Winter evening. Outside there is a blizzard. But at home it is warm. There is a smell of pies. On the sofa there is a blanket and a cat. You feel peace. Warmth at home is not just temperature. It is a feeling of protection, 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 housing. Those who found a warm shelter had a better 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). Wearing a sweater, you are not just warming up, you are deceiving the brain: “danger is over”.

Studies: 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, gentle. The connection: warmth in the house symbolizes warmth in relationships. Family traditions (joint meals, tea by the fireplace) strengthen this connection.

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

Biophilia and comfort

Biophilia is a person's innate love for nature. Warmth at home 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, lack of energy. Too cold (less than +18°C) — apathy, 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 (by happiness index).

Feedback: happy people spend money on home insulation, unhappy people on alcohol.

Warmth and health

A cold house leads to ARVI (viruses are more active at low temperature), joint pain, hypertension (blood vessels constrict), depression (lack of light). A warm house is a prevention of heart attacks (you do not 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 at home is a basic need, like food and water. It gives a sense of control over life. Therefore, do not 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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