Why Being A Homebody Isn't Actually A Bad Thing
Being a homebody is a huge controversy in today's society. You might've heard that homebodies are lazy, dull, and non-adventurous, but they're the most well-centered folk in reality. Some people find themselves thriving while staying home, while others might feel trapped and claustrophobic by the thought of hardly going anywhere. Being a homebody is good for your mental and physical well-being. Even though it's recommended to get out and enjoy the sun, you can still do that from the comfort of your home. For example, you can set up an at-home workout room to get in the exercise you need for the day and a lounging area outside to get a good amount of sun.
If you feel guilty for enjoying your time at home or think you should go out more, we're here to remind you that staying inside and indulging in the things you love is okay. It's normal to feel the pressure of having to be doing something all the time when we look at people we follow on social media. They're always out doing fun things and spending money, but if you feel like being around people is draining or you'd rather save money, you can have a lot of fun at home. Your life doesn't completely stop because you're not going to a new restaurant every night. There are many positive factors to being a homebody, and here are a few of them.
Boosts your mental health
Being a homebody can boost your mental health by allowing you to focus on your needs. You might need more time to relax and get your energy levels high before you're ready to hang out with friends. The alone time you have at home makes it easier to recharge. You're surrounded by all your favorite things, which creates a calm and serene environment for you to think and feel freely. Going out and socializing can be daunting, so folks who enjoy being at home would rather curl up with a good book and drink some tea. Home becomes a sanctuary where you're in control over how you like certain things to be.
You can just be yourself in the comfort of your home. People often feel pressured to dress up and wear a full face of makeup every time they leave the house. However, being at home removes that pressure; you can dress however you want and embrace your natural skin. Feeling good in your skin makes you feel more confident, which boosts your mental health.
Create a healthy lifestyle
When you're at home more, you have more time to cook, which for some folks can be difficult if they don't like cooking or don't know how to cook. However, for people who enjoy staying at home and like learning new things, it's the perfect time to buy a cookbook to try some new recipes. You might've seen a tasty TikTok dish you've wanted to make. In addition, you can control what you eat and make healthier decisions by cooking at home. Opt for foods that give you energy throughout the day when you go grocery shopping. Follow healthy food recipes that offer excellent nutritional benefits that taste delicious.
If you struggle with having a set eating routine, meal-prepping foods you love can help you get into one. You have more time to make meals throughout the day when you're at home. Having a routine to follow makes everything fall into place and will lift your mood.
Be more productive
You'd be surprised how much you can get done when you spend more time at home. If you work from home, you might have to do multiple things at once for your job to get everything done on time. Multitasking when you work remotely can help you be more productive outside of work, especially when you're at home. You'll be able to handle work, laundry, dishes, and meal prep after you're done working, instead of going to a physical work location for eight hours, then going home, then trying to get as much done, which can make you more tired.
However, multitasking can be tricky. You don't want to overwhelm yourself by doing all the things that need to get done in one go. Writing out a list of everything that needs to be done and breaking it into categories you can do over the week will make starting and finishing tasks easier. For example, doing laundry is easy to do while you're cleaning the kitchen since it doesn't require all of your attention the entire time. As a result, you'll be able to keep your home clean when you do various tasks after work.
Save money
If you've been trying to save money for a while, staying at home can help keep extra cash in your pocket. The more you go out, you're prone to spend more money, especially on things you don't necessarily need. For example, your Target runs turn into buying takeout for dinner, meaning you're driving around more, so you have to buy more gas for your car. The little things add up right before our eyes, but when we're at home, we don't go from store to store, making it easier to stay under our budget.
The one thing to watch out for is online shopping; it could make you go over your budget. It's easy to scroll through TikTok to see what's trending and be influenced by what other people have bought that we feel the need to buy it too. But, if you have strong willpower not to buy the cute things you see online, you'll see a difference in your spending habits.
You're helping the environment
By spending your time on your couch, you reduce your carbon footprint. More carbon emissions are released into the air when you drive your car, take the bus, or take a taxi. Staying at home reduces those carbon emissions, which helps the environment. If more people enjoyed more of their time at home, there would be a drastic change in the release of carbon emissions. We would only have to worry about getting massive businesses to cut back on their carbon emission use.
If you're a homebody, you can find other ways to help lower your carbon footprint around your house. According to NRDC, "Boosting energy efficiency in buildings, vehicles, and appliances and equipment is an inexpensive, low-impact way to reduce climate pollution on a grand scale." For example, taking shorter showers and installing a water-efficient showerhead will decrease water use. Instead of using your dryer all the time, opt to line-dry your clothes to let them air dry. In addition to the tumble dryer, when you wash your clothes, use the eco setting and lower temperatures to save energy. Using energy-efficient appliances will lower your energy bills by up to $500 a year via NRDC, so you'll save money in the long run.
Build stronger connections with family and friends
Spending more time at home is a great time to create stronger bonds and connections with family and friends. Living at home with your parents allows you to have more family dinners, light-hearted conversations, and movie nights. In addition, you'll be able to talk to them about your future plans and have someone to talk to at any time of the day.
Living alone has pros and cons; if you don't like being completely alone, having your friends over a few days out of the week can give you some company. You'll be able to create long-lasting friendships with them the more time you spend with them. Set up different game nights to have something to do with your friends. When you have nights in with friends, you'll notice that you prefer the quiet hum of voices over the loud shouts you would hear if you were to go out on the weekends.