October is Mental Health Awareness Month in South Africa. While mental well-being is shaped by far more than our surroundings, the spaces we spend time in can still affect how comfortable or rested we feel.
Also see: How urban gardening is reshaping mental health and food security
“We tend to notice a room when something is obviously wrong, but smaller things like noise, light, or temperature can also change how that space feels,” says Bianca Leonard, Brand Manager at lifestyle technology specialist Solenco.
1. Air quality
Dust and pollen tend to end up indoors, especially when windows and doors are open throughout the day. If a room is closed up for long periods, the air can also start to feel stale.
A 2025 systematic review of real-world indoor environments found growing evidence linking air quality and other indoor conditions with physiological and psychological responses.
Opening windows when outdoor conditions allow can help refresh the space. Where airborne particles remain a problem, an appropriately sized air purifier can help reduce what is circulating indoors.
Solenco’s home air purifier range includes options using HEPA filtration. If dampness or excess moisture is the concern, that needs to be addressed separately through ventilation or humidity management.
2. Noise levels
A 2025 systematic review found that noise annoyance and disrupted sleep may help explain the link between environmental noise at home and poorer mental-health outcomes.
The irritating part is that we often stop consciously noticing background noise. Traffic outside, a humming appliance, or sound travelling through the house can still make it harder to switch off. Start with whatever bothers you most, particularly around the bedroom.
3. Keep clutter manageable
You do not need to reorganise the whole house. If one area constantly feels busy, clearing the surface you look at most can be enough to make the room feel less overwhelming.
There is some research behind that instinct. A 2025 study involving 501 adults found that greater household clutter was associated with poorer mental well-being, although the study could not establish that clutter itself was the cause.
Also see: The stigma of speaking up: Mental health in South African workplaces
4. Temperature control
Anyone who has tried to sleep through a very hot night knows how quickly temperature can become distracting. A 2024 systematic review looking at real-world sleep found that higher indoor or outdoor temperatures were generally linked with poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep.
Bedrooms are the obvious place to start. If the room regularly becomes too hot at night, shading it during the day or improving airflow before bedtime may help make it more comfortable.
5. Light management
A 2025 review involving more than 556,000 people found that people exposed to more light at night were more likely to report depression. The researchers could not say that the light itself was the cause.
During the day, make the most of natural light where you can. At night, darker bedrooms and fewer unnecessary light sources can make it easier to wind down.
“None of these changes is a treatment for a mental-health condition. They are small ways to make the spaces around us feel more comfortable and supportive. The same thinking can be useful at work too,” says Leonard.
Also see: Free mental health support now a click away for South Africans
Be the first to know – Join our WhatsApp channel for content worth tapping into. Click here to join!
