January 8, 2019
Your Home and How You Live – Psychology at Work!
Have you ever been curious about what your house (and how you live in it) says about you? Hidden clues to your personality are everywhere, and you may not know how to identify them. Want some hints? Let’s take a look at what others see when they check out your house and what you do when you’re in it!
A Colorful Welcome
It’s true…a first impression is a lasting and meaningful thing! Your front door lets everyone who approaches your home know how you view the world. Are you outgoing, fun-loving, and don’t worry much about what others think? Chances are your front door is red. If it is green, you’re more likely to embrace traditional values. Blue doors are popular choices for people who are comfortable in their own skin; adaptable and likely to get along well with others. If your front door is black, you tend to be reserved, with a conservative, calm outlook.
Décor and More
Your wall art may be showing your hidden neuroses. Anxious, stressed-out people often decorate their walls with plaques and posters featuring inspirational quotes and calming photos of landscapes and animals. These “uplifters” help them through difficult days.
If you scatter throw pillows throughout your home, the patterns give visitors clues about your outlook as well. Big, bold floral prints show confidence and a tendency toward pushing boundaries in conversation. Polka-dots show your playful side, animal prints bring out your inner creativity and geometric designs are favored by a Type-A personalities.
Firmer seating surfaces are favored by those who like to haggle and always negotiate for a better deal. The softer the seats, the more likely it is that you’re dealing with someone who is more willing to compromise.
Purple, red and pink décor in the bedroom encourages intimacy, and can lead to a more active love life, while white and beige color schemes tend to put a chill on romance.
And can you tell instantly if a home is owned by a millennial? You sure can. Most millennials are more comfortable taking selfies and seeing themselves on social media, so they don’t have the reluctance to have a variety of photos of themselves scattered throughout their homes that other generations do. Older folks were raised to believe that displaying a lot of photos of themselves was a bit self-important…maybe even tacky.
Storage Tells All
Have you peeked under your bed lately? Most people have something under their beds, ranging from storage boxes to unpaired shoes to dust bunnies. If you’re one of the few that doesn’t, it could mean that you’re experiencing a higher level of anxiety than most people. The more anxious someone is, the more likely they are to want to have a higher level of control over their environment – including areas most never see.
If your closet is stuffed full of suits long after your office has gone business casual, you have the last five bridesmaid’s dresses you had to wear, and half the items you own no longer fit, you could be hanging on to fond memories associated with objects rather than being objective about their actual use. Snap a photo of your favorites and ship them off to your local charity shop.
Your sock drawer is the ultimate answer to just how detail-oriented you are. Studies show that the people who are most organized in their day to day lives tend to have the messiest sock drawers. Does this seem backwards? Not really. Psychologists say that highly organized people tend to prioritize their activities more successfully, using their energies and skills to streamline more important aspects of their lives.
Days of our Lives
Are you a creative type? Most people have better ideas when they’re surrounded by a messy or disorderly environment. But don’t worry if you prefer a clean and organized room - it leads to an increased level of generosity.
Do you make your bed every morning? If so, you’re more likely to enjoy your job and exercise more regularly than those who don’t. The popular explanation is that happy people tend to strive for a more organized life. (But I’m sure at least half of the people reading this don’t buy into this theory!)
Craving long showers or baths? You may be lonely and craving human contact. The warmth and comfort of warm water is often used to take the place of personal interaction.
Is your house full of books and magazines? It’s likely that your children tend to read at a higher level than their friends. Nothing is a better indicator of a child’s ability to excel at reading and writing than a home full of books – including income and education level. Children who live in homes with at least 100 books usually read 1.5 grade levels above those with only a few books in the house.
