Why Nervous System Healing Starts Where You Live

Your nervous system healing might have nothing to do with supplements or breathwork, and everything to do with the four walls you come home to every night. Wellness educator and Homes That Heal podcast host Jen Heller reveals how a toxic home environment keeps your limbic system locked in survival mode, and the practical, budget-friendly steps to turn any space into a sanctuary that supports deep regulation. If you're navigating chronic stress, caregiver burnout, or unexplained fatigue that no doctor has solved, this conversation was built for you.

Jen walks us through her own survival story; brain injury, stroke, and the environmental triggers she never saw coming. She shares the PET Framework she developed from interviewing dozens of healing-space experts. You'll hear why the woods test works, what heavy house energy signals, and the one free exercise that costs nothing and creates a measurable nervous system shift before the weekend is over.

This episode pairs perfectly with episode 102 of Homes That Heal, Toxic Homes, Chronic Stress & Healing Spaces: A Story of Survival, and episode 77 of New Normal Big Life, Can Biophilic Design Reset Your Nervous System At Home?

Chapters

• 0:00 Look Inward Before You Buy
• 1:03 Meet Jen And The Sanctuary Idea
• 2:59 Trauma, Stroke, And Environmental Triggers
• 10:52 EMFs, The Woods Test, Body Signals
• 13:14 Limbic System On High Alert
• 14:36 PET Framework And Heavy House Energy
• 19:14 Free First Step With Pen And Paper
• 22:49 Healing Design For Renters And Budgets
• 29:12 Declutter, Simplify, Or Start Fresh
• 33:21 Make The Bedroom A Sleep Sanctuary
• 36:24 Color, Mood, And Room Behavior Shifts
• 38:21 Walk Your Home Like A Guest

Connect With Jen Heller:

Podcast: https://pod.link/1746448155
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JenHellerLifestyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenhellerlifestyle/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560317546116
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-heller-30b8a0126/

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Transcript

Look Inward Before You Buy

Speaker 2 0:00

If you're searching for something in your health, we we need to look inward. And what I mean by that is I sell infrared saunas, I offer modalities for certain health and uh detoxification purposes. So when people call and ask me, Jen, what's the one thing I need to do or need to know? My answer is usually what is your intuition telling you? What is your heart telling you? And it's not usually a thing that you're gonna buy and bring into the home. It's something that you have to maybe remove from the home. Or it's something where we have to look at the energetics of the space. It's probably not out there.

Speaker 0:39

It's probably something inward. Welcome to the New Normal Big Life Podcast. We bring you natural and integrative health information and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside an adventure, along with the step-by-step plan to help you practice what you've learned to create your own new normal and live the biggest life you can dream. I'm your host, Antoinette Berrafato, the Wellness Warrior. Let's get into today's topic.

Meet Jen And The Sanctuary Idea

Speaker 1:03

Welcome to New Normal Big Life Jen Heller. Why don't you tell us who you are, what you do, and the one big thing you want listeners to remember from your expertise today? First of all, thank you so much for inviting me on the show.

Speaker 2 1:15

I'm so grateful and cannot wait for this conversation. I consider myself a wellness educator. Um, I've been in the health and wellness space for nearly two decades, and I would say living out my passion and purpose by helping serve others based on some life challenges and some health challenges that have, you know, crossed my path over the last three, three decades or so. One of the things that I think that I want people to know, and I think we're going to dig pretty deeply into this conversation, is that your home is your sanctuary. And I believe that your home is not only just your home base and where you can feel the most comfortable and the most alive, but it's also the place that you can spend the most time managing how it makes you feel or creating the space so that your nervous system feels safe and alive and aligned so that you can go out into the big world and do all the things that you want to do. But your home is your sanctuary.

Speaker 2:12

I love that. And I'm so excited to unpack this because we're living in spaces that are quietly fueling chronic stress, inflammation, nervous system dysregulation. For anyone walking through caregiver burnout, autoimmune flares, or unexplained fatigue, the toxic home environment you sleep and eat in every night might be the missing piece your doctors never asked about. This is where home design for mental health gets personal. Jen, can you walk us through your own chronic illness survival story and the slow rebuild of a space that supports healing and good health instead of sabotaging it? And what was that journey like in the beginning? How did you get started? And what was the moment you realized the powerful impact our homes play on our health?

