Your home is a place of refuge. It is the place you ultimately go to after a long day out or weekend away. The last thing you want is to go home to a messy house after a relaxing time away. Creating a calming space at home is easier than you think. Here are three easy tips to help you create a peaceful sanctuary in your home.
1. Spend time decluttering
There is a saying that "a messy room equals a messy mind." When a house becomes cluttered, it is more than the physical pile of mess in front of you, it can make you feel overwhelmed. When there is chaos in your space, it's hard to feel relaxed.
Decluttering is something many people put off because it can be very time-consuming. It requires you to look at each bill, receipt, or item and ask yourself, do I still need this? Before you start, determine how much time you have to sit down and sift through the clutter. If you don't have a lot of time, just start with a handful of items, and make sure each item ends up in its proper spot. For example, if it's a tax receipt, make sure it's filed away in the designated filing cabinet. If it's just an unnecessary grocery receipt, make sure it's in the garbage bin. The last thing you want is to run out of time and have a somewhat sorted pile that doesn't reach its final destination. Chances are, you'll likely forget that this pile was sorted and you'll have to revisit each item all over again.
2. Add easy to maintain houseplants
Once you have decluttered, you can use that space to put in some house plants. Plants are not just great to look at, which boosts your mood, but it also freshens up the air. Plants absorb the stale carbon dioxide you breathe out and release oxygen that you breathe in. This can improve your concentration and productivity.
Keeping plants alive requires some work, but in one of our previous blogs, we suggested five plants that are low maintenance and quite easy to care for. One of these is a snake plant. Adding a snake plant in your room can have a calming effect. It is perfect if you don't like watering too often because it thrives in drought.
3. Optimize the lighting
Sometimes it's not feasible to renovate your home to increase natural light with new windows, skylights, or sun tunnels. In this case, optimizing the use of artificial light can create similar calming effects. For example, try switching out your lightbulbs for those that are full daylight spectrum. The light produced from these bulbs resembles true daylight more closely. This is especially great in winter when the days are shorter.
Another option to create a calming space is to install dimmer switches. This gives you greater control over how a space is lit, enabling you to gradually alter light levels as the natural light in your home alters throughout the day. The last thing you want is a bright bedroom light as you are winding down and getting ready for sleep. A dimmable light eases you into bed more comfortably and calmly.
There you have it...
Creating a calming space can be easy and inexpensive. You can start by taking time to declutter, adding in some indoor plants, and optimize the lighting in your house. Taking these small actions is worth it for a happy home.