How To Live Like A Millionaire Today: Sight!

I’m going to be moving in a few months to a new place in Dublin! It’s all very exciting and has got me thinking about aesthetics. It’s a well known fact that the environment we inhabit plays a big part in determining our mood. Don’t get me wrong, there a lot of internal work we can do to shift our levels of happiness and contentment. We can use affirmations, Stoic philosophy, meditation, Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing technique and so on to take control of our own emotional state, however there’s no doubt that a pleasing environment goes a long way to improving how we feel. It’s a whole lot easier to practice our healthful habits when the immediate circumstance is supportive of that.

Ask yourself “What is it that makes a millionaire’s experience different to mine?” It’s not the money. Okay it is the money, but it’s not about the amount, it’s what they use it for! Millionaires use their money to improve their sensory experience. They surround themselves with beautiful visual treats, they eat the tastiest food, they listen to their favorite music through the best systems or enjoy complete silence, they utilize perfumes, incenses and candles to improve the aroma of their environment and they wear clothes and purchase furnishings that feel good to the touch. Many of us put off this kind of sensory pleasure in the present, telling ourselves “We’ll do that when we have enough money”. But the truth is we always have enough money to improve our sensory experience to some degree. And from what we know of the many benefits of living and working in a pleasing environment, it’s well worth our while to make it a priority!

We have 5 primary senses and over the next couple of weeks I’ll be publishing 5 posts, one dedicated each sense and how to make the most of it with a few simple ideas. We’ll begin with sight, and how to use color, art, imagery, light and accessories to boost our visual stimulation to pomote a positive and creative mood!

The Power of Color

As I read more about interior design and indoor painting, I get a greater understanding of the importance of the colors we expose ourselves to. Light blues are said to have a calming and productive effect, reducing blood pressure and lowering heart rate and respiration. This can be good for a work space or office. Darker blues can have a depressive effect however, so watch out. Reds can evoke sexuality, passion and creativity. But crimsons and darker reds can create a feeling of aggression, irritation and hostility in some people! Greens are said to be best for bedrooms as they are the most restful color to the human eye and promote health and tranquility. Yellow is the most energetic and exciting color. It promotes activity and happiness. The colors we surround ourselves with have a huge influence on our emotional state! With a bit of thought we can match the right colors with the appropriate living spaces to promote the function of the room, and get the best our of our environment and ourselves. Painting an interior is a big job, but even changing furnishings like bed spreads, sofa throws, chairs, tables, lamps and so on will go some way to changing the mood of the room.

Hang It On The Wall

It has never been easier to buy high quality prints of whatever image you like than it is today thanks to digital printing and the internet. We can have Van Goghs and Rembrandts in any size we like delivered to our door for less than the price of dinner and a movie. Whether it’s a work of fine art, a beautiful natural panorama or some stylish black and white photography, placing these kinds of pleasing images throughout our homes enhances our mood immensely and fills us with joy. The millionaires might have the original but we can all have a pretty snazzy, high quality print framed for a very affordable price if we’re prepared to shop around.

Plants and Water

Not only do indoor plants look great, they also come with a host of additional benefits. House plants have been shown to reduce colds by 30% thanks to their ability to increase humidity and reduce dust, they purify the air by removing toxins from the atmosphere and they make breathing easier by producing oxygen through photosynthesis. Studies conducted in hospitals and classrooms have shown that when plants are present healing and academic focus are greatly increased! Water features like table top fountains are great too. Not only is it pleasurable and calming to watch flowing water, but indoor fountains produce negative ions which clean the air of pollutants and impurities like dust, this allows us to breath healthier and is especially good for those with allergies. Negative ions also effect the bloodstream positively and can increase serotonin levels, reducing stress and anxiety!

Let There Be Light

Everyone knows that it’s a good idea to get as much natural sunlight as possible into our homes. Not only does it save electricity, but sunlight also contains vitamin D. Exposure to direct and indirect sunlight has health benefits, but expose skin to the sun for too long and we all know the dangers. Sun burn and melanomas are no fun. So it’s a good idea, wherever we can to allow the sunlight to fill our living spaces as much as possible. The vitamin D in sunlight is known to increase happiness in a big way. But there is also something we can do to improve the electric light in our homes as well. Chances are many of you reading this have florescent lights in your home. They are the cheapest option and are the most energy efficient; they certainly have their advantages. However studies have shown that fluorescent lights, as compared to incandescent or halogen lights, can cause, or exacerbate problems for certain people. These include: Aggression, ALS, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, CFS/ME, Cancer, Reduced concentration, Confusion, Diabetes, Dermatitis, Dental caries, Dizziness, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Eczema, Electro-hypersensitivity, Epilepsy, Eye irritation, Eye strain, Fatigue Headaches, Hyperactivity, Irritability, Learning difficulties, Lupus, Reduced muscle strength, MS, Nausea, Photosensitivity and Xeroderma pigmentosum.

Yeah, that’s a big list! Swapping out your fluorescent lights for halogens can help if you experience any of these. Halogen lights are also used to display artwork, artifacts, sculptures and minerals as color appears more vibrant under light from a halogen bulb. Halogen bulbs can also be dimmed, and turn on right away when switched on, instead of having to “warm up” like fluorescent lights do.

Conclusions

You may not be here yet, but you can stick it on your wall today!

The idea of this post is not to get you to run out and buy a bunch of stuff. Nor is it about ignoring our important internal work towards happiness and contentment. It’s about shifting our way of looking at things, and changing our priorities. It’s fine to plan ahead and put some things off in order to reach a goal. But our immediate environment has a great passive effect on our mood, emotional state and our ability to reach those goals! It’s always worth putting a little effort into improving our surroundings, and with a little thought it can be done cheaply and easily. You may not have the millions, but you can still treat yourself and your immediate environment with the same level of respect that the millionaires do! Check back soon for the next sense

What do you do to make your environment more sensually pleasing?

Thanks for reading! All the best

Rohan.

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