meditation

10 Tips for Creating a Relaxing Space in Your Home

People typically use their homes or apartments to decompress, kick back and relax. But what if your apartment is not the relaxing space of peace and tranquility you’ve been daydreaming about since the 2 p.m. lull?

If your apartment is as much of a hotbed for stressful energy as the hustle and bustle of your workday, then you need to revamp your decor and lifestyle for a more relaxing living space that takes that stress and leaves it at the door!

How to create a calming space

We’re living in the age of self-care and wellness, and attention to our mental and physical well-being also needs to apply to the place where we spend the majority of our time: our home.

Our house should be a relaxing space where we can decompress and re-center ourselves on all levels, allowing us to show up as our best selves in our work and social lives. These tips will help you create a comfortable and stress-free living environment that you need at the end of a long day.

1. Smells like home

aroma lamp

Fragrances can evoke emotional responses, so make sure your home smells of something that makes you feel happy and at ease with a little aromatherapy. Lavender is known to calm and soothe anxieties when it is inhaled. Light a candle or drop some lavender oil on your pillow before climbing into bed to ensure you get a restful night’s sleep before another big day.

You can even add lavender oil to a bath — you’ll unwind in a mixture of warm water and calming scents! Similarly, scents like eucalyptus, jasmine and lemon can help boost your mental state.

One especially great tool for helping your home smell amazing is using an essential oil diffuser, which will release calming smells into the environment.

2. Let the sunshine in

natural light

There’s nothing like sunshine to make you feel better, so it stands to reason you’d want plenty of it in your home to create a warmer, relaxed space. Having a space that allows in lots of natural light is immensely beneficial for your health and emotional well-being, so keep blinds and curtains open during the day to bask in that glow as much as possible.

Getting plenty of natural light is especially important during the winter when the days are shorter and there’s less light to enjoy.

3. Harness your chi

chi

You don’t have to be a guru to use the power of chi. You can reorganize your living space to promote a sense of balance.

However, creating good chi for feng shui design isn’t the easiest task (especially with an overcrowded apartment) but the payoff is definitely worth it. Be sure to position all of your furniture in a way that allows for smooth transitions from space to space.

This is also a good way to separate work areas of your apartment from play areas, which will help you to leave work in one room and fully enjoy fun and relaxation in another.

Feng shui techniques also suggest you position your bed to face the entire room because it gives you a sense of control — that feeling is certainly important if you don’t have much at work.

4. It’s that easy being green

plants

Contrary to what Kermit says, being green is easy — and it gives you quite a mental health boost. Being around plants and nature is shown to reduce stress levels, and there’s always a sense of satisfaction and content that comes from caring for a plant and watching it grow.

Purchase some plants at a local nursery to add a touch of greenery to your home, and you’ll find that your stress levels seep away as you develop a routine of watering and caring for them. And even just looking at them will help make you feel happier and more relaxed.

5. Color me calm

calm colors

Cool colors are known to evoke feelings of calm, and you can use them to decorate. Painting a room purple, green, blue, gray or white can have a drastic effect on the mood you have when you enter that space.

Pick faded, muted hues to get the full effect. If you can’t paint your walls, think about adding cool-colored accent pieces or wall drapes. You can also look for temporary wallpaper in cool shades and patterns.

6. Keep it quiet

keep it quiet

You may live in a high-traffic area or have noisy neighbors. If so, you can’t exactly pop your head out the window and ask the cars to stop driving or hound your neighbors without creating even more stress. For a truly relaxing space, there needs to be some quiet.

By adding bulky curtains to your windows, putting down area rugs and decorating your walls, you will be able to cut down on the noise and make your space more serene. Investing in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones can also help.

If you’re able, when it gets too noisy outside at certain times of the day, you can also close your windows to cut down on outdoor noise pollution and reduce stress, as well.

7. Clean up your act

organized home

De-cluttering your apartment is essential to creating a relaxing space. A cluttered home is a cluttered mind, after all. Wash your dirty dishes, pick up the outfit you decided not to wear this morning and give away that old chair you never sit on to Goodwill.

Use organizational tips and tricks to keep your place consistently tidy. All of your belongings should have a place to stay when not in use.

Whether it’s a shoe rack in the closet or a file cabinet, the right tools and furniture will cut down on disorganization. Attack the clutter and your mind will thank you for it.

8. Sway to the music

lighting to music

Listening to music is a great way to hang loose and chill out. For instance, tunes that feature a slow tempo can promote calm, but even a pop song can decrease your agitation if you love it. Listening to music lowers blood pressure, increases optimism and eases muscle tension.

Consider putting together a few playlists you can keep on-hand in case you don’t know what to listen to. Each one can cater to a different mood. For example, line up Beyoncé for when you need to feel in charge or get your favorite classical songs in order for when you need something instrumental.

9. Get cooking or baking

cooking

Some people cook or bake to alleviate stress. Even if cooking isn’t your passion, preparing and eating certain foods, such as broccoli, complex carbs, dark chocolate and omega-3 fatty acids, can help decrease tension and increase serotonin levels.

10. Night, night phone

phone face down

At the end of the day, it can be tempting to lay in bed and watch a few episodes of your favorite TV show or scroll through your phone to catch up on the latest happenings. But all that blue light from your smartphone and TV messes up your natural circadian rhythm, telling your body to stay awake instead of getting ready for a visit from Mr. Sandman.

Making a rule that there will be no electronics in the bedroom ensures you’ll get a full night’s sleep and will be completely rested in the morning. Instead of looking at the TV or your phone, read a book or magazine or listen to some calming music. And if you used your phone for a wake-up alarm, get a classic alarm clock instead.

Investing in your relaxing space

Making your home a relaxing space is crucial to your mental and physical well-being, allowing you to shake off the pressures of the day and create a sense of peace in your home.

Leave the turmoil of the office at your desk and bask in the tranquility of your calm and inviting apartment. Before you know it, you’ll be back at the grind tomorrow, refreshed and renewed!

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