Trauma, Stroke, And Environmental Triggers

Speaker 2 2:59

Well, to fully unpack this, I think I need to go back 30 years actually. I just crossed the anniversary last Friday of a 30-year massive explosion where I suffered significant brain injury, hearing loss, and the most trauma I've ever, you know, experienced. It was the most painful and traumatic day of my life. Honestly, I don't know if you and I spoke about that. Uh well, you and I chatted on my show, but really my journey began when I was 15 during that explosion. Now, long story short, obviously I didn't pass that day, but others did. I lost my high school sweetheart, my first boyfriend. There were significant injuries that day to others. And I was fortunately shielded by another person's body. So I had minimal physical debris, but I had massive impact. The blast was heard for miles, but I had brain damage and hearing loss that didn't get treated properly that day. I'm not angry or upset about it. It's just how it was as the EMTs, everyone was on site uh caring for the others. And I said that I'm fine because I was, but fast forward 18 years later, and I had a stroke that paralyzed the left side of the body because from the right side brain damage. But what happened in those 18 years, and it's interesting when I think about this, is like I intuitively knew that my home was my sanctuary when I was a teenager because my parents provided a really safe, healthy environment. After that incident when I was 15, I I won't say I isolated myself, but I spent a lot of time at home with my family, you know, just like really feeling safe in that space. So looking back, that's kind of when it started is that I was able to heal and process through that because of my the home environment my parents created. We lived in, you know, the country, northern Wisconsin. We lived in a really nice neighborhood. I had friends, family, just this loving, nurturing environment. And then fast forward in my 20s, I got married, I built a home in the country, I designed it very specifically to heal relaxing, nurturing, and like a place that my nervous system could continue that healing process. And so then again, like I said, fast forward you know, to the stroke that happened in my early 30s. Again, what that situation revealed was the actual brain damage that took place back in 1996. But what that really solidified for me at that point in time is like again, how important your environment matters, because what what I discovered at that point in time, what was triggering for the stroke was I had moved out of the country and I moved into the city and I was around significant EMF levels and frequencies, and I went from enjoying well water to city water. I went from living in a beautiful home in the country on Acreage to living in an apartment home around other people, smart meters. We later found out there was toxic mold in that building. So there isn't one to blame there. It was a culmination of an ecosystem that kind of triggered my nervous system to say I'm not happy. So again, the stroke became the next catalyst in my life. Like, what did I change? How did this happen? Why did this happen? And I started digging really deeply into all the things I just mentioned, as well as like just the environment, the layers behind the walls, things like that. So that's kind of the path where I'm at now. But moving along the last 15 years is I, because of what I discovered during that stroke, I just I dove deeply into getting back into the country, moving myself back into a healthy environment, understanding what those high-level EMF frequencies meant, honing in on the specific areas of the home that I was spending time and how that had an effect on my nervous system, my inflammation, helping to heal uh the brain injury, as well as air quality, water, all of those things mattered. So that's kind of the path I would say in the last 30 years.

Speaker 7:20

I just want to say I'm so sorry you experienced that trauma. I am really grateful to know that you had support, and that is so key. It's one of the things that most people don't realize about whether or not you will be traumatized or who have post-traumatic stress after a trauma, is all of the things that your family gave you that give you the opportunity to be supported, to be heard, to be seen, to heal on your own time in an environment where your nervous system could decompress and process what you experience, how you feel about it, and what it means for the rest of your life. And I'm really sorry that the medical community failed you. But most of all, I didn't know the entire backstory of how you came to your health journey. But as a longtime listener and fan of your podcast, I did know that you had a big health journey. I'm really proud of the way that you handle it and you set an example for so many people. And I'm so glad you're in this space because you've interviewed dozens of experts on Homeset Heel podcasts and walked an amazing journey of your own. But what's the most overlooked link between the environment and nervous system dysregulation?

