(ThyBlackMan.com) Throughout history, the home has been one of the most important constants in human evolution. Regardless of geographical location or local culture, home has always been an idea embedded in human consciousness, a place for rest where we come back to catch our breath, reconnect with family and reconnect with ourselves.
The terms “home” and “house” have always been interchangeable, but in modern times the divide between them is getting bigger. As revealed by a recent Ikea report, more and more people do not feel at home where they live and try to seek that homely feeling somewhere else.
In 2014, Ikea started doing annual research on how people relate to various aspects of their homes, including morning routines, food habits and relationships with family. This year, they asked participants a much deeper question: how at home do they feel at home? Their answers reveal a disquieting reality of urban life.
35% of participants don’t feel like they belong in their homes
In 2016, Ikea asked a similar question and 20% of participants answered that they felt at home in places other than whey they
lived. This year, that percentage was 15% higher. 35% of respondents said that their place of residence does not make them feel at ease and that they frequently seek solace in parks, schools or in their cars.
What is even more concerning is that more than half of participants said that their home fails to offer them a sense of security and peacefulness and that they feel better if they go somewhere else to have a moment with themselves. According to researchers, this tendency is more pronounced in urban environments, and it’s important to look at these figures from a mental health perspective as well.
Why do people feel disconnected from their homes?
Although the results of the last Ikea study where constant in that urban inhabitants feel more and more disconnected from their homes, the reasons why they feel like this are diverse:
- Lack of security. Security doesn’t refer to how safe a neighborhood is, but rather to how grounded and stable individuals feel in their homes. Young people in particular explained that they are changing homes and moving from city to city a lot, which prevents them from connecting with their living spaces and feeling a sense of security.
____ - Lack of comfort. More and more homeowners feel that their homes are not physically comfortable. Whether they are small, cramped, or insufficiently renovated, they fail to make living there a pleasure. Fortunately, this is the easiest problem to solve, as beautiful, affordable furniture is readily available and initiatives such as the Home Reno Rebate Program make it possible for homeowners to achieve a satisfactory level of comfort on a budget. There is also a strong connection between home comfort and mental health. According to psychologists, living in a house with poor lighting, improper facilities and outdated appliances can cause feelings of isolation and discomfort, which in the long run can lead to anxiety and depression. With this in mind, buying new furniture or starting a complex home renovation project becomes an act of self-care that improves the connection you have with your home.
____ - Lack of privacy. Due to the structure of urban living areas and sky-rocketing property prices, people are living closer than ever before. Although this brings convenience, it also causes a lack of privacy. Individuals who share their homes with relatives or with roommates feel they cannot be themselves at home and they cannot express themselves properly. This lack of privacy is emphasized in the U.S. and Western Europe, which have the highest number of Airbnb hosts and people often resort to sharing their homes with strangers to get a boost in revenue. 33% of participants explained that the people with whom they share the home make them feel uncomfortable and that they feel the need to extend their home with other places.
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- Lack of ownership. At first, this may sound like living in a rental property means feeling disconnected from your home because you are not the owner on paper. In fact, ownership refers to the level of control participants felt they had over their living space. For example, some people responded that they feel at home in their rented apartment where they leave alone because they can decide how to decorate and renovate it, while others who lived with extended family said that they had no control over shaping the house to match their personality, which made them feel disconnected.
To strengthen the connection with our homes, experts recommend starting with small changes both inside and outside it, by creating physical and mental spaces that are truly yours and by developing shared living experiences with the people who share your living space. Making these changes is crucial in the modern world; as our lifestyle becomes more and more agitated, having a stable place to call home helps us maintain mindfulness and stay grounded.
Staff Writer; Jason Ford