With the conflicts in Ukraine and the rise in electricity prices, the government advises energy sobriety. Unfortunately, the question of heating your home did not already arise for everyone! Turning on the heating is certainly expensive, but it is our psychological health that is at risk. Indeed, a study from the UK Hushold Longitudinal Study shows that a person who lives in a cold environment is twice as likely to develop serious mental distress, even without a history of mental disorders!
Being cold at home: mental health impacted
The ideal temperature for a home is between 19 and 21 degrees, but according to the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), only 1 third of French people reach this temperature in winter! The reasons are multiple, poor insulation, too high bills, energy crisis, heating has become complicated. As we all try to follow the energy sobriety suggested by the government, a British study published without the journal Science Direct announces that our efforts have an impact on our well-being and our health.
Indeed, experiencing too low a temperature in our interior increases our chances of causing serious mental distress! No doubt, the risk of developing mental problems increases if you live in the cold! People without a history of mental disorders are not spared and can become anxious and stressed! On the other hand, this risk of appearance of psychological disorders would even be tripled in the event of a history.
Living in a cold environment: source of stress
This new study does not encourage turning off the heating in a home during the winter. Can’t stand being cold at home? It’s normal ! A source of stress, living in the cold can quickly have a negative impact on morale. Fear of falling ill, stress of turning on the heating and discovering your electricity bills, the loss of control over their own environment is total and the person can only suffer the situation. Have you ever noticed that the cold makes you moody?
Not only can not feeling your hands no longer affect sleep, but it can prevent you from carrying out daily activities, but also from receiving people at home. Worse, have you had the opportunity to shower in a cold bathroom? Are your feet still frozen? It is imperative to find solutions to warm up! Being cold all the time is a far from pleasant experience and can lead to serious mental distress!
Do not turn on the heating: not all equal
For several years, the number of unheated homes has been growing. Between the price of energy which continues to increase, the question of global warming and the government’s request to reduce our energy consumption and housing without insulation to standards, the situation is deteriorating! Unfortunately, we are not all equal when it comes to the cold. The British study specifies that some are more vulnerable to the absence of heating.
Indeed, “Children, the elderly, stay-at-home parents, and people with long-term illnesses endure more in cool, poorly heated homes. explain the researchers. In 2022, 1 in 5 French people say they have suffered from the cold at home, a figure that is constantly increasing and a real ordeal for the chilly who suffer from low winter temperatures and can no longer stop stressing!