Speaker 2 8:43

Well, first of all, thank you again for the kind words. I'm grateful we're friends and that we're both in this space as well. Yeah, it's been a journey. In fact, I just shared on Facebook last week a bit of that story, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of people close to me, like friends, family, who had no idea. Because the reality is, is I don't talk about it a lot because it was painful. And I chose some more quiet healing space. And again, like I said, my family provided a safe space for me to do it in a way that was honoring my nervous system. So I've never shared a ton about it, but talking more about it because the outpouring love that I received back from people was it that's what fuels us, right? Like that's why we do what we do is it's give and receive. So yeah, I'm grateful to be alive. I'm grateful for every day. The one thing that I think, you know, to answer your question, I mean, this is a big question, and I've been thinking about this. It's like because I'm in the space now of consulting and helping people really hone in on what this looks like, and there it's multi-layered. I mean, we'll talk about water, we'll talk about air quality, we'll talk about carpet materials, embedding, bedrooms. But the biggest message I want to convey to people is that if you're searching for something in your health, we we need to look inward. And and what I mean by that is I sell infrared saunas, right? I sell modalities and I offer modalities for people for certain health and uh detoxification purposes. So when people call and ask me, Jen, what's the one thing I need to do or need to know? My answer is usually, what is your intuition telling you? What is your heart telling you? And also, it's not usually a thing that you're gonna buy and bring into the home. It's something that you have to maybe remove from the home, or it's something where we have to look at the energetics of the space. So I guess that's a long way of saying it's probably not out there. It's probably something inward versus something you can buy on Amazon or

EMFs, The Woods Test, Body Signals

Speaker 2 10:52

something online.

Speaker 10:53

If you're into Chinese wisdom and medicine, the meridians that flow through our bodies have an electrical feel to them. And the disruption that EMF signals that come from your electronic devices and especially your smart meter can interfere with that. And so for some people, it's at a level that they really don't notice. And probably those are the same people who have a lot of health challenges already and maybe aren't in tune with their bodies. But for some other people who have health challenges and who do pay careful attention to the messages their bodies give, they are noticing that they feel unwell when their smart meter is sending a signal or receiving a signal.

Speaker 2 11:41

Yeah. And I so what I'll piggyback off that is okay, so the one thing you know that people should look for is paying attention to what's going on. One of the best pieces of advice I give to people, and it's free, it doesn't cost anything, is to get in your car or take the bus or whatever you need to do, ride your bike, go somewhere into the woods, go to a local park, go as deep into the woods as you can on the outskirts of a town, a city, take a drive and go sit in a park, or go sit in the woods, or go walk a trail, or go somewhere where it's literally deafening quiet, where there's no interference, there's nobody else, there are no EMFs. Also, it's important to potentially, if you can, look up online to see if there are any 5G or Wi-Fi cell towers in those areas because that's not an ideal space to be. But get into the woods somewhere and go spend an hour or two or three and sit in that space and really attune to how you feel, because that will actually help you understand when you go back into your home environment, how you feel. And if there's something going on that's interfering with our meridians, because we're energetic beings, we are energetic beings, just like a plant, you know. So a plant that would be outside receiving sunlight, that's how our bodies thrive. So when you go back into your home environment, paying attention to what am I feeling and how is this space making me feel?

Speaker 13:13

Yeah,

Limbic System On High Alert

Speaker 13:14

absolutely. But you know what I love is that the research is catching up to what our ancestral wisdom already knew. Nervous system healing isn't just about breath work and cold plunges, it's about our daily lives and the four walls that surround us. When your home sends dangerous signals to your limbic system 24 hours a day, no amount of meditation overrides that. Think of your limbic system as the brain's 24-hour surveillance center. It sits deep beneath the thinking part of your brain, and its only job is to scan for danger. Am I safe? Am I under threat? It controls your emotions, locks in long-term memories, and runs their survival programs you don't consciously choose. Fear, appetite, aggression, the urge to freeze or run. Here's what matters for this conversation with Jen. Your limbic system doesn't reason. It doesn't care about what your prefrontal cortex knows. If your home is sending you signals that you're in danger from mold or chemical off-gassing or just chaotic clutter, your nervous system stays locked in survival mode, whether you realize it or not. So, Jen, walk us through the toxic load concept. When someone's already dealing with chronic stress, chronic illness, or caregiver burnout, how does their home environment either escalate or buffer that damage?

PET Framework And Heavy House Energy

Speaker 14:36

Gosh, well, you explained it very well.

