Staying indoors may feel safe and cozy, but these positive sensations can eventually be replaced by psychological stress and potentially even negative thoughts. Here are some health risks associated with spending too much time indoors.
1. Psychological Stress result from Being Indoors too much
Most people start to feel discomfort or boredom after a few days at home. Continuous indoor living limits access to the natural world, leading to repetitive actions and emotions day after day. This can result in sluggish feeling and mentally draining.
Even when staying indoors entirely, exposure to sunlight or wind outside the windows, hearing birdsong, the rustle of leaves outside can improve mood and alleviate psychological stress. Research shows that contact with natural environments can increase vitality by up to 40%, while staying indoors for prolonged periods has the opposite effect.
2. Increasing Likelihood of Smoking and Drinking
The risk of developing habits like smoking and drinking is higher, particularly among teenagers.
Additionally, many in this group show signs of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Prolonged indoor living can result in poor overall health and an increased risk of chronic diseases in their entire life.
3. Spending Excessive Time on Electronics devices uselessly
Endless time indoors often leads to spending more hours on using phones and other electronic devices for gaming or social media. Of course, texting and chatting online initially help one feel more connected when they can’t be with others. However, when spending too much time on watching or easily knowing each other’s news, people unintentionally become more distant.
Studies indicate that excessive use of electronic devices can lead to overstimulation, contributing to mental health disorders such as stress and depression. Furthermore, spending time on devices can take away from time for beneficial activities for mental health, like exercise, work or school focus, or meaningful social interactions.
4. Sleep-Wake Cycle Disorders as a Consequence of Staying Indoors Too Much
The surrounding environment plays a significant role in forming a person’s sleep-wake cycle. Therefore, the harms of staying indoors too much, or just the depression and psychological stress from being indoors a lot, can cause insomnia. Thus, staying indoors continuously for a long time will not only affect people’s mood during the day but also make them toss and turn at night.
And that’s not the only factor. Even if you feel emotionally fine, the lack of time spent outdoors can disrupt the biological sleep-wake cycle. According to a study, natural light plays an important role in helping the body maintain a normal wake-sleep rhythm. Therefore, the lack of exposure to the outside environment can affect this rhythm and make it harder for the body to sleep well.
5. Reducing Vitamin D Absorption
The body can produce a certain amount of vitamin D, which is involved in the formation, building, and strengthening of the skeleton from birth to adulthood when exposed to sunlight daily. Therefore, depending on the diet, the harm of staying indoors too much can also cause nutrient deficiencies. This is especially true for older adults and people with darker skin, who cannot produce vitamin D from sunlight effectively.
It is unclear from what point the lack of sunlight exposure will affect vitamin D levels, but spending just 10 to 30 minutes in the sun most days of the week is enough to maintain appropriate levels. Conversely, spending less time outdoors can create vitamin D deficiency, leading to bone density loss and an increased risk of osteoporosis. Moreover, low vitamin D levels can also be associated with chronic health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
6. Changing to one’s Appetite
Daily circadian rhythms can also affect appetite. Due to less physical activity, people may feel less hungry than usual or may lose their appetite.
Additionally, some people tend to crave junk food while skipping main meals. Maintaining this lifestyle for a long time can lead to weight problems.
To combat stress-related eating when staying indoors for extended periods, remember to maintain proper nutritional habits, keep up with regular activities, work, physical exercise, and rest. This can increase energy needs and prevent overweight and obesity.
7. The immune system can be weakened
Loneliness and psychological stress from staying indoors a lot are two feelings that can reach an all-time high when a person doesn’t leave the house for a long time. Both can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to germs.
Additionally, researchers have found a link between loneliness and inflammation, which can increase the risk of chronic diseases in the long run.
8. Indoor Air Pollution
When staying indoors full-time, especially in a completely sealed space that only takes in air from the air conditioner, if the air conditioner does not filter properly, the indoor air can pose many risks.
Although it is easy to convince oneself that the air conditioner is filtering the air through specialized filters, polluted air is completely undetectable by smell or sight and is an illusion created merely by the cold indoor air.
Furthermore, air conditioners can only retain large pollutants, not small microorganisms such as dust, mold, pollen, and pet dander, which can cause upper respiratory infections such as colds, coughs, and chronic sinusitis.
In summary, Although limiting gatherings in the community and increasing indoor time is an important way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it does not mean that people need to stay indoors for many days or weeks continuously. Because the harm of staying indoors too much is concerning, people can and should try to go outside safely and follow pandemic regulations for the benefit of their mental and physical health.
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