Winter evening. Outside there is a blizzard. Inside the house it is warm. There is a smell of pies. On the sofa there is a blanket and a cat. You feel peace. Warmth in the house is not just a temperature. It is a feeling of safety, comfort, happiness. Why is warmth so important for our brain? And how is it related to evolution?

Evolutionary mechanism

Our ancestors survived in the cold climate thanks to fire and shelter. Those who found a warm refuge had a greater chance of surviving and leaving offspring. Therefore, the brain established a connection: warmth = safety. In a cold room, a person feels anxiety (the ancient fear of freezing). By wearing a sweater, you are not just warming up, you are deceiving the brain: “the danger is over”.

Research: people are happier at room temperature of +22...+24°C than at +18°C.

Warmth as a symbol of love

In childhood, our mother warmed us with her body. Hugs gave warmth. Therefore, an adult person looks for “warmth” in a partner (not only literally). When we say “warm person,” we mean caring, tender. The connection: warmth in the house symbolizes warmth in relationships. Family traditions (shared meals, tea by the fireplace) strengthen this connection.

A cold house (drafts, mold) is associated with cold relationships (indifference, quarrels).

Biophilia and comfort

Biophilia is an innate love of humans for nature. Warmth in the house is associated with the sun, summer. Therefore, people love sunlit rooms, fireplaces, candles. Fire (fireplace) has a particularly strong effect: the flickering of the flame reduces blood pressure, pulse. People can watch the fire for hours — it is meditation.

A cozy home with warmth is a substitute for a natural niche where a person feels safe.

How temperature affects mood

Too hot (more than +27°C) — irritability, aggression, fatigue. Too cold (less than +18°C) — apathy, the desire to crawl under the blanket, depression. Optimal +20...+23°C. People living in warm houses get sick less often, argue less often, have higher productivity. Finns, whose houses are always warm, are among the happiest people in the world (according to the happiness index).

Feedback: happy people spend money on heating, unhappy people on alcohol.

Warmth and health

A cold house leads to ARVI (viruses are more active at low temperatures), joint pain, hypertension (blood vessels constrict), depression (insufficient light). A warm house is a prevention of heart attacks (you don’t have to strain the vessels), improves sleep (it is harder to fall asleep in the cold). Children in heated houses learn better (the brain does not spend energy on heating).

Therefore, to preserve warmth is not stinginess, but care for health.

Warmth in the house is a basic need, like food and water. It gives a sense of control over life. Therefore, don’t save on heating, insulate the walls, buy warm blankets. Light candles. Sit closer to the radiator. And be happy. In warmth.

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