I have been thinking a lot about how to destress your home lately, since the world seems to be more and more stressful these days. I have found that I was feeling very tense, and so I’ve really been personally on a mission to make our home a sanctuary that helps us to feel more relaxed. The home is where you probably spend a lot of time, and it should be a place a place that relieves stress rather than adding to it. It should be a place of comfort that is cozy and inviting. As you walk in your home, your shoulders should relax rather than tensing up.
Here are a few things you can do to destress your home.
Declutter
You knew that was going to be on the list, right? Clutter is something that is stressful to just about everyone. Even people who say they like it, often are stressed by their stuff. Remove the extra stuff from your home and you’ll be happier. If this job feels overwhelming, then try taking it one room at a time. Then enjoy the open spaces.
Keep on top of filing and bill paying
Try to autopay as much as you can, so you don’t have the burden of remembering to pay bills. We have pretty bad mail service, so sometimes I don’t even get the bill. Also try to get your bills delivered by email, so you don’t have as much paperwork to deal with. I used to have a stack of receipts and bills that I would file them once every two months. I would stress out every time I saw that stack and would dread dealing with it every time I saw it. By filing things at least once a day, the chore takes less than a minute and feels very manageable. It makes me so happy to walk by, and not see a pile of stuff to file!
Add House plants
Plants are a wonderful way to bring nature inside your home. Seeing a live plant is relaxing. If the unfortunate happens and the plant dies, just buy another one, since they are fairly inexpensive. I try to stick to plants are hardy and not easy to kill. If you have a black thumb, you can always go with faux or like I have shown below, real preserved flowers. These last for a several years.
Use Cozy lighting
It’s true that bad lighting can be bad for you. Fluorescent lighting can cause some people headaches, and it’s just harsh light that I don’t think anyone likes. Yellow lighting is best to use in the evening since it helps the circadian rhythms. Blue light is notorious for telling your body it is not bedtime, so don’t get drowsy. If you have incandescent bulbs, they are ideal since their light is yellow, and you can look for other light bulbs that say they are yellow. Also too much light can be unnerving. Try using just lamp light in the evening rather than turning the overhead lights on.
Turn on the Essential oil diffuser
Try using a diffuser in the room with essential oils that are relaxing. I love to smell lavender in our home. It’s relaxing and unlike some candles, nontoxic.
Use Textiles in the room
A room with only hard surfaces can feel unfriendly. Adding more textiles to a room can make it feel more friendly and inviting. Textiles include rugs, pillows and throws. They had a feeling of coziness and they are a great way to up your style in the room too.
Add Blue and Green
Blue and green are the colors of the sky and water. These colors are known to be calming and work well to add peace to a room. If you want calm, you can also use neutrals which also evoke a peaceful feeling.
I would love to hear what you do too. I’ve used all of these tips to make my home a less stressful environment. Probably the things that have helped me the most are decluttering and keeping on top of the laundry and the filing.
Just what I’m trying to do right now just had a huge yard sale.
Now I have to start pulling my rooms together looking to do a cozy country French.
Simple & relaxing.
I hope that goes well Nancy. The struggle is real!
Really helpful post . My filing accumulates and my study becomes a place of anxiety. Inspired by the idea of tackling it on a daily basis I have set aside 10 minutes before my evening begins . My problem is compounded by keeping too many unnecessary till receipts etc. Bit of logical thinking and the pile will be reduced. Many thanks . P.S just loved the plants displayed on the weighing scales. Mission this weekend to find just the perfect scales.
Thanks Diana. I so agree with the stress of seeing a pile that needs tending.
Your points are very good ones. I truly believe soft lighting is so important and the new daylight or bright white bulbs are not for me. Living alone with just myself and 2 dogs, any stress I feel in my home is self-made – can’t blame it on anyone else. I’m adamant about closets, drawers, pantries, cabinets, etc. When I open them, they must be neat and organized, even though my bed may be messy from the night before. My computer area with its bills and personal papers is kept stress-free, due I believe to my many years of working as an office manager in a pre-digital era. I guess some old habits die hard. The biggest stress in my home is the condition/cleanliness of my floors and rugs – as I mentioned, one large and one medium sized dog who love playing outside.
Ha, I feel your pain! We have a big dog and they just do a number on your house.
Last night, as I turned on my chair-side table lamp in the living room to read, the bulb no longer worked on the lowest setting, so I turned it up to the next setting. At 1:30 AM, immersed in a hard-bound book unaware of the time passed, was shocked at how wide awake I was! Replaced the bulb first thing today.
Since moving into my new house, I also adopted a soft blue and green color scheme with peace as the core component of my country French style. Even selling my collection of Le Creuset cast iron cookware in Flame and Cherry Red on eBay, replacing with their newest shades of blue and green. Live plants are key aspects inside and outside my home.
One of the reasons I love your style and website is the quiet grace of your décor. You embody tranquility. It’s a refreshing respite from the insanity of the world and internet. Thank you for your talent and inspiration you share with us!
Nan, you are so kind to leave such a sweet message. Thank you so much! It sounds like you are on the right track to a peaceful home. I love that you sold the things that weren’t working for you, and bought new.
Good post