It has been almost a year since the order to stay at home began worldwide. From that moment, most of us realized that we should improve the spaces that would have to work as offices, schools, and playgrounds.
Before 2020, many of us spend more hours doing activities away from home, and suddenly we had to carry out almost all our activities at home. Although we know staying at home prevents spreading the virus in the population, this measure has been challenging to cope with.
We can remember how time at the office was different from the time at home, so we could say that we could rest from work when we got home. Those days seem to have passed into history. Nowadays, we have to keep working remotely and online schooling from home, and it has not been easy to get used to this normality.
While we have to stay at home, we need to find new ways to separate the time to work and rest or entertain. Now more than ever, it is essential for our well-being that our home is a place where we feel relaxed, safe, happy, and motivated to carry out our day-to-day tasks.
I know that making changes in your house’s design or decoration will not mean significant changes for humanity. Still, they can be of great help so that you and your family feel calm and can restore after a day of stress and anxiety.
Here are some simple tips that we can do that will make our homes more harmonious and organized, and that could make a difference in the times we are living.
Use Color
The colors you select to paint each room’s walls are directly related to the mood you will feel when you are within that space. If we want to achieve a serene home, natural tones like blues, grays, greens, whites, and beige would be a perfect choice.
There are two straightforward ways to choose the color palette for your home, and the first is to define the most visible spaces from room to room; these are usually the kitchen and the living room. Choosing soft, neutral colors such as white or beige for the living room and kitchen will make the selection of colors for the following rooms easier. The second way is to start with the space that you want to have the boldest color, the master bedroom can be an example of this. From there, you can choose softer tones that combine harmoniously with each other.
Enjoy Light
Let the sun brighten your day. We must try to have natural light sources. Sunlight works wonders to improve our spirits. Set up your workspace near a window that lets in natural light, and you can have a view of the outdoors. Natural light can help to keep you relaxed during working hours. In rooms where you have windows, try to keep the curtains pull off to the sides to light up naturally.
Get Rid of Clutter
If we want our home to become a refuge from stress, we must get rid of clutter. A messy house can be a significant stressor, intensifying frustration, and exhaustion. If you want to start organizing your home, you can begin by separating things into three categories: What you can donate, what you can keep, and what you can throw away.
You can find more useful tips from experts on this topic since books, websites, and even TV shows are dedicated to helping you declutter your home.
Have Plants and Flowers
Having flowers in a beautiful vase in any space in our house can have a relaxing effect as they are always pleasant to the eye and the smell. There are specific types of plants that are of great help to lower stress levels. Plants like Peppermint, Chamomile, Jasmine, and Lavender can work inside the house or in our garden.
“Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults.” Journal of Physiological Anthropology
Pillows and Blankets
Place pillows and blankets in every bedroom and the living room. You will give each space a softer, calmer, and more relaxing appearance and feel that you can rest whenever you feel tired or stressed.
Optimize Your Home and Improve Your Well-Being
The new normal has forced us to adapt to new ways of living, working, studying, and entertaining ourselves. Our lives have changed, and we have had to find strategies to live in the best possible way. These are just some easy steps we can follow to turn our homes into quiet and relaxing places where we can continue working, studying, and above all, taking care of our well-being, keeping us happy and relaxed while this pandemic is over.