Health effects of staying at home too much

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Staying at home can give a feeling of security, warmth. But then, these feelings of euphoria can begin to be replaced by the psychological stress of being indoors, potentially even negative thoughts. Here are the harmful effects of staying indoors too much.

1. Psychological stress from staying at home a lot

Most people will start to feel uncomfortable or depressed after a few days at home. Staying indoors all the time, people lose access to the natural world, and that means actions and emotional experiences are the same day in and day out. Eventually, you will feel stagnant, down.
Even when completely indoors, feeling the sun or wind outside the window or listening to the birdsong, the sound of leaves outside is also a measure to improve mood, relieve psychological stress because staying in much in the house. One study found that being exposed to nature boosted vitality by up to 40% while spending time indoors had the opposite effect.

2. Increase the likelihood of smoking and drinking

The risk of developing and forming the habit of smoking and drinking alcohol is likely to happen, especially for teenagers.
Moreover, not a few of these people showed psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. In the long run, a segment of people who stay indoors for extended periods of time will show poor overall health and be at risk for chronic disease throughout their lives.

3. Spend more time on electronics unnecessarily

Endless time indoors means that people are more likely to spend more hours using their phones, technology devices to play video games or social media. Of course, texting and chatting online will help you feel more connected at first when you can't be around other people. However, when people spend too much time watching each other or too easily to know each other's news, people will inadvertently become more distant.
Some studies show that excessive electronic device use can lead to saturation and overstimulation, which contributes to many mental health disorders, including stress and depression. What's more, when a person spends time on their phones, it often takes time away from other activities that can improve mental health - like exercise, focusing on work or school, or interactions. meaningful social support.

4. Disturbed sleep-wake cycle is harmful to staying indoors too much

Ambient environment plays an important role in shaping a person's sleep circadian rhythm. Therefore, the harm of staying at home too much, or just depression and psychological stress because of staying at home a lot, can make you lose sleep. So, staying indoors for a long time will not only affect people's mood during the day, but people will find themselves tossing and turning at night.
And that's not the only factor. Even when you feel emotionally fine, a lack of time outdoors can mess up your circadian cycle of wakefulness and sleep. According to a study, natural light plays an important role in helping the body maintain a normal sleep-wake rhythm. Therefore, the lack of exposure to the outside environment can make them affected and make it more difficult for the body to sleep well.

5. Reduced absorption of vitamin D levels

The body can produce a certain amount of vitamin D, participate in the formation and construction, strengthen the skeleton from birth to adulthood when exposed to sunlight every day. So, depending on the diet, the harmful effects of being indoors too much can also cause nutrient deficiencies. That's especially true for older adults and people with darker skin, who can't efficiently produce vitamin D from sunlight.
It is not clear from what point a lack of sun exposure will affect vitamin D levels, just spending 10 to 30 minutes in the sun most days of the week is enough to maintain satisfactory levels fit. Conversely, less time outdoors can create a vitamin D deficiency, causing loss of bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis. Furthermore, low D levels can also be associated with chronic health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

6. Change your appetite

Daily circadian rhythms can also affect appetite. Due to being sedentary, people may feel less hungry than usual or may lose their appetite.
Besides, some people tend to be addicted to junk food while skipping main meals. Keeping this lifestyle for a long time can cause weight problems.
To combat the stress of eating when you have to stay at home a lot, remember to maintain proper nutrition habits, maintain regular activity, work, physical exercise and rest habits even if you have to. indoor. This can increase the level of energy needs, prevent overweight and obesity.

7. The immune system may be weakened

Loneliness and the psychological stress of being indoors a lot are two feelings that can reach all-time highs when a person is not out of the house for long periods of time. Both can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to bacterial infections.
Plus, researchers have found a link between loneliness and inflammation, which can increase your risk of chronic disease in the long run.

8. Indoor stagnant air pollution

When staying indoors full-time, especially when the indoor space is completely closed, only taking air from the air conditioner, if the air conditioner is not clean, the air inside is potentially dangerous.
Although it is easy to convince yourself that the air conditioner is filtering the air through specialized filters, polluted air is completely impossible to smell or see but only an illusion created released by cold indoor air.
Furthermore, air conditioners can only trap large pollutants, not small microorganisms, such as dust, mold, pollen, pet hair that can cause respiratory infections upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds and coughs and chronic sinusitis.
In summary, while limiting community gatherings, increasing time indoors is an important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it does not mean that people really need to stay indoors. home for days or weeks in a row. Since the harmful effects of staying indoors too much are so concerning, everyone can and should try to safely leave their homes regularly, in compliance with epidemic prevention regulations, for the sake of both mental and physical well-being. own.

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References: livestrong.com, walkinlab.com, indiatimes.com, jcmh.org, caregiver.org