If You Prefer To Keep Your Lights Dim All Day, It Usually Means These 11 Things About You
You're someone that cares a great deal about how the lighting will affect your day-to-day routine.
KinoMasterskaya | Shutterstock There are some people who know that their moods improve when they're in and around bright and sunny spaces. They may be individuals who thrive during sunny days and warmer months, and they enjoy living in spaces that get great natural lighting so they can enjoy the way the sun streams in through their blinds. But how these people enjoy bright disposition is the same as others who enjoy softer lighting all day long. So, whether it's being a homebody or feeling easily overwhelmed, if you prefer to keep your lights dim all day, it usually means these things about you.
There's just something peaceful about a room in which they can cocoon themselves to get away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Bright lights can just feel like a lot of pressure and end up being more overstimulating than comforting. These individuals want to be able to breathe, not feel as if they're struggling to catch their breath because of how blinding bright lights and extremely sunny interiors can be. They like things to feel quiet so they can have the time to actually recharge, and dim lighting is considered their best friend.
If you prefer to keep your lights dim all day, it usually means these 11 things about you
1. You're highly sensitive to your environment
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Lighting is something that deeply affects your mood, so when things feel too bright or too loud, it can completely throw you off balance. This kind of sensitivity means that you're someone who constantly has to be in low, dim lighting. If the lights are too harsh, it makes the space feel too chaotic.
"Sensory issues are when one finds touch, sound, light, taste, or other sense-based stimuli too much or too little in their effect. Overreacting to sensory stimuli can impact one's ability to function," psychoanalyst Jessica Broitman explained.
Your surroundings have the ability to either heal you or completely mess up your nervous system and have you feeling on-edge all day long. That's why you crave peace so much. You are simply trying to protect your senses and that might mean having a space that reflects how you want to feel emotionally, which is safe and relaxed.
2. You're emotionally self-aware
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If you prefer to keep your lights dim all day, it usually means you're emotionally self-aware. And because you're someone that tends to spend a lot of time just checking in with yourself, you're quick to notice when your energy is running low and when you're feeling tense. That's why dim lighting feels so good: it helps you really be able to tune into your emotional state easier than if you're in the opposite kind of lighting.
That level of emotional awareness means it's so much easier for you to navigate life and all of the relationships that you may have because you're intentionally interacting with both people and the things around you. You're not an impulsive person because you genuinely know yourself, and you know exactly what you need to feel in alignment again.
3. You spend a lot of time in your own thoughts
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Chances are that your mind is constantly running all the time. You're the type of person that can sit quietly in your space for hours at a time thinking about anything and everything. You're just someone that lives inside of your head, not because you're trying to be disconnected from reality and the things happening around you, but because that's where you find the most peace and stability.
"The brain is a marvel of endurance, but it's not limitless. Stretch it, challenge it, push it to think harder and deeper. But also let it breathe. Because, in the end, the goal isn't just to think more or for longer. It's to think better," encouraged leadership expert T. Alexander Puutio.
So, because of that, dim lighting is something that you want to match your mental state. When you constantly have dim lighting around, it helps you think better and wander deeper into your creativity and imagination. There's nothing to distract you since you don't have to sit and be subject to harsh, bright lighting. Instead, you're able to let your thoughts flow without interruption.
4. You're probably a homebody
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There's absolutely zero shame in being someone who enjoys spending an extended amount of time in the comfort of your own home. You love your space. You might have even spent so long curating it and making it feel cozy and warm.
You enjoy your routines and all of the little things that you do to make being at home a restful experience. To help with that, you're someone who makes sure that you have the most ideal lighting whenever you're behind your four walls, and that's dim and soft lighting.
"We value the time we have to ourselves; it doesn't make us feel sad or lonely or restless. Often our alone time is spent at home," insisted social psychologist Bella DePaulo. It feels like comfort and security.
With that kind of lighting, you're able to maybe pour yourself a glass of wine, have some music playing, and just allow yourself to feel like you're the only person who exists in that moment. It allows your energy to be restored and you feel more ready to take on the day lying ahead of you.
5. You're protective of your personal space
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You tend to take great care of your physical surroundings. You care about the kind of energy that you're allowing into your life because you know that everything, from the kinds of people that come over to even the lighting that you have, can greatly affect your mood. You want your home to feel like a sanctuary.
If you're walking into your home after a long and exhausting day, you want to physically feel all of the stresses from the day leave your body because you know you'll be able to relax. That means that you're protective about the kind of lighting you have too. It's just the way that you're able to make sure you're genuinely able to take the load off.
