting out daylight all whispered the same message: this is not a space where peace lives.
The Silent Psychology of Spaces
The truth is, our surroundings speak, constantly. The walls that hold us, the light that fills our rooms, the colors that greet us every morning, all send messages to our brains and bodies. Neuroscience confirms it, our environment is not a backdrop, it’s an active participant in our mental health. Clutter clouds cognition. Poor lighting dulls mood. Harsh colors heighten tension.
Ada’s home, though filled with things she loved, had slowly become a mental maze. She noticed her anxiety spike when she sat in her living room, the same room where piles of unopened mail and tangled cords occupied her attention. Her brain was trying to process every unfinished task lying in front of her. And like most of us, she didn’t realize that external chaos often amplifies internal noise.
When Your Bedroom Becomes a Battlefield
Sleep, once her refuge, became a nightly struggle. Her desk overflowed with paperwork beside her bed. A glowing phone charger blinked beside her pillow. The environment sent mixed signals, work, scroll, worry, but never rest. The body cannot recharge in a space that whispers stay alert. Science backs this up, blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, and cluttered bedrooms raise cortisol levels, the very hormone linked to stress.
Her productivity followed the same decline. Working from home blurred every boundary. Her “office” was her couch, her “breaks” were endless scrolls, and the line between rest and responsibility dissolved. She wasn’t lazy, she was overstimulated. The mind, like a muscle, needs clear zones of focus and release. Without them, burnout isn’t far behind.
The Awakening: Reclaiming the Energy of Space
One day, Ada decided to make a change. She wasn’t moving, she was transforming. Her first step was simple: declutter. Letting go was emotional, almost spiritual. Each item donated or discarded felt like lifting an invisible weight off her chest. With every cleared surface, her thoughts felt clearer too.
Then came light. She replaced her heavy curtains with sheer ones, letting morning sunshine seep in. She moved her desk to face the window, where birds and sky replaced her screen’s glow. In that golden light, she rediscovered something she didn’t know she’d lost — hope.
She added plants, small, green bursts of life that softened her corners and steadied her breath. A peace lily by the window. A succulent on her desk. A vine trailing over her bookshelf. She didn’t expect much, but over time, these living things changed everything. The air felt lighter. Her mood steadier. Her creativity quietly bloomed. Science agrees: plants purify air, reduce stress, and even spark new ideas.
Finally, Ada studied the flow of her space. She noticed her sofa blocked movement between rooms, her furniture squeezed her energy rather than freeing it. With a few thoughtful rearrangements, her home suddenly breathed. Rooms opened, energy circulated, and so did she. She even moved her work desk out of her bedroom, reclaiming rest as sacred.
The Ripple Effect
Weeks later, Ada noticed the real transformation wasn’t just in her space — it was in her spirit. She woke with clarity, her mornings unhurried. Her mind felt sharper. Friends who visited often commented, “Your home feels so peaceful.” But what they were really noticing was her. She had created harmony between her space and her soul. Her home had become more than a shelter, it had become a sanctuary.
The Home as a Reflection of the Self
We decorate our homes to please the eye, but we forget they also shape the mind. Our walls absorb our emotions. Our spaces echo our pace. A cluttered home breeds overwhelm; an intentional one breeds ease. When we align our environments with how we want to feel, life begins to flow again.
Start small: clear one surface, open one window, bring in one plant. Let light in, both literally and emotionally. When your home breathes, you breathe differently too.
The truth: we don’t just live in our homes; our homes live in us. They hold our energy, our habits, our hopes. And when we care for them with intention, they quietly return the favour.
Peace doesn’t always begin in the mind. Sometimes, it begins in the room you’re sitting in right now.
Dr. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI (aka DR. MAY) popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician, Advocate & Coach. She is the convener of “The Mental Health Conference” and the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Dr. Kadiri is a dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing Physician.