Speaker 2 14:39

I like the surveillance system on the brain. That's a very that's a good analogy. I have a framework that when I talk to people, there are three steps to the framework. And I know I've touched on this a bit. The acronym is PET, P-E-T. It's physical, energetics, and emotion, and then tools. And so if somebody's already dealing with a chronic health situation and they are suspecting that their home is part of the problem, there are two places where I suggest people start. One is get into discovery about what is causing when you walk into a space, what is causing you to feel that amplified. Maybe it's clutter, maybe it's colors and things that are are kind of sending the wrong signal, like they're irritating to you. And then the second piece, I must say this is might be a bit overwhelming, but contacting professionals that can come in and assist you with, you know, some of the layers. Going back to the important to remove the things that are causing stress. Maybe it's clutter, maybe it's pieces of furniture that are bringing up memories that are triggering you. Maybe you're living in, and this is kind of a big one, this is kind of a common thread. People who've gotten a divorce or they're living in a home where there was some abuse, or they're just the nervous system is reliving that experience when you go into that environment. My husband and I buy and sell homes, flip homes, if you will. We had this property that we bought quite a few years ago. And as soon as I went into it, I could see the design that I wanted to create. It was a beautiful home, but it was vacant for a long, long time. I knew there was a backstory. I wasn't quite sure what it was. But as soon as I walked in the space, two things were happening in my nervous system. One, I was excited about the project because I could see what I was going to do. Two, I could feel I'm actually literally getting goosebumps right now. I was just thinking about it because I remember when I walked in the space. I could feel the heavy, dense energy in that home. Something was there, something was lingering, something was in that space. I didn't know what because I just bought the home, but I knew something was off. We did some clean out, we got all the things out because I thought maybe it's just some stuck energy in the possessional things that they left behind. Well, that was part of it, yes. But what I had decided to do is I talked to a couple of neighbors and I asked, Do you have any information or wisdom like what you know, what was the history around this house? And they ended up sharing with me that there was a significant amount of abuse that took place in that home, both physical and mental abuse. And I could feel that deeply, and I didn't experience it. So, but what it did was it gave me the information I needed to understand and call a friend of mine who does house clearing, who works in the energetic quantum fields of the space. And so I shared with her a little bit about the story. She came in, did a blessing. We did some blessed releasing, and we really worked with the energy of the space to move along what was living there, and then bite in what we call new white light, essentially. I'm telling you, Antonette, like night and day difference. People, even the realtor who didn't even know what was going on, came in the next day to review and look at some things, and he's like, it feels lighter in here. Something's different. What happened? We moved the energy out of the space. Sometimes, you know, when you're looking at physical, energetic, and tools, it's layered and understanding that our nervous systems will respond to a feeling, a thing, a memory in that space, whether it's yours or not.

Speaker 18:31

Catherine Giovanni, she is a forgiveness expert or mentor. She talks about how sometimes not only do you need to be able to let go and heal and move on from a traumatic person, place, event, system, whatever it is, you have to forgive all of the above. The people, the place, the system, the things, the date on the calendar that something happens. And then you can be released from it. And you're not forgiving it, whatever that it is for a person, you're forgiving so that that person or that thing doesn't live rent-free in your head, taking up space where good memories could be replacing

Free First Step With Pen And Paper

Speaker 19:14

it, right? So for anyone listening who's feeling stuck, still sick, still exhausted, still cycling through all the different specialists like you and I have with no answers, the environment piece can feel overwhelming. Give us one place to start that costs nothing and creates the biggest shift.

Speaker 2 19:33

Gosh, costs nothing. Again, I think that this this is going to dig, this is going to dip back into the energetics of it. And you just said it so beautifully about our space and blessing and releasing and forgiveness. Forgiveness is for us. And so, what I think is something that I did as I had a couple of different big situations is I sat down with my and I wrote down all of the things that could be causing health disease, right? So I know everybody's different, everybody's homes are different, but the thing that doesn't cost us anything is for us to sit quietly with ourselves and ask ourselves, what are some of the factors that could potentially be contributing to the situation? And again, it's really beautiful if you can go outside of the home to do something like this because you can get a clear space as well as you're not completely surrounded by the reminders and the things. So I would say giving yourself the time and space to go out of the environment and write down the things that could energetically be causing distress. Write down some of the physical things that maybe are causing some of the stress. I know we didn't touch or talk too much about it, but I'll come back to it is how you can optimize your sleep space, your bedroom, because I believe that that's probably the most important room to start with, and I'll and I'll come back to that. But I want to encourage people to not get hung up on thinking there's mold or they need to find something first. The first layer is how is my heart? You know, how how do I feel in this space? And what can I do to either bring in whether it be some plants or some earth elements like wood, you know, wood, water, things like that. And I know that this is your wheelhouse for sure, as I'm looking at some of your background. Like, what are some of the things I could bring in from the outdoor elements to start bringing in that nature feel so that we are feeling a little bit one with nature? But I truly believe that it starts with energetically clearing and blessing what that space has experienced and how I want to feel in the space.

