We've all had those days. You leave the house at 7 am and drive straight into a traffic jam. You miss your appointment and have to reschedule. Your boss is in a bad mood at work. The only positive is that you get to return in the evening to your cosy stress-free haven.
But what happens if your home is just as stressful as the outside world? And how do you transform it from somewhere cluttered and stress-inducing to the perfect cosy haven of peace? Let's dive in and find out.
Why is having a stress-free home so important?
When we leave the house, we expect to encounter stressors. From the traffic jam to the person who pushes in front of you in the supermarket queue, the external world isn't always relaxing.
That's why it's even more important to make your home a safe haven of peace and relaxation, where you can be yourself a decompress, no matter how stressful your day was.
With almost three-quarters of adults having felt unable to cope at some point during the last year, reducing stress is a must for the health of the nation. But what do you do if your home feels just as chaotic as the world outside it? We have a few tips to help.
De-Stress Your Home: Our Top Tips
Let's transform your stress-inducing space into a homely haven in just a few steps.
1. De-clutter the space
Clutter is bad for you.
Not just physically (although, yes, constantly breathing in dust isn't great), but emotionally, too. De-clutter the space, recycle or donate all unwanted items, and put things you don't immediately need into storage.
For some people, the act of de-cluttering a whole home in one go feels too overwhelming - and that's understandable. If you want to de-clutter but it feels like too big of a job, start by doing just one corner of the house or just 10 minutes of tidying every day.
If you have more money than time on your hands, call in the professionals to do it for you. Investing in storage can also help because then you have somewhere to put all those miscellaneous items when you're not using them.
2. Prioritise comfort
Comfort is so underrated. From the office chair that people spin on to the couch, they sit on to watch their evening TV, few people put comfort first, instead opting for the cheapest piece of furniture on the market or the first one that comes along.
But the reality is, having comfortable places where we can decompress encourages us to de-compress. After all, if you're sitting in a cosy recliner chair, are you more likely to send yourself off on more errands until you're burnt out or stay a little longer in a comfortable spot, recovering from a busy week? We know which one's better for your mental health.
If you don't currently have a cosy spot in your home, consider investing in the recliner LE2077 chair. With the ability to reach zero-gravity mode (yes, it's as cool as it sounds), a USB charging interface, a soft and comfortable fabric, and self-setting comfortable angle, it's the perfect place to kick back and relax after a tricky day at the office.
3. Remove stressors
The easiest way to make a home stress-free? Remove all the stressful elements from it! Whether it's noises that distract you from your work or the unpleasant smell in a particular room, work hard to ensure that stresses are removed.
If you can hear next door's television, for example, consider installing soundproofing in the walls. If scents linger in your kitchen, invest in a scented candle or room spray. If you're tripping over everything you own in your lounge, have a de-clutter session.
Once these stress triggers are removed, you'll feel more at home in your own place.
4. Improve the user journey
You've probably heard of UX design when it comes to a store or a website. After all, they put the chocolate and sweets near the till for a reason in a supermarket! But did you know your home has a user journey too? And that if it's set up badly, it can have a negative impact on your ability to enjoy living in your space.
Think about that drawer that doesn't open properly or that door handle that sticks into your bad every time. By removing these obstacles from your path, you'll enjoy a better user journey around your home.
Happy Space - Happy Mind
If improving your mental health is a priority, start with the space around you. With just a few easy tweaks, you can transform your home from somewhere on your list of stress triggers to somewhere you can forget about it all.
