When the world becomes more than a little too much to handle, we often retreat back into our safe spaces for comfort and solace. Most people recognize their bedrooms—or their homes in general—as their primary safe space.
But what if your home environment contributes to that sense of anxiety and dread? For those who accumulate clutter or live with worn-out and broken furniture, this negative feeling can be all too familiar.
If you resonate with this feeling of dread upon stepping foot into your home, it’s in your best interest to change up your home environment.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can approach this home renovation, from changing up the furniture to adding new design touches to the space.
Let’s explore some of the top ways you can create a home that helps you unwind, relax, and feel more at ease.
Make Your Home A Mental Wellness Safe Space
Use Scents to Your Advantage
Sight isn’t the only sense you have to appease when giving your home a mental health-focused makeover. You should also be mindful of the scent that your room evokes, as this can play a big role in influencing your mood and productivity.
For starters, you can use scented candles to help allow a scented aroma to waft around the house. The right fragrance can promote feelings of calmness and serenity, making it easy to wind down after a long day. The best fragrance notes for this include lavender, jasmine, tea, and chamomile.
Besides scented candles, you can also use aroma diffusers and air fresheners to transform pungent and musty odors permeating the house into more pleasant and refreshing odors. This is especially useful in humid and dank environments, like the kitchen and bathroom.
When your home smells good, you can feel more balanced and at ease with your surroundings. The right fragrance can get you in the mood to do things better, whether it’s to tackle the day in full force or wind down and sleep soundly at night.
In any case, the right scent can be invigorating and enhance your mental wellness at large.
Remove Clutter
Clutter is the bane of a peaceful environment. When a room is too cluttered, it can magnify the space’s negative energy and put the dweller’s mind in a constant state of chaos and unease.
If your house has a ton of miscellaneous items just sprawled and lying around, make it a priority to remove them.
You can either put them in the bin, donate them, or sell them in a garage sale or online. If they’re truly valuable, then you can consider storing them in a box and placing them somewhere unseen, like in an attic.
This process may seem overwhelming for houses filled with clutter, so it’s important to start small. Start by decluttering one room and putting items in distinct boxes based on their category. Once you’re done with one room, rest and proceed to the next one.
Furthermore, decluttering should also be a continuous process. You should spend a couple of minutes each day cleaning a space, like sweeping the floors from wrappers and wiping down kitchen counters from food waste. And on a weekly basis, you should opt for more demanding chores, like disposing of trash in dumpsters.
By systematically getting rid of clutter around key areas around your home, your mental clarity can improve alongside it. This can make you more focused and calm during the day, which can be a good boost to your overall mental health.
Spruce Up Your Space With Plants
Does your room feel devoid of life and flair? A quick fix to that would be to introduce a touch of greenery. Plants aren’t only aesthetic and versatile decorative pieces, they’re also highly beneficial for boosting one’s health.
For one, plants have detoxification properties, purifying the air by taking in carbon dioxide. Secondly, seeing the propagation and growth of plants also gives a sense of fulfilment, which can be a potent mood booster.
The great thing about plants is that you have a wide range of them to choose from.
If you’re a beginner who wants low-maintenance plants, you can start with some succulents by your tableside. If you want to bring out the natural aura of your space, you can opt for lush, leafy houseplants like money trees and mini-potted palms.
In any case, plants add a vibrant and mentally relaxing touch to any space, your home included. This can transform your space’s aura into something positive and welcoming, which is something everyone would appreciate after a long and tough day at work.
It’s also an act of self-care taking responsibility for growing plants, so one can say that the benefits are two-fold.
Use The Right Furniture
If your mental health is in a chronic negative state, it’s essential to proactively remove triggers to keep yourself out of a bad headspace. One way you can do this is by investing in the right mental health furniture.
While replacing your furniture may seem like a hefty investment, these types of furniture are fairly affordable and can pay off dividends.
There is mental health furniture made by Knightsbridge Furniture and other furniture retailers that can help promote that sense of security and relaxation, providing furniture with neutral tones and soft, round edges to exude a feeling of calm to people experiencing mental distress.
Some examples of furniture that can boost mental health include your typical furniture set pieces, including chairs, tables, beds, ottomans, and beanbags. These pieces don’t only ensure safety, but they also look stylish and are made for comfort.
Use Calming Colors
Color plays a huge role in revealing the mood of a space. As much as possible, you’d want to evoke a sense of calmness and serenity in your safe spaces. This means painting your room and choosing furniture that has a grounded and neutral colour palette to give your mind the space to relax.
There are many colors you can choose to help you achieve that serenity. Navy blue, teal, and aubergine have a sophisticated, dark accord that can infuse a sense of relaxation into a chosen space. Colors like white, clay, pale yellow, and peach are also ideal for highlighting that neutral and warm hue.
In any case, there’s a wide range of color combinations you can choose from, and all of them can provide a sense of calm when properly applied to the right room.
Incorporate Natural Light
If you spend the majority of your time holed up in a dark room, this can quickly lead to mental health deterioration.
To combat this, consider increasing your exposure to sunlight. Open up windows and use airy curtains throughout the day to allow sunlight to flow freely into your space. Consider arranging furniture in such a way that your typical resting areas have a good amount of sunlight streaming through.
If your room is small or doesn’t accept a lot of outside light, consider using mirrors and reflective surfaces to amplify the light around your space. This can brighten corners that may otherwise not be hit by the sunlight.
By incorporating proper lighting techniques, your space can feel much more welcoming and inviting throughout the day, which can be great for boosting your wellness. Plus, it helps keep your plants well-nourished and improves your circadian rhythm too.
Designate a Cozy Spot
It’s valid to want some solitude from time to time around the house, whether it be from your housemates or family. One way to get this peace and quiet is by setting a spot in your house as a retreat where you can relax with little interruption.
The nature of this spot is up to your discretion. Want it by the window sill? Go for it! Want it in the far corner of your bedroom? That’s possible too.
Once you’ve chosen your ideal spot, furnish it with nice and cozy materials and decorations. This can include plush pillows, chairs, a computer, and other things that make you happy.
Having a cozy spot in your house helps you break free from the distractions of daily life. It also offers a place to rest whenever you want, which is extremely important to help you during the moments when your mind is in disarray.
