Sabrina Soto
Growing up as a “latchkey kid,” home became incredibly important to Sabrina Soto.
“Home sort of became my best friend,” she told Business Insider. “I had this unspoken agreement with the house: If I’m going to be home alone with you, I’ll take care of you if you take care of me.”
Soto believes our home environment profoundly impacts mental health and well-being and that little adjustments can make a big difference in our self-development.
She said we should ensure three clutter-free spaces in our homes to set us up for success: our kitchen, bedroom, and office.
“If you are overwhelmed, but you look around and there’s constant visual clutter, just start there,” Soto said. “The old junk papers, the junk mail, just the piles of stuff that are getting in the way — clearing your desk space up will free up your mind a lot.”
Soto told BI it sounds “woo-woo,” but homes hold energy.
“Our homes hold our lives and our memories. You should be proud of that space and look forward to being in that space. So whether that means a spring cleaning, decluttering, or moving furniture to refresh, it’s a mutual relationship. Those small changes can go a long way.”
Sabrina Soto
Soto said cleaning windows and mirrors is another small but effective way of improving our environment.
“I notice in people’s bathrooms, if they have a full-length mirror, there’s toothpaste on there,” Soto said. “When you’re getting ready in the morning, having a clear vision of yourself is key.”
Her secret, she said, is 70% rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle: “It’s streak-free, every single time.” It also works on windows, which we “look through every day.”
“Natural light brings joy into your life,” Soto said. “People who are in a dark mental space usually have their curtains closed, and it’s darker in the house. But opening up your curtains, letting the sunlight in could bring a little bit more joy into your life.”
Get rid of that stuff
The next thing you can tackle is getting rid of the stuff you don’t need, such as clothes you’ve never worn, because it’s all “holding space and holding dust, too,” Soto said.
“The more stuff you have, the harder it is for your space to be clean,” she said.
Soto built her career by helping people curate a home they loved on HGTV. She’s now presenting “The Sabrina Soto Show” on The Design Network, where she digs deeper and helps people find new routines and habits.
On her new show, which premiered in March, Soto speaks with experts to merge home improvement and wellness.
She saw on her previous shows how people’s lives and mental health would improve when she helped them transform their physical spaces, and wanted to go further than just fixing a room’s aesthetics.
Light at end of the tunnel
Soto finds it ironic that she makes people’s homes beautiful because her parents went through a tough financial time when she was younger and were evicted from their house.
“It just goes to show that even when you think you’re in a rut or a breakup or loss of a job or whatever the case may be, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.
Soto, 48, is also divorced and now in what she describes as her first “really healthy relationship.”
“Because of my background and having gone through a lot of different changes in my life, I wanted to hold people’s hands who are going through the same,” she said. “And realize that no matter where you are in your life, the smallest little shifts can impact the much bigger picture.”
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