Transform your home into a healing, relaxing zone with these little home makeover ideas
Here’s a good reason to do some low-cost redecorating: The choices you make can result in enhanced mood, less stress, and better sleep. To turn your space into a healing haven, follow these easy decorating tips for a stress-free home.
Create a feel-good focal point
The first thing you see when you enter your home should be something you love, whether that’s a piece of art, a vase of flowers, or a special souvenir. A beautiful first impression helps you relax from the get-go.
Create space
Our anxiety builds in small spaces if there’s too much stuff. To reduce the clutter and make the room feel larger, ask yourself if you really need all those end tables or picture frames, and cut anything deemed nonessential. Consider painting a table or bookshelf the same color (or a similar one) as the wall it’s up against, so it “disappears” into it. Painting walls white or a light color will also make a smaller room feel more spacious.
Light up locations, not whole rooms
Bright overhead light can make it difficult to wind down at the end of the day. Use spot lighting for areas where you need brightness, such as next to the sofa where you read, and put overhead lights on dimmers. Also, switch to full-spectrum bulbs, which mimic natural light better than standard ones do.
Create pedestrian-friendly paths
If you can barely get into a chair without banging your leg on the coffee table, or if the path from the sofa to the door is cramped, rearrange your furniture,” says Roberts. “Not being able to safely and easily move about produces anxiety—not to mention an easy way to trip or stub a toe.
Simplify your color scheme
Use restraint with patterns and loud colors. If you mix patterns, keep their color schemes similar, and if you like lots of colors, keep patterns to a minimum. “If you have too many bright colors or high-contrast patterns in a room, your eyes are going to be drawn all over the place, making it difficult to relax. Simple designs and colors, on the other hand, are soothing.
Switch off electronics
To rest easier, remove all televisions and computers from your bedroom. The light emitted by these devices signals the brain to stay awake, interfering with a good night’s sleep and leaving you with elevated levels of stress hormones in the morning.
