3 Ways Your Home Can Be Your Ally Against Stress.

When our stress levels rise there are a lot of things that we examine—

our relationships, our work, even our internal dialogues. But how often do you look at the space that you’re spending all your time? How can we Creating a Stress-Free Home?

If we’ve learned anything since spending the majority of our time in our homes, it’s that they have a fundamental effect on our mental health. Your immediate environment has a pretty significant impact on your overall state of mind.

If you’ve found your stress levels rising over the past few months you may be able to begin to lower them by adjusting a few things in your home. It’s time to look around your home and see if there are ways that you can create a more peaceful environment that can translate into a peaceful state of mind.

Here are 3 ways you can create a stress-free home.

Embrace minimalism and Decluttering for Calm:

Whether you realize it or not, having more stuff in your home can actually add to your stress and anxiety. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind—and that’s backed up by science. Clutter can actually cause the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can increase tension and anxiety.

In fact, a 2016 study from Cornell University found that stress triggered by clutter can also trigger negative coping strategies like eating junk food, binge-watching Netflix, and oversleeping.

By decluttering for calm in your home, you’ll be able to have a positive impact on your stress levels. One of the most popular ways to implement minimalism in your life is the famous KonMari method—made famous by Marie Kondo and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

You go through everything in your home and determine whether or not it “sparks joy”—if it does, you keep it if it doesn’t you either donate or throw it away. It’s a simple method to help you pare down your belongings and start to shed some of the stress in your home and your life.

Take a second look at your paint colours

Colour is another aspect of our homes that can have a huge impact on our mood. It’s true! Colour can have a powerful psychological influence on your mental well being. Certain colours are known to trigger stress and anxiety—red, for example, has been proven to have a negative effect on anxiety levels. On the other hand, some colours have been known to lower anxiety—Baker-Miller pink has long been considered a colour that reduces feelings of hostility and aggression.

When you’re shopping for paint, it’s important to look for more neutral tones that don’t trigger any negative thoughts in your mind.

If you are looking for inspiration on colours that can help calm you down and reduce your anxiety, think about the following colours:

Blue: to introduce calm into a space.
Violet: a soft violet or lilac tone can bring balance and inner peace.
Pink: a pastel pink can reduce feelings of aggression.
Green: to introduce a soothing and comforting vibe to a room.
Grey: the right shade of grey can be very calming and relaxing. But don’t overdo it—using too much grey can become draining.

Examine where you lay your head at night

You spend approximately one-third of your life asleep. This is why it is essential for us to understand that the quality of sleep you get has a direct effect on your physical and mental health.

With so much on the line, it makes sense that we should spend some time and energy into finding a bed that works for us—and a bedroom that helps to bring calm to our evenings. You should consider replacing your mattress if:

It is older than 7 years.
You wake up regularly with aches and pains.
The mattress has visible signs of wear and tear.
Your bed does not feel comfortable or welcoming.

When you’re considering how to revamp your bedroom for better sleep, think about everything in your room. From bedding and window coverings to noise reduction and temperature control, you need to look closely at everything in your bedroom to ensure you get a solid night’s sleep.

Start enjoying your home again! by creating a Stress-Free home.

Feeling inspired? Get decorating! I hope that these 3 tips have inspired you to get moving on your next decorating project. Book your interior design consultation. Looking forward to hearing from you. Contact us at 905 208 3078 or info@ramseydesign.ca