Are We Influenced by Our Surroundings?

Do our surroundings really make that much of a difference on our lives? Obviously, we know that in extreme cases it does. A person living in severe poverty is going to experience life much differently than a person living in a mansion. What about general issues? For instance, the kind of people we spend time with or the order or disorder of our home. Do these things have an affect on us?

These things do in fact have an influence on us. In what ways? Primarily in mental and emotional ways. To help you understand this better, some of the primary ways our surroundings affect us are discussed below.

Negative vs. Optimistic People

If you are constantly exposed to someone who complains, criticizes, or is angry quite often, you will either begin acting the same or feel miserable in their presence. Of course the opposite is also true, when we are around people that have a brighter opinion of life and talk about positive and uplifting things. We usually feel good around them.

It's clear that the company we keep makes a difference. You're more likely to reach your goals if you are around people that encourage and believe in you as opposed to people that tell you you'll never be able to do it.

Clutter vs. Organization

Who do you know that actually feels good about the clutter in their home? When you live in clutter, your mind feels cluttered and overwhelmed, and you usually end up with even more clutter. I'm not saying that we all need to become clean freaks, but it's obvious that living in a disorganized and dirty home has a negative effect on the way we feel. Just think about it, how do you feel when you come home from a long day of work, and the place is a mess? On the other hand, when you walk through the door and everything's sparkling and in order, you feel a lot more like relaxing don't you?

What about the things we watch and listen to?

If you spend a lot of time watching shows about murder, health risks, family problems, and other negative subjects, you probably feel anxious, afraid, and upset most of the time. If you listen to depressing or angry music, it's going to enhance those feelings in you. However, if you watch shows that are humorous, light hearted, or have a positive focus, you'll feel more at ease and content.

To sum it up

These are just a few ways we are influenced by our surroundings. I'm not saying that these things are to blame for the way we feel, but they do tend to enhance already unpleasant feelings we may have inside. They bring out the worst in us. That's why it's important to appeal to our better side, the side that feels good. If you find that you spend too much time with negative people, live in clutter, or focus most of your attention on unpleasant things, you might want to consider ways that you can begin changing this.

Try bringing up positive subjects with the people you spend time with. If this doesn't improve their attitude when they are with you, you might need to avoid them while they are on a negative rampage.

Maybe it is time for you to come up with a plan of action to rid your home of clutter (for information on how to eliminate clutter from your home for good, see the link on the left listed under resources). Perhaps you'll want to reconsider what you watch and listen to most of the time.

Negative emotional states produce negative experiences in our lives. We may not always know how to eliminate the unpleasant thoughts and emotions, but we can begin by doing something about our surroundings. Look around you. Is there anything that could be creating problems for you?