My goal in life is to create a home that feels like a place I never want to leave. Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling the world, however… Creating a home environment that is relaxing, peaceful, and is truly a space you want to be in, can help reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing.
With the amount of remote work increasing, the amount of time we spend at home is also increasing for many people. Or, perhaps you’re in school, juggling multiple jobs, or fully embracing the busyness of family life, at the end of the day, your home is your sanctuary. So it is time we make it feel like one.
Lucky for you, there are many budget friendly ways create a relaxing home space for stress relief and everyday relaxation! This post is all about different ways to create a relaxing home for stress relief and a less stressful life. For your convenience, there is a range of prices and difficulty levels in order to help achieve your ideal, relaxing home. Whether you’re an ambitious DIY-er or a college student ballin’ on a budget, this post will help you create a relaxing home for stress relief!
Choose Calming Colors and Decor
Paint Colors
Color psychology is all about how colors impact our mood and behaviors. This field of psychology is all based on how colors can impact our mental health, how colors are related to our emotions, and can provide further insight into choosing colors based on these factors. With the intentions of creating a relaxing and peaceful home, I recommend neutral and soft tones like light blue, beige, or muted green for walls and accents. By painting a room in a neutral or warm color, the room can instantly evoke a calmer state of mind.
Decor Choices
How you choose to style your home is based on your own preferences, personality, and budget. To evoke a sense of calm, I recommend finding decor inspiration that you love and use that as a basis to keep a cohesive look through out the space. A space that looks style in a cohesive manor is pleasing to the eye and can help evoke that sense of calmness. The key here is ensure your space does not become overly cluttered with “things”. In my opinion, a tidy home will always feel more relaxing than one that is cluttered with decor and trinkets.
Textiles
Having the right textiles in your space can instantly change the feel and coziness. The great thing about textiles are that there are a lot of options out there and are very simple to swap out. Using soft fabrics for curtains, throws, and cushions can add warmth. And lets be real… it’s just straight up cozy! One of my favorite features in my living room is my basket of matching blankets. I bought 4 inexpensive throw blankets to store in our blanket basket. This is perfect for making guests feel at home by having plenty of extra blankets for them use. It is also perfect for cool fall and winter nights, so I can just wrap myself up into as many blankets as I’d like. And as a bonus, I bought them all in the same color so that it evokes a cozy hotel feel, but also makes it super easy to wash them all at once.
Optimize Your Lighting
Natural Light
According to Calm.com, there are 4 major benefits to sunlight: vitamin D synthesis, sleep cycle regulation, lower blood pressure, and a boost in immunity. If you still desire privacy but also want more natural light, you can maximize daylight exposure by using sheer curtains, using decorative privacy window clings, and positioning furniture to make the most of windows.
Ambient Lighting
Using multiple different light sources creates a more balanced ambiance throughout the room. When a single light source is used in low light, like at night, this creates higher contrast throughout the room, which is harder on your eyes. If adding more hardwired light sources is not an option for you, I recommend using a variety of lamps and string lights for a warm, cozy glow during evenings.
Smart Bulbs
To be honest, I thought smart bulbs were a gimmick at first. The previous owners of our house left a smart bulb, so that was how I started using them- not originally on my own accord, but because we had one. Once I actually connected the bulb to the app, I was mad I didn’t do this sooner! We have the Wyze Smart Bulb and it is helpful for creating soft warm light at night and bright day light during the day. Plus you can schedule the lamp to turn on before you come home from work. If you’re from the midwest like me, this is a game changer in the winter months!
Add Soothing Scents
Essential Oils
Introduce aromatherapy into your home to help create a sense of relaxation. Essential oil diffusers often come with calming light features and in a variety of styles to suit your own personal taste. I recommend starting with scents like lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus.
Incense
If you’re an essential oil lover, don’t sleep on incorporating incense into your relaxation routine! I highly recommend starting out with incense from Sayta. One of the best parts about incense is that they are incredibly inexpensive and are available in so many different scents.
DIY Reed diffusers
If you’re down for an incredibly easy craft, consider making your own reed diffuser. This only requires a few different items: reed diffuser bottles (or bud vases), reeds, essential oils, and a carrier oil. You can create and modify the scents to make it exactly how you like it!
Create a Dedicated Relaxation Zone
Personal Touches
Add elements like family photos, cherished trinkets, or items with sentimental value around in your favorite relaxation spot. Recalling your favorite memories and glimmers of nostalgia can help set the tone for a calming environment. This is your space, dedicated to making you feel relaxed, so of course you should add in some of your most cherished items!
Cozy Nook
To optimize your sleep hygiene, it is widely recommended to stay out of your bed except for sleep and sex. If you can spare a corner in your house or apartment, get yourself a comfortable chair or bean bag, a soft throw throw blanket, and a side table. Incorporate some elements from above, such as string lights, an essential oil diffuser, and some cozy textiles like pillows and rugs.
Floor Cushions and Rugs
Consider changing it up and opt for a floor cushion instead of a chair! Add in a cozy rug, some throw blankets, and a couple of pillows. Not only does this give a new and unique look to your space, but it also gives you a new and different way to move and rest your body.
Relaxation Tools and Activities
Sound Machines
When I have had a particularly stressful day or I am navigating a highly anxious or panicky day, I have found that sound machines help keep me grounded. By creating an experience that very closely resembles nature, this will help evoke a sense of calmness. Everyone is familiar with these sounds, such as rain, waves, birds, or thunderstorms. My favorite app to use is BetterSleep.
Scenic Playlists
I might be late to the game here, but all you need to do is open YouTube on your TV, and search something like “Autumn Scene Warm Jazz“. There are so many difference calming scenes you can play on your TV! Not only is the music calming, but the scenes are so cozy too. My favorites are fall scenes, winter Paris scenes, and NYC coffee shops.
Heated Pads
Heating pads are great for reducing muscle tension and helps promote relaxation. On cold nights, while you’re getting ready for bed, I highly recommend putting a heating pad under your covers so that once you get into bed, it is all toasty warm for you to get cozy! (Be cautious of electrical heating elements).
Buddha Board
If you like to color, paint, or draw, this is a great tool to have next to your favorite relaxation chair. Even if you’re not very good at drawing or painting, this is a great tool for you too! The Buddha Board is a water based painting board that is endlessly reusable. Once the water evaporates, you can continue doodling as you please!
Activity Book
To maximize your relaxation time, step away from your blue light emitting phone and pick up an activity book. Not only are these great for exercising your brain, but it also gives you a chance to zone out and get back to the ol’ pencil and paper.
Conclusion
The potential benefits of creating a relaxing feel in your home include reduced blood pressure, lower anxiety, increased mood, and can create a better sense of self. On your journey to creating your relaxing home for stress relief, start small and personalize your space according to your style and relaxation preferences.
What did I miss? Share your favorite relaxation elements below!
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