Speaker 21:51

I love that so much. And every home that I've lived in, I'd say in the past 10 years, I have blessed it. Vast whatever energy still lives there to either coexist or leave if you can't coexist. So yeah, I really am a firm believer in going outside and stepping away from a problem, even if it's a problem space or problem person or problem activity. Because when you go outside and you sit amongst trees, it releases natural killer cells that help boost your immune system, that lower inflammation. And the phone sides, like limanine, for example, will help to calm your nervous system, put you in a good space for clear thinking. And then the act of writing something out makes it more impactful. So you touched on this a little bit.

Healing Design For Renters And Budgets

Speaker 22:49

I am very much into biophilic design, bringing the outdoors in, as you can see in my cabin in the woods. And if you're a new listener, this is my actual cabin in the woods. I just don't record in that space because you may hear me record in there from time to time, and the acoustics are not great because of the high ceilings. But you know, most people think about biophilic design means just adding a plant or some branches. They'll say, Oh, I'll just do what Antoinette did. She got some branches, added some air plants, and we'll call it a day. But my approach goes much deeper. We're talking about the materials you choose, adding light, focusing on your air quality, and the subconscious cues your space sends your body every second. So for my deeper take on getting started with biophilic design, catch episode 77 of New Normal Big Life. And it's called Can Biophilic Design Reset Your Nervous System at Home? So, Jen, creating a healing home or living space sounds aspirational, but what does it look like for someone in a rental or who's on a budget or in a space they can't renovate? Give us the practical entry point after we've kind of made our notes about what it is that may be causing that disturbance in our home. What next?

Speaker 2 24:08

Question. So you just touched on some of it too, talking about the trees and the exchange of oxygen and CO2. Like that's what's happening with our bodies. It's an exchange of oxygen. So again, if you're in an apartment home or you're in a condo or confined area, getting outside as much as you can so that you can count, you know, you can allow your body to immerse itself in that type of environment as much as possible. So I get it. People are living in the city, there are certain conveniences and practicalities, but anytime that you can also get outside is important. The second thing is, as you mentioned, the light and the plants and all the things. So this looks differently for everybody. For me, anytime I walk into and there are tall, bright, bright windows where I can allow natural light to come in, that for me, that's my happy place. So again, that's not for everybody. However, if you understand that we're plants, like we're human plants basically, we're kind of solar beings, making sure that you um spend some time in front of those windows at sunrise and sunset. And that can that will trigger the circadian rhythm and it will allow better sleep hormones. Taking window treatments off the windows in and of itself can be life-changing for people. Like open up those curtains, take off those blinds, allow nature and God's light to come in. That will bring so much light to your day. So that's my favorite piece of advice. And then as far as like bringing nature in, again, this is very personal. I'm a minimalist, so I like very strategic things placed in my home: plants, earth element, beigas, neutral colors, kind of things that make my, you know, resonate with my body. But again, this is important for people to identify what this feels like for you. My home is doesn't look like everybody else's home, right? But this is where some self-discovery comes in, where you're looking at what makes me feel good and then bringing those things indoors. I love, you know, branches, you know, the tree elements, any plant that's like, you know, kind of viney, like baby leaves and green greenery anywhere, because that's again bringing oxygen into the home. Another thing that I think is very under talked about is fire. Now, people think like, oh, you can't bring fire into your like, what do you mean fire into the home? I don't know about you, but when I am curled up next to my fireplace with a good book and a cup of coffee with my blanket, all day long you will find me there. Because especially if it's snowing outside, it's like that fire element. You can sit in my living room all day with no fire on and sit in it with a fire on, and that is a different experience. So that's another way. Yeah, that's another element that I think resonates. That fire also gives off natural infrared because our bodies resonate with that. That's a feel-good frequency. It helps put us into parasympathetic nervous state. That's why people love campfires because it's putting off natural infrared. So, but what are we talking about? Light, fire, wood. What am I missing? I was gonna say my water. Water, yeah, water. I mean, you live by the water, and you and I talk about solo trips, you know, we always go by the water because water doing that trip. Yes, we are. We are, I know. Because water, what I love about water, whether it's taking a bath or it's standing on the river's edge with your feet immersed in the sand, or it's on a kayak floating down the river, everybody knows what it feels like when you're in flow. And flow means there's movement, and sometimes it's gentle, and sometimes it's a little bit more aggressive. But the element of water reminds us that we're moving and energetic beings. We're 60 to 70 percent water as human beings. But when we bring in whether it's a some sort of water trickle or fountain or some sort of water movement in the home, that in and of itself is resonant with the body that we are moving beings. So we have a couple of uh small fountains in our in our home as well as out on our in our deck area.

