Celebs make us home sick

Young householders are the ones most likely to be struck by a new home health concern diagnosed by a health expert and aptly named Irritable Home Syndrome that is taking hold across the UK. The survey carried out by Henley Centre HeadlightVision for leading home furnishings retailer IKEA UK, shows that the strongest symptoms are among 25-35 year olds.

Bombarded by images of luxury lifestyles, home makeovers and celebrity homes, the pressure to keep up home appearances leaves almost one in five of us feeling stressed, depressed or worried by negative feelings about where we live* according to Health psychologist David Moxon.

David Moxon believes that, as our homes are increasingly seen as a reflection of our personalities, we are becoming increasingly affected by negative feelings about where we live. Alongside worries about rising home costs and the pressure to improve our home decor and furnishings, he believes that celebrity culture is increasing the problem: “Our obsession with celebrity has gone from the red carpet to the bedroom carpet, we’re constantly fed unrealistic expectations about achieving celebrity status and we’re now seeing a similar effect as people try to copy celebrity home styles they’ve seen on TV, online and in magazines.

“In their late 20s and early 30s, many are clearly stressed to find that they are not able to ‘have it all’ in their homes. They’ve had the designer handbags, jeans and fragrances but now find that designer homes are not within their reach - and that depresses them. They need to realise that it’s not only unrealistic to think they can sing like a chart topper it’s equally unrealistic and unhealthy, to think they can copy the interior design of a celebrity’s multi-million pound home. They need to look at what home really means, whilst the colour of their walls and size of their flatscreen are important, what’s essential is the understanding that home is the one place they can call their own, miss when they’re away and retreat to in times of solace.”

According to the survey, conducted to mark the launch of the new IKEA 2009 catalogue, well over 40% of the householders affected by the stress of their homes actually place problems such as repairs, decor and clutter ahead of mortgage concerns. In addition, across all age groups, dull decor and clutter drives 16% of people out of the house – and that’s three times as many as those who sneak out to avoid a visit from their in-laws!

David Moxon explains how the symptoms develop: “The daily frustration of living with poor decor, cluttered rooms and tired furnishings clearly can bring people’s spirits down. Many young homeowners are then compounding that problem by comparing their homes to unrealistic dream home images. But don’t forget, a home is an emotional state too. A luxury house doesn’t necessarily mean the celebrity is any happier than you.”

David Moxon’s top five warning signs of Irritable Home Syndrome:

1. Deliberately wanting to spend as little time in the home as possible - that includes staying longer at work, going out every evening and eating out a lot

2. Housework neglect and clutter - totally ignoring the cleaning and tidying, a feeling of apathy towards household chores

3. Constantly feeling the urge to move furniture and other items around and never being content with the outcome

4. Always comparing your home with other people’s and feeling saddened and frustrated by this process

5. Reluctance to invite people around or host social events in your home – on odd occasions that you do have friends round, you spend the evening apologising for the state of your home

Five ways to fight the syndrome – cognitive behavioural techniques:

1. Firstly, get in touch with the way your home makes you feel, what emotions does it evoke in you

2. Try to identify precisely what it is about your home that you dislike - to keep it as objective as possible, get a close friend to help

3. Next, make a list of corrections/alterations that would rectify the problems – be realistic! This isn’t necessarily about flexing the credit card

4. Cost-out the re-vamp - remember, in many cases it may simply involve throwing things out, tidying and organising

5. Now you have a plan, work though it systematically and stick to it. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with gloom regarding your home, be pro-active, take control

For further information, visitors to ikeaplanyourhome.co.uk can take part in an online Irritable Home Syndrome quiz that provides advice on how to help fight Irritable Home Syndrome by making the best possible use of every room in the home.