Take your home from chaotic to peaceful with these 7 tips on how to make your home more relaxing!
We lead such hectic lives that we literally live in our workplaces or are commuting, rather than spending time at home. The fast pace, the frenzy—it all begs for a concerted effort to slow down. Taking time off is such an alien concept these days that we need to be forced to take a break and stop to smell the roses.
In the process, we hardly have any time to pay attention to our homes—a place that is meant to be our sanctuary, a place to relax.
Home sweet home. This is the place to find happiness. If one doesn’t find it here, one doesn’t find it anywhere. M. K. Soni
A home that is disorganized, chaotic, and full of discord is not a relaxed one. Fortunately, it is never too late to change this. There are a few simple and very basic steps to make our homes more harmonious and peaceful to return to at the end of a busy day.
Home is the most popular, and will be the most enduring of all earthly establishments. Channing Pollock
Our homes are often referred to as our safe place where we are the most comfortable. At the end of a long day at work, it is where we turn, to relax. It is only fair that we recognize the value of creating a place where we wake up energized, a place that feels welcoming to return to. Truly, it is worth it to put in the effort to make your home more relaxing and peaceful so that you can re-energize yourself and relieve your stress?
So, how can you go about making your home as relaxing and peaceful as you possibly can? Here are some suggestions to help you to achieve this goal!
7 simple tips to make your home more relaxing
1. Declutter
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris
The first thing to do to make your home more relaxing is to clear the clutter. Clutter can affect us in so many negative ways, besides draining us of time, money, and energy. A messy place makes you feel disorganized and confused. As the clutter builds up, we hesitate to have people over because even we can’t relax in our own home.
Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends and family belong, and laughter never ends. Unknown
Today, people are turning to Feng Shui, the eastern art of placing things harmoniously in your space to get the best benefits and to make your home more relaxing. But you don’t really have to practice Feng Shui to realize that the clutter around you is draining your energy. How overwhelming it can be to look around you and feel intimidated about the cleaning and purging that has to be done!
Besides that, clutter can cause accidents—you can trip over stuff and hurt yourself. It becomes hard to find things. How to overcome this? Try following these simple steps:
- Choose what you no longer want or need – separate these items out to one side. This can be a difficult process, but you need to be reasonable and accept that some items are simply taking up space in your home unnecessarily.
- Sell items of value – if any of your belongings have value, sell them. There are websites like eBay where you can do that.
- Donate items – alternatively, donate your items to a charity store. This way, they will go to a good home and will contribute money to a good cause.
Once you’ve decluttered, you’ll only be left with the items you genuinely use, want or need. Invest in good storage solutions such as a chest of drawers and dressers to bookshelves, shelving units, built-in wardrobes, and more, there are always options that can help you to organize your home a little better, and also save you a lot of dusting in the long run.
Clearing the clutter literally helps you prevent the energy drain in your home. After decluttering, organize your stuff in such a way that you know where everything is, making it easier to maintain.
And if you do decide to use feng shui, remember it is as easy as adding a few objects as part of your décor to relieve stress.
2. Add some color
A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams. Unknown
Color plays a big role in how you feel. Decorate your home in colors that feel soothing to you and relax you. This need not mean that you must spend thousands repainting your home. You can simply change your curtains. Add a few cushions in soothing colors and so on.
3. Use Scents
Aromatherapy has wonderful benefits. There is a variety of aromas in the form of incense and essential oils that can make your home more relaxing. Examples are lavender, jasmine, rosemary, vanilla, sage lemon, and sea breeze scents. You can filter these scents through your home via scented candles, reed diffusers, and even smudging using sage and rosemary. Incense sticks can work too.
Research shows that aromatherapy relieves stress. Why not make good use of it?
4. Maximize Airflow
The sun at home warms better than the sun elsewhere. Albanian Proverb
Nothing like a well-ventilated room to relax you. Rooms without any airflow can begin to feel stuffy. Try opening up your windows where possible to promote airflow throughout your home.
If you’re looking to further improve air quality without opening the windows, invest in houseplants. These filter the air around you and also help you to feel closer to nature. Just make sure to choose options that are non-toxic if you have pets or children who may come into contact with the plants.
5. Make a wellness space for yourself
Create a “spot” for yourself at home where you can relax. For some, this may be a cozy chair with a couple of plants where you catch up on your reading or listen to music or enjoy your favorite beverage. For others, it can be yoga or meditation. Whatever appeals to you, create the space in your home that serves as a physical reminder to relax.
6. Don’t forget your bedroom
At the end of the day, this is where you sleep and recoup your energy. As the most personal area in your home, your bedroom should be a loving invitation to you to relax.
So, decorate it in your most soothing colors. Consider avoiding any electronic devices in the room to help you sleep peacefully without those annoying notifications.
Turn off your phones at least thirty minutes before you sleep. Did you know that your phone screen’s blue light has a dark side?
7. Turn on the music
Few things relieve stress in a more wonderful way than music. Like fragrances soothe our senses, music gently relaxes us. So consider adding music to your space. Select the music that peps you up or relaxes you depending on what you need.
Besides the above, here are some bonus tips to make your home more relaxing.
- Add flowers—beautiful to look at with the added benefit of aromatherapy.
- Books—can be so calming to look at and if you are a reader, what a great way to relax!
- Candles—to add calm. Avoid strong scents.
- Lighting—opt for natural daylight as much as possible.
- Use rugs—create a great atmosphere that is both homely and beautiful.
Read: 6 important ways having flowers at home enhances your wellbeing
Focusing on the above can go a long way in making your home more relaxing and peaceful –after all, you deserve to be happy!