6. You get overstimulated easily
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Anytime you're around bright lights, it just ends up being way too much for your senses. It's not that you're trying to be picky about the kind of lighting that you're in, but it's just that when you're around lighting that overstimulates you, things can just feel too intense. If you prefer to keep your lights dim all day, it usually means you're easily overstimulated.
Being in dim lighting can help you feel more calm and less overwhelmed. "Although overstimulation feels unpleasant, it is only a problem for your health if you remain in a chronic state of overstimulation without ever giving your nervous system a break," psychologist Tom Falkenstein explained. "The challenge for someone who has a tendency to become overstimulated and to feel things very strongly — which are often experienced together — is learning to deal with these feelings whenever they arise."
You simply can't focus when there's a lot going on in the background, and even something as simple as scrolling on your phone with the brightness all the way up can be too much for you as well. Keeping your lights dim is just how you're able to protect your mental energy and take care of yourself. It helps you unwind and actually gives you a sense of finally being able to chill. Your brain can actually breathe when you're sitting in a low-light space.
7. You're drawn to peaceful people
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You're just someone who naturally gravitates toward people that match your energy. You prioritize calm and peaceful energy, meaning that you enjoy being around people who feel the same way. Being around loud and chaotic energy doesn't feel good because it means you're being overstimulated. You're also able to know right away when someone's energy doesn't really sit well with you.
People who are calm, though, have a different kind of vibe that perfectly matches your own. It feels like you can actually relax around them, almost in the same way that you feel when you shut the blinds and close the curtains in your home so you can block out the outside noise.
8. You avoid unnecessary stress
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Life is already full of moments that feel tough and overwhelming. That means that you're someone who actively tries to stay out of any drama or pointless arguments with people. You know your energy is just too valuable to waste on things that don't really matter in the long run. Avoiding unnecessary stress means you're also intentional about how your environment feels.
You're constantly setting yourself up to not feel stressed from the comfort of your own home as well. You just understand your own limits and the boundaries that you have so that you're never put in a position that actively disrupts your nervous system, whether it's with people that you're with or if it's with the curation of your lighting and energy once you step foot into your space.
9. You take your downtime seriously
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You're definitely not the type of person that finds true fulfillment in being busy all the time. Instead, you value your self-care routines and actually getting some rest. And if you prefer to keep your lights dim all day, it usually means these things about you.
You pride yourself on all of the little rituals that you have, including lighting a candle and having some dim lighting, putting on a movie you might have seen a thousand times, and ordering food while you sit on the couch with a face mask on.
"It doesn't matter what form your idle time takes, as long as it's not destructive. You owe yourself the gift of a deep breath and a view of the long sunset. And if you tell yourself that you're being unproductive, remember that you can't function well if you've exhausted all your resources by never stopping to take a rest," pointed out psychotherapist Barton Goldsmith.
It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It's just about creating an environment where you give your body a chance to just slow down, especially if you've been in go-mode for way too long. Rest isn't something you play about at all because it's something that you know you deserve whenever the need arises.
10. You're a night owl
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If you're someone who keeps their lights dim all the time, there's a pretty good chance that you're just someone who genuinely enjoys the nighttime. So, you try to recreate it, even when it's bright and sunny outside. When night finally rolls around, while everyone else might be settling in and trying to go to sleep, you're just getting into the groove of things.
That might be the one time of the day where you feel your creative juices flowing and you can actually get things done that you might not have felt motivated enough to get done while the sun was still up. The darkness and quiet of the outside world is enough to bring you back down to earth.
11. You think deeply before making decisions
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You're not someone that can be okay with rushing into things. You prefer to actually take your time and consider all options before making decisions. Every choice matters, whether it's big or small. You would rather take your time than jumping into something that you'll end up regretting later. It doesn't mean you're indecisive, it just means that you're intentional and refuse to compromise that.
"Learning to be decisive is learning not to let anxiety run your life, learning that there are no mistakes, focusing on doing the best you can right now, recognizing that all decisions are not equally important, and accepting that you can control only this moment," explained licensed clinical social worker Bob Taibbi.
The choice just has to make sense for you, and because of that, you have such deep trust in yourself and being able to know that you'll make the right decision that benefits you in the end. Therefore, keeping your lights dim all of the time isn't just some kind of preference, but a deliberate part of your thought process. You know getting the lighting right means that you're setting yourself up to succeed, even if it might not seem that way to other people.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
