Our homes are meant to be the place we go to relax and unwind, but they can easily turn into stress-filled chores, perhaps even more than your daily work. It does take some effort to make your home more relaxing, but once you reach that goal, the improvement speaks for itself.
You will be able to find a place to relax, everywhere you look will inspire good feelings, and you won’t feel trapped inside because I will show you ways to let nature in.
With that in mind, let’s make some changes!
Take notes on what you want to change
It’s hard to start without a plan. I recommend you take a moment to walk around the house with a notebook and simply take notes on what you would like to change.
This can be anything, from minor changes to straight-up remodels – we’re not going to finish everything right now! This is just to have a plan on paper so that your mind is at ease with the process.
Obviously, for right now, we will start with the smaller things, most of which you can do without spending anything. Once your home has seen a proper improvement and feels more relaxing, then you can think about further changes.
Keep surfaces clean
You want to make sure surfaces are always clean, and that means cleaning them with a flannel and some alcohol regularly. But you also want to keep them “clean visually by reducing clutter and removing excessive decoration.
Decoration is an excellent way to add more personality to your home, but at the same time, you don’t want a bunch of random objects getting in the way and making the place feel messy.
Give your bedroom special attention
Your bedroom should be the most relaxing room in the house.
Spare no effort here: make sure you have clean sheets always available, install curtains that look nice and block out light if necessary, consider adding dimmers to better control the light intensity…
And perhaps most important of all, limit the use of technology here. Have a drawer by the bed to leave your phone charging overnight, and opt for an alarm clock instead if you need something to wake you up.
Also, maybe don’t have a television in the bedroom. I’m aware that a lot of people like this setup (and I can’t blame them), but once again, this is where you should sleep. The fewer screens the better.
Declutter early
The old and reliable declutter is one of the best ways to kickstart your plans. Nothing is less enjoyable than a messy room, especially for your mental health when you just want to relax.
Make it part of the plan to declutter as early as possible. It’s a nice way to feel like you’ve made a lot of progress in little time, and it makes room for all the other improvements we’re about to make!
Do check one of our guides on how to declutter your home if you need guidance!
Technology is good, but…
Everything in moderation, right?
The use of technology can be a boon, but more often than not it’s just another trigger for your anxiety. There are great uses for it, I don’t think anyone disagrees… but let’s try to keep things in perspective.
For starters, consider cutting down the “endlessly-doom-scrolling-social-media time and replace it with reading a book.
Don’t like to read long novels? Then read a guide on something you want to learn: singing, sewing, playing the piano, speaking French, etc.
Maybe you want to try painting, so put up an album to play and have at it! Watercolor painting is really easy to get into and really fun to learn.
And hey, vinyl disks are back and there are some really cheap vinyl players out there, it’s worth considering instead of booting up Spotify.
All of this is to get you away from your phone a bit. There’s nothing wrong with using your phone, by the way, but it’s healthy to prove to yourself that you don’t need to rely on it for everything!
Get help with cleaning
Cleaning will be necessary to make your home more peaceful, but it can be a huge undertaking by yourself – especially during your free time.
This is where house cleaning pros come in. You can ask for free quotes and get yourself a huge help in cleaning the whole house, which will instantly improve your mood!
Let the light in
It’s important to get sunlight on the outside, but its presence in your home should not be underestimated. Simply allowing more sunlight to come through the windows is already a massive boon to your mental health, as we need sunlight to properly function as human beings.
If your home feels a bit dark, try to open more windows and doors, or perhaps install lighter curtains on the big windows. It’s also good to let some air in, so you knock two birds with one stone.
Use scents to change the mood
An extremely underrated way to enhance the mood is by using scents. For this, you can rely on incense, but some people have trouble with the smoke and how strong the smell is. Instead, you can use scented candles or oils, which are much more pleasing to the nose and still do their job well.
As for which scent to use, it’s really up to your taste: lavender is a safe bet, but you can also find eucalyptus, citrus, lilacs, coconut, and many more.
Sometimes less is more
Especially when it comes to decoration, you really don’t have to try too hard. Opt for making small changes and additions, a little at a time, and you will see that these are enough.
Decoration is a common one, as I’ve mentioned before. You don’t have to go for a minimalistic style or anything like that, but try to use fewer pieces that are more impactful.
The same goes for combining colors. You don’t have to worry about matching a color palette, just pick two colors that go well together and focus on those two – it’s much easier to manage and it will look great.
Use houseplants to improve air quality
Houseplants are cute pieces of decor, but they also work to improve your indoor air quality, which is a massive benefit. There are many houseplants that are low-maintenance and safe for pets, making them an easy addition to your daily routine.
Check out the best houseplants to improve your air quality and you will have a much more relaxing home!
Ready to have a more peaceful home? Get free quotes from house cleaners today and take the first step!
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