Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning EFR 918: Your Home Is Affecting Your Mental Health - How Clutter Raises Stress & What to Do About It with Sabrina Soto
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
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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
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