The summer time is usually a period of happiness and enjoyment. You spend more time outside in the sun and you just feel like you have more energy. When the shorter colder days of winter approach however, a lot of peoples mood shifts. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a recognized condition that affects around 2% of the population and around 10% of people report symptoms. These include feelings of unhappiness, tiredness and feeling unwell…although there are many more.What causes this is not known exactly, but we do know that one of the major influences is lower light levels in winter causing brain and body chemical communication errors. If light levels drop below a certain point, the eyes send a message to the brain which assumes it is night time and prepares the body for sleep by making you tired and weary.

All is not lost however, you can fight the effects of seasonal depression by giving a little thought to the furniture you buy and where you place it. Living room and additionally bedroom furniture are often the most important to get right as these are the rooms that we spend most of our time in. Getting white furniture like white wardrobes, tables and chairs will increase the amount of light that is reflected around the room and will have a large impact on mood. Another tip is to place reflective ornaments around the room such as crystal glass and mirrored objects, that further scatter light into darker areas.

A minimal approach to furniture is also a good idea as this helps open up rooms and reduces the feeling of being cluttered.Not only does less furniture been you won’t bump into stuff as much when you move around, but additionally the light that enters the room bumps into less things and this makes the room brighter. Light reflection is also enhanced by covering your walls in light and bright paint or wall paper.

Some ideas for reducing the amount of furniture you have include only having your dining table large enough for everyday use and taking away or adding chairs if and when you need them. In the kitchen you can reduce clutter to open up the space by storing away things like glass vases and pans when they are not in use.