- Spring is officially here. And if you're finding the change in season is also making you crave a change around the house, well, guess what, folks? You're in luck because, today, we have just the right person for the job. - Yes. Anita Yokota is the author behind the book, Home Therapy. And she is here to show us a few ways to refresh your home and improve your mental health. This is such a cool concept, Anita. I really love this. So before becoming an interior designer, you were actually a licensed marriage and family therapist-- - I was. HOST: --for 17 years. ANITA YOKOTA: Absolutely, I was. HOST: So you know how important home is and how you feel about home. What's your first tip for making home better. - So I am in love with natural light. Obviously, the sun is coming back, longer days. We want to catch that magic, that light inside our homes. So a sun catcher by the window, the reflection automatically makes our brain just ignite with happiness. Also, I have metallic wallpaper that you can actually put on to, like, your dishwasher, if you're renting a fridge, and it broadens your space but also broadens your mind. - I like it. - That is very nice. DEMARCO MORGAN: I feel better already. ANITA YOKOTA: Yes, absolutely. DEMARCO MORGAN: All right, let's talk about lighting. - So for lighting, we just talked about lighting indoors, but we actually spend 90% of our time indoors. And we want to get outside, especially during spring, to get that fresh air into our lungs. So when you set yourself up for success on the outside by strategically placing lights like these cafe lights and these-- HOST: Those are so cute. ANITA YOKOTA: --little bistro lights that turn on and off just like this. They're UV outdoor rated. It's an awesome way to get that fresh air. DEMARCO MORGAN: I love going to people's houses, when you go in the backyard, and they have, like, the Christmas lights stringing about. ANITA YOKOTA: Isn't it nice? That ambiance wants to draw you out. And, again, getting that fresh air helps our brains. - Nice. - I tried to put those up, and they fell down. - [LAUGHS] - The next big thing is color. - Color, color, color. No paint required-- - OK. - --because it ignites, again, our brain chemistry for that serotonin, those dopamine levels that calm us down. And the calmer we are, the happier we are. So this is the way to go. HOST: So there's some real science behind it? ANITA YOKOTA: Absolutely. DEMARCO MORGAN: I love how you call it a labor of love. You call everything a labor of love. Right here, this is the night agent? - So this is play. - Play? OK. - So just like in my book, I talk about playing connects ourselves to our homes, to ourselves, and to our relationships that are in the homes. We're always on devices. So as a therapist turned designer, my job is to remind myself and others to really put down our phones at home, create a little space, find little hobbies that invigorate us, that really increases, again, those happy hormones so that we can just work and feel better at home. - Yeah, so put down the phones, put down the screens-- - Absolutely. - --and make time for you and your family. - Yes, absolutely. And that sets you up for success to feel calmer and more productive. - Why do you think it's so important for people to set themselves up for success in their homes? How does that affect us as we're interacting with each other, as we're going out into the world? - So science has shown that when we are calmer, our decision making, our communication skills are clearer. And with that clarity, we make-- we just live our best lives. And why not start at home? Because when we practice that as a great habit, then whatever we bring outside is that much more successful. - I love that. - That was so therapeutic for me. HOST: Yeah. DEMARCO MORGAN: Just calm down, DeMarco. - Just calm-- DEMARCO MORGAN: Take a moment. - Make some clay art. Make some bonsai. - Yeah. We have our kids do that, but I don't think we do it enough. - You know what? It is amazing, the research has shown, for adults. Play, play, play, because it connects us with our kids, with our partners, and with ourselves. And it's just really great to have that science behind the fun. - Yeah. - You're so amazing. HOST: Take that time. - Thank you. DEMARCO MORGAN: Thank you. HOST: Anita Yokota, thank you so much for being with us today. And for more tips like these, you can pick up a copy of her book, Home Therapy. It is out right now.