Your home has a lot to do with your mental health and you have a lot to do with your home. So in this Mental Health Awareness month we want to show you how to use your home as a powerful tool to improve your mental health.
LOOK AROUND
Our environments, like workspaces, and living rooms or bedrooms can positively or negatively impact our mental space. Research shows a cluttered environment increases the stress hormone cortisol and may even contribute to depression. On the other hand, clean spaces promote productivity, creativity and confidence.
Professional organizer and TV host, Peter Walsh, says “Clutter isn’t just the stuff on the floor. It’s anything that gets between you and the life you want to be living.” Think about that. Whoa, right?
DECLUTTER
Decluttering can be overwhelming. There are as many tips and suggestions as there are philosophies about how to approach it. The simplest advice is to start small. Spend 10-15 minutes decluttering an area, like a room or a corner or even a drawer. Then do another one the next day.
If you really want to go after the clutter with a vengeance take some advice from 5 Points agent and home stager Cassee Cunningham, who walks you through some suggestions room by room.
As famed organizer Marie Kondo suggests, take inventory of your home and if something doesn’t bring you joy, then get rid of it. If you don’t know what to do with the stuff you are getting rid of, here are some ideas that are better than the trash.
IN THE BEDROOM
We all know that sleep is one of the biggest factors to our mental health. Ever talked to someone who didn’t get a good night’s sleep? Mood, cognitive function and focus are all at risk without a good night’s rest.
While we can’t ease your mind of your troubles, we can guide you in optimizing your bedroom space for sound sleep.
- Experts say the ideal sleep temperature ranges from 60-71 degrees.
- If you live on a busy street, limit noise with a fan, noise machine or soothing music.
- Keep it dark. Our brain produces melatonin when it gets dark to induce feelings of relaxation and sleep. Limit light from phone/computer/tv screens.
- Make your bed (at least one part of the room will look clean and tidy!)
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Turning your home into a powerful tool for your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated.
Use Calming Colors in your wall paint, bedding and accessories.
Paint the walls calming colors. There’s a whole psychology on which colors signify what. Colors such as blue, green, lavender and tan bring about a sense of calm.
BRING THE OUTDOORS IN
When your crazy busy day doesn’t allow you to spend time in the healing air of the Carolina mountains or hiking a trail, you can still get some of the benefits of the outdoors in houseplants. Plants such as ferns, succulents, ivy and spider plants reduce toxins and are easy to take care of.
GIVE AROMATHERAPY A TRY
Surely you’ve heard how the smell of baking cookies can help you sell a home faster? Well diffusers or candles can help your mental health even when you aren’t selling your home. The smell of lavender is known for relaxation, peppermint for focus, lemon to boost your mood, and eucalyptus for energizing.
We know you love your house. Help it love you back.