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Stress can come from several places. Perhaps work is particularly fast-paced right now. Maybe you care for young kids or elderly parents, and the demands on your time and energy are a little overwhelming. But stress can also come from the environment in which you live – the level of clutter, quality of light and air, and a lack of calming elements in the home.
Thankfully, optimizing your home for stress relief isn’t that difficult. Below, you’ll find a few straightforward tips for turning your house or condo into a stress-free sanctuary.
Partner with a Decluttering Service
Clutter is one of the main culprits for stress in the home, exacting its toll in a few ways. To start, clutter bombards your brain with excess sensory stimuli; all those extra sights, smells and physical obstructions combine to overwhelm your brain, causing stress. Secondly, too much clutter can make you feel ashamed and powerless, which further adds to anxiety.
Therefore, one of the best things you can do to nip domestic stress in the bud is hire decluttering services. A decluttering company specializes in carefully and compassionately sorting through your belongings. They tag each item according to what you want to keep, sell, donate or discard.
Implement Easy-to-Follow Organization Systems
Decluttering isn’t a “one and done” affair. Rather, it’s an ongoing commitment to self-maintenance and self-improvement. The last thing you want is to squander a clear, clean home by allowing it to quickly revert into clutter.
Thankfully, the best decluttering companies also offer home organizing services. Ask your decluttering company about implementing easy-to-follow organizational systems. This might include closet or specific room organization, or whole-house organizing.
With organizing systems established, get the whole house on board to keep everything neat. Make sure everyone knows where things go, and encourage them to follow simple procedures for tidying up.
Allow Natural Light and Fresh Air
Natural light has several health benefits. It helps facilitate vitamin D production, which builds strong bones. It aids in sleep schedule regulation to keep you energized and focused. And it also helps regulate mood. Elevating the natural light in your home through open blinds, mirrors, and light-coloured design elements may help reduce stress.
The effects of fresh air on stress are also well documented; psychologists found that even 10 minutes out in nature has appreciable effects on physiological stress markers like blood pressure and heart rate. To help optimize your home for stress relief, consider merging your indoor and outdoor spaces. Ventilate your home with open windows, and, if possible, create easy access to a natural space like a garden.
Go Green
Recently, Marie Claire ran an article on why “houseplants are the ultimate stress reliever.” In it, they cite research that house plants can reduce tension by up to 40%. The science behind this mechanism is complicated – houseplants suppress autonomic nervous system activity, which reduces stress. But you don’t need a science degree to benefit. Decorate your home with lush houseplants, making sure to take care of them according to a watering schedule.
You can’t solve all of life’s problems by creating a home sanctuary, but you can help mitigate tension, anxiety and everyday stress. As they say, “home is where the heart is” – keep that heart calm and relaxed with these simple tips!
