Our external environments can affect us on a profound level. For me, the lighting, space, and decor in a room can impact the way I feel. That’s why creating a serene and restorative home environment is an important self-care practice.
Home is my retreat, the place I love to coming back to at the end of each day. Whether you have a stressful job or situation, you’re a busy mama, or you’re just looking for a little more chill-out vibes in your life, read on for some self-care tips for creating a more relaxing and cozy home environment.
1. Fill your home with low maintenance plants: Adding greenery to your home can enhance your mood and create a soothing living space. Adorn your bookshelves with succulents in beautiful ceramic pots or try something bold like a leaf fig tree. Succulents, air plants, and cacti are perfect for beginners or people with brown thumbs.
2. Clear the clutter 1x/week: Messes happen, but keeping your home clean and organized can reduce stress and allow breathing room for your own sanity! Make it a habit once a week to organize and tidy things up to create a calmer space. Start on the most important spaces to you, the ones you spend the most time in and places where you love to sit and relax. While you de-clutter, play music and light your favorite scented candle to help make it more enjoyable. Fill bags of unnecessary items to donate/throw away that take up space.
3. Open a window: Let fresh air and sunlight in, which can both elevate your mood.
4. Use cozy furnishings: Add different textures by combining soft linens, patterned rugs, pillows, knitted blankets, wood accents, etc. They provide an interesting sense of touch and help create a warm and inviting living space. I also love decorating with accent pieces and curated items that reflect my personality, which helps home feel like a place of rest and belonging.
5. Consider a soothing color scheme: Integrate neutrals or calming colors in your interiors for a calming, cozy vibe with the help of wall color, furniture, curtains, rugs and light fixtures.
6. Create your own special nook: If your life seems hectic and loud, create a nook, or a special spot that is yours alone where you can escape without going anywhere. It can be a place where you can unwind, read, enjoy your coffee or tea, and relax. Perhaps its a comfortable chair with soft pillows and a throw, a warm and foamy bathtub with candles and music, or a quiet corner of a bedroom where you can read and rest.
7. Drink tea or coffee out of a cute cozy mug: Enjoy the simple things in life, like drinking a nice hot drink in an over-sized mug.
8. Play soft instrumental music or create your own self-care playlist: Create a relaxing and cozy ambiance with a chill playlist instead of turning the TV on. Elevate whatever you’re doing by adding a soundtrack — it’ll make washing the dishes, hosting friends, or cooking so much more enjoyable.
9. Establish routines: Colin Power once gave a TED Talk on the importance of instilling structure in children. The same is important for adults! Routines provide a sense of structure and familiarity and may ease some day-to-day stresses. Structure is a way of organizing your life so that it makes sense to you. Create a regular schedule that works for you, one that helps you be more productive, happy, and in control. Don’t know where to start? Make a list of your daily tasks, create a schedule, add flexibility, put your routine together, and try it out!
10. Create a spa bathroom: I have a morning and evening skincare routine so creating a spa bathroom with pampering products, a scented candle, and soft towels help create a sense of relaxation. Check out my post on Rituals, a luxurious yet affordable bath and body line I use to help create a spa-like environment in my own home.
11. Make your bed in the morning: The appearance of your room can affect your mood, so making it a habit to make your bed each morning can help lower stress and improve your mood. Plus, it might encourage you to keep the rest of your room tidy!
12. Clean the sink at night: The kitchen sink is my line of sight when I enter my home, so it sometimes stresses me out a bit when I see a sink full of dirty dishes the moment I walk through the door. Even if this isn’t the case for you, having a clean sink when you’re up in the morning can help you ease into a busy day.
13. Embrace minimalism: A minimalist home is about creating a calm, clutter-free space that still provides you with everything you need. Avoid visual clutter, clear off surfaces, and make spaces feel lighter and brighter with a subdued and harmonious color palette. Make the most of storage spaces, use simple decorations, and eliminate what you don’t need. Simplifying your home and minimizing distractions can help transform it into a calm retreat.
14. Unplug: A study by global tech company Asurion found that Americans on average check their phone every 12 minutes! Be intentional about putting away the phone an hour before bed and while you’re getting ready in the morning. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through apps, spend 30 minutes to an hour on self-care instead. Need ideas? Use a face mask, give yourself a deep conditioning hair mask, give yourself a mani-pedi, or read a new book.
15. Make your home smell amazing: How your home smells can affect how you feel about it. Use scented candles, room sprays, essential oils, or eucalyptus-and-herb bundles to make your home smell beautiful. Apartment Therapy has an awesome post on natural ways to clear the air in your home.
I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to implement some of these self-care practices to create a home environment that feels like your personal retreat.
Comment below and share your favorite self-care practices that have helped you create a more cozy, relaxing home!
XO,
Clara