Speaker 28:29

I love that. Yeah, I and you know, even in winter when I'm looking at the river flowing by until it gets iced over and it's you know pretty much solid then in mo in some places, it just I don't know, it reminds me of summer, even when it's icy cold outside. And it reminds me of springtime and that revival and newness, you know. So I I love water and how you explained of bringing it indoors is just so spot on. So, Jim, when I joined you for episode one of two of Homeset Healed Podcast, we talked about toxic homes, chronic stress, and healing spaces, a story of survival.

Declutter, Simplify, Or Start Fresh

Speaker 29:12

I had so much fun. We had a great conversation about my health recovery and how anyone can start creating a home that supports healing. We'll add a link to this episode of your podcast in the show description. But for anyone listening right now who suspects their home is working against their health, but feels completely overwhelmed, what's the one thing they can change this week? And even if it costs a little money, that creates a measurable nervous system shift.

Speaker 2 29:39

Well, yeah, again, thank you for coming on my show. We absolutely had a beautiful conversation. And so thank you for sharing that. The one measurable thing that a person can do, I think we talked about it a little bit, where I think it's just get outside. We're living through a time where we're not in a shortage of information. There's so much information. What's happening is there's almost too much information, and people are getting an analysis paralysis. So the one thing that I would suggest for people to do is to set down their phone and the information tool and grab a notebook and a pen and get outside and start brainstorming and looking inward at not what you can find to bring into the home, but what can I do with the current space to eliminate and declutter? And for some people, this might be taking everything out of the room and just bringing the few things back in that feel the best. But I can't stress this enough, Antonet. Like the thing that we can do is work within the space that we have right now and decide do I want to live here and work with the space, or do I need to move? Do I need to start in a new space? I think that's important for people to have that distinction is if they're gonna work with the current space, or if they're gonna set off and maybe just like you said, kind of start fresh and start anew. And those are just thoughts and ideas and creativity. They don't cost a thing. So I think that's that's ground zero in number one. And then number two, which would piggyback off of that, is again listening to our gut intuition and our heart and getting into discovery, especially if you are in a shared building or a space that could closely be causing interference, like a smart meter or you know, older carpet or some things that just need some attention. Again, making a list and just going one by one versus feeling completely overwhelmed with a thousand to-dos.

Speaker 31:45

I love that. One by one instead of the overwhelm of a thousand to-dos. Yeah. That's gold right

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Speaker 31:52

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Make The Bedroom A Sleep Sanctuary

Speaker 33:21

to start. Why is that and what would you recommend?

