Living on what floor is safer for the psyche. Says the psychologist

A modern person for life often chooses a megalopolis, which, in turn, has a lot of high-rises. It is here that good educational institutions, head offices, a large choice of professions and a variety of entertainment are now located. Buyers and tenants often opt for upper floors for the sake of panoramic views from the window. However, many experts argue that it is the height that can make you depressed.

Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogical Psychology, KFU.

Is it true that the choice of the floor can affect the psycho-emotional state of a person, and most importantly – how?

Agoraphobia and fear of heights

Living at height does not form fear of heights or agoraphobia (fear of open space). They are formed after a traumatic stressful situation in a person’s past.

However, there is a certain anxious-phobic type of person who is able to fixate on different settings, such as whether they have turned off the iron or gas, closed the door. For them, living on a high floor is exactly the kind of thing that can trigger various phobias: fear for children or pets who might fall out of a window, for example, or anxiety that they will be trapped during a fire.

But equally, these people can create fear for themselves on lower floors. There are about 7% of such people worldwide – it is contraindicated for them to live in skyscrapers.

In fact, sports and physical activity in general help to fight phobias and fears. How exactly, read in our material.

Vibration of skyscrapers

Vibration is inherent not only in skyscrapers, but also in some houses, including low houses. For example, new buildings, which also vibrate when the house shrinks or is located in an unfavorable seismic zone. This process does not depend on the number of storeys.

However, this kind of vibrations can affect the psycho-emotional state. They can cause anxiety in people with anxiety-phobic, nervous and obsessive compulsive states. As a consequence, depression develops.

The impact of the earth’s magnetic field

There is an opinion that the height is able to weaken the influence of the magnetic field on the body and psycho-emotional state. Allegedly, this is due to the fact that it is discharged at altitude and can provoke headaches, drowsiness, insomnia, fatigue, low efficiency, dulling of attention and even depression.

In fact, magnetic field exposure depends on altitude, not floor height. At such distances, it does not change much, since it spreads over a considerable distance, which is counted in kilometers.

The effect of ecology on the psyche

The environmental conditions on the top floors of high-rise buildings are very different. The upper floors have more space and sunshine, open sky and fresh air. Also in front of the residents opens the horizon line, which is very important for brain health: it is important to see not only the near circle, but also the middle and far.

Residents of upper floors get the so-called aerotherapy: they feel they live in a more open and free space. Residents of the lower floors see neighboring houses, cars, parking lots. Just what provokes constant stress, which can increase the risk of depression.

The ecology of a place as a whole plays an important role. And helping to improve it can be done by each of us. Read about five simple things you can do today in the material below.

That is, it is quite safe to live on the upper floors, if you do not have phobias and anxiety disorders. It is best to focus only on your own condition.