EFR 918: Your Home Is Affecting Your Mental Health - How Clutter Raises Stress & What to Do About It with Sabrina Soto
Podcast: Ever Forward Radio with Chase ChewningPublished On: Thu Jan 08 2026
Description: This episode is brought to you by Caldera Lab and WHOOP. Today we sit down with interior designer, TV host, and wellness advocate Sabrina Soto to explore how our homes profoundly shape our mental health, nervous system, relationships, and sense of identity. Sabrina shares her deeply personal journey—from growing up in chaos and creating a safe haven as a teenager, to landing her first HGTV role through a Craigslist ad—and explains why design isn't about trends or perfection, but alignment. This episode explores the emotional weight of clutter, how environment influences cortisol and stress, why small changes can create massive life shifts, and how designing your space is ultimately about designing the life you want to live—one intentional step forward at a time. Follow Sabrina @Sabrina_soto Follow Chase @chase_chewning ----- 00:00 – Why Your Home Might Be Keeping You Stuck 01:21 – Sabrina's Daily Wellness & Non-Negotiables 04:36 – How Home Design Directly Impacts Mental Health 05:21 – Childhood Trauma, Chaos & Creating a Safe Haven 06:15 – Why People Dread Coming Home (and How to Fix It) 09:12 – Creating "Vignettes" That Support Your Best Life 11:00 – Why Sabrina Rejects Design Rules & Trends 12:13 – How Life Phases Shape Your Design Style 13:01 – Music, Culture & Identity in Home Design 14:14 – Using AI Wisely (Without Losing Your Intuition) 15:09 – The Craigslist Ad That Changed Everything 18:25 – Acting "As If" Before the Opportunity Arrives 21:01 – Why You're One Phone Call Away From Changing Your Life 24:30 – Cuban Culture, Perfectionism & Letting Go 28:39 – How Sabrina Scans a Room in the First 60 Seconds 30:16 – The 5-Minute Declutter That Lowers Stress 32:22 – How to Refresh a Room With $500 35:16 – 3 Cheat Codes for Instant Room Elevation 36:20 – Where People Waste the Most Money in Design 39:49 – Timeless Design vs. Trends You'll Regret 42:25 – Should Your Whole Home Match? 43:27 – What HGTV Doesn't Show You About Makeovers 47:06 – Designing a Home That Calms the Nervous System 49:29 – When a Bedroom Makeover Saves a Marriage 52:14 – How Your Environment Creates a Ripple Effect in Life 56:48 – Ever Forward ----- Episode resources: Save 20% on the best men's skincare with code EVERFORWARD at https://www.CalderaLab.com Get the WHOOP 5.0 activity tracker at https://www.Join.WHOOP.com/everforward Watch and subscribe on YouTube
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