With all the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, things can become pretty stressful. But, if we let it, stress can overtake our lives, impacting our interpersonal relationships, affecting our job performance and satisfaction, depleting our energy, sleeping less, and souring our moods.
Worse still is that when we’re stressed from life, having our homes in disarray can only add to that stress. Whether it’s dishes and laundry piling up, bills being left unpaid, messes left by roommates, partners, and kids, having a safe space to unwind and destress is crucial to our wellbeing.
The Physical Impacts of Stress in Our Lives
There’s also a sneaky impact that stress can play on our lives. In addition to souring moods and making us generally unhappy, over time, stress can severely impact our physical health as well. Over time, stress can elevate blood pressure, causing long-term damage to the cardiovascular system and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Additionally, stress can contribute to:
- Chronic headaches, depression, and anxiety
- High blood pressure, heart problems, and strokes
- Lowered immune system response and diabetes
- Skin and joint conditions, such as arthritis
- Asthma and other breathing issues
With all those stress-related issues, we must have a place to unwind safely and healthily. Whether it’s renovating your home or simply dedicating a space to have to unwind, it’s crucial for your mental and physical wellbeing.
Ways To Renovate Your Space for a Calming Effect
You don’t need a whole home makeover to have a more calming and relaxing home. There are a few ways you can do it cheaply and yet yield a massive return on your investment.
Remove Clutter
Clutter can add to the sense of chaos and stress, so having a clean space creates a sense of order to ease your anxieties. Having tchotchkes is a great way to add or detract from clutter. Be sure to have friendly, familiar, and comforting tchotchkes such as family pictures, paintings, and fresh plants.
Add Plants
There is evidence on a physiological and psychological level that indoor plants and flowers may help reduce stress. Plants help soothe and keep us rooted in the natural world, easing anxiety and some forms of depression. This idea that plants can boost our moods is central to plant therapy, and is becoming more and more popular as a way to alleviate stress and improve overall happiness.
Improved Lighting
Having a bright, well-lit room goes a long way toward creating a happier feel. Adding soft lighting can also enhance the sense of calm in any room. Even simply pulling up the blinds and opening the curtains can significantly increase the space’s light, helping to boost moods in return.
How To Create Your Own Meditative Space
After you’ve created an overall atmosphere in your home that encourages a more relaxed, calm state, creating your own meditative space dedicated to establishing a daily routine is the final step. You can do something simple such as have a space in an open room or living room, though ultimately, you’d want an area that is only used for meditative practice.
Like sleeping, our brains are wired for activity based on the stimulus it receives, which is why sleep specialists encourage bedrooms to be only a space for sleeping, eliminating social and entertainment in the room. In other words, having a space that your brain recognizes as only for relaxation activities will help it be prepared once you start your practice.
Eliminating outside stimuli and distractions will make your brain embrace the calming practices much quicker than if you tried it in a room that has a lot of heavy foot traffic. If you want to do some more expansive renovations to your home, such as remodeling the floor space or adding an extra room, knowing how to remodel effectively and within budget is crucial to the overall success of your remodeling plans.
Simply, suppose you plan to renovate your home and add a space that you can use for meditative and other activities. In that case, there are a few things to do first—creating a plan, getting multiple bids, setting a budget, and choosing the right type of materials needed. Creating your meditation room can be a simple process, but it should be a room that is bright, clean, organized, and used for only relaxation activities to help your brain identify the space as a calming one.