Speaker 2 33:24

Well, the bedroom, in my opinion, is one of the most important rooms in the house. And I think you and I both can agree on, you know, when you suffer for a brain injury, or when you are, in my case, chasing your health backwards, you get really clear on what is the most important to you. And my time is one of my most valuable assets. And we spend a lot of time testing, or we should, anyways. And one of the things that I've heard over the last few years or a few decades, actually, that I've been in in this wellness space is that people are really struggling with sleep. They are exhausted when they get up, and then they spend all day trying to get to the end of the day to hopefully relax or go to sleep, and then they lay down and they can't sleep. So it's this perpetual hamster wheel and cycle and this loop that people are on. And so what's important about our sleep space is it's the time when the body wants to rest and restore. We want to get into what's called REM sleep, which is where the body and the nervous system and everything feels relaxed and safe. And so if you are living in a space where you're hearing a lot of outside noise all night long, or you have a lot of lighting coming in and it's interfering with your circadian rhythm, and it's which is signaling to the brain that it's light outside, not time for rest. If you go back to ancient wisdom, we lived off the sun and the moon, right? So if it's bright out in your room, or you're looking at blue light screens, or you have a TV in your room, or you have all these things interfering with the nervous system while you're trying to send a signal to the body to rest, that's a mixed signal. The body doesn't know what to do. So one of my favorite sayings on my show is like the the bedroom is not a movie theater, it's not an office space, it's a place of sanctuary, intimacy, connection, rest, and restore. So that is a place where you can start to look at could I remove the TV? Could I bring in some crystals or some of these earth elements that we were talking about that allow the body to relax so that I can get into a sleep? Because the sleep, our sleep is the one thing that we need to survive, to be able to get up and wake up and feel rested and restored to do all the things that we want it to do. So, yes, our food is important, but we all know we can fast for 40 days and you know, however long, like we can live without food. Eventually, if you're in distress of sleep, you're triggering an entire chain of disease and adrenal burnout and inflammation and weight gain and all of these things will start to happen for you if you're not getting your sleep. So your bedroom should be your sanctuary space first, and you start there and really, really harmonize that space for yourself.

Speaker 36:23

That's so

Color, Mood, And Room Behavior Shifts

Speaker 36:24

well said. And you know, just a simple thing that a lot of people don't consider about their bedroom is the color on the walls. And so, for example, there was this family that had a bedroom where the teenage daughter, who was like a really good kid, a good student, never had any problems at home or in school, painted their room red, favorite color, and then they're constantly in trouble, angry with their parents and their siblings, can't focus at school, not sleeping well, and their health and behavior started to decline. The parents who had a great relationship also noticed that they were now arguing, but only arguing in their bedroom, which made no sense to them until a friend said, Is your bedroom directly below your daughter's bedroom? Who I know painted their bedroom red? And then the the wife said yes and said, That's your problem. So they asked the daughter, let's just do an experiment. We're going to have you sleep in a different room for a week and see what happens. The parents also slept in a different room for a week. Everyone felt so much better. So they repainted the daughter's bedroom. And so one of the things to kind of keep in mind when you're selecting paint color is for places that you want people to come together, like a family room or a kitchen, use warm colors. For places where you want the nervous system to calm down, use cool colors like blue-gray, for example. That's the color we chose in our bedroom. So that's just a little tip. Jen, this has been so insightful. What more do you want listeners to know? My gosh. Well, first of all, I love that story.

Speaker 2 38:04

That is so incredibly insightful. And I I love that because people don't think of that entirely. So that's one thing, again, going back to the energetics of understanding what feels good and how you want your rooms and your space. You know, some people call it feng shui, but it's just the energetics of your home.

Walk Your Home Like A Guest

Speaker 2 38:21

So, what I invite people to do is go outside your space, whether it's your apartment or condo or your home, and walk in through your front door. And as you're walking in through your front door, pretend that you're a guest in your own home and come in through the front door and then walk through as if I was giving you a tour of your own home. How does it make you feel? What how do you feel when you enter into the kitchen? How do you feel when you go into your living room space? How do you feel in the dining space? Does it feel like a connection, a soul connection to food and gathering? How does it feel in the bedrooms? How does it feel in your bathroom? Does it feel like a sanctuary space or is it a place of clutter? Go through each room in your home as if you're a guest in your space. And again, grab your notebook if you want and give yourself some unbiased ratings. Ask a friend who maybe is, you know, can be honest with you about how they feel. Get feedback from other people and family and friends about your home. It's not about finishes or beauty, it's about how we feel. So that's the last thing I think I want to say is I want your home to feel like the most embodied sanctuary space that you can thrive, not just survive in. I love that. How can listeners connect with you? Well, you can find me on just about any social platform under Jen Heller Lifestyle. You can definitely follow the show, my show, Homes That Heal.

Speaker 1 39:48

We have a lot of great guests anywhere online under Jen Heller Lifestyle. We'll connect all of that in the show description. Thank you so much for joining me, Jen. Thank you, Antonette. I appreciate you so much. And yes, we're going to take that trip. All right, my friend, I'm excited for it.

Medical Disclaimer And Closing

Speaker 40:01

The information in this podcast is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. Always consult your physician or healthcare professional before pursuing any health related procedure or activity.