How to improve your wellbeing at home
The blog post contains affiliate links.
We need our homes to work harder for us more now than ever, with so many of us working from home in a full time and part time capacity there’s no doubt the lines between work and home life are becoming blurred. Our spaces need to be multifunctional, housing both a working office, a space for family all while being a sanctuary in which we can relax. Understandably the blurred lines are affecting our health and wellbeing. It’s fair to say that home design is often overlooked when it comes to thinking about mental health, we spend a large amount of time at home and that affects our mood and behaviour. In this post I will explain the ways in which you can create a home that will benefit your mental health and not diminish it.
Use colour in the right context to harness your wellbeing
Why do we have emotional responses to colour? When light strikes the eye its converted into electrical energy that passes through the same part of the brain that processes our emotions. That’s why colour causes us to have emotional reactions. Look around your home and assess what your emotional responses to colour are? How do you feel in your home? If the answer is uneasy or a feeling of disconnect it may be likely that the colours in your space just aren’t working for the context in which they are used. It may be that you want your living space to be calming and relaxing therefore you wouldn’t want to paint the space in saturated colours which stimulate the mind, and instead choose paler values of blues, greens and violets. Paler colours have a calming impact on your mind and promote feelings of peace. For instance, green is at the centre of colour spectrum and it said to represent balance while reds and oranges increase blood pressure and excite. When thinking of changing or designing your space think about the context in which the colour is going to be used and use colour to harness your emotional wellbeing.
If you want to read more about colour psychology then I would recommend Karen Haller’s Book The little book of colour.
Image: Emma Lewis
2. Enhance the light in your space
It’s well known that we have a biological cycle, which is called the circadian rhythm, that dictates the rhythms of the human body influencing sleep, mood, digestion, temperature control and wakefulness. What I found fascinating is that the circadian rhythm is primarily influenced by light reception, therefore there is a direct link between good lighting and our health and wellbeing. Researchers have found that our mood and energy levels are improved when we are exposed to a sufficient amount of light, while poor lighting contributes to depression and deficiencies in the body. Not only is it the amount of light that can affect our mood it’s the tone of light as well, warm light makes a space feel welcoming and relaxing while cool light creates a stimulating environment that keep us more alert and focussed. This explains why many places of work have cooler lighting. If you’re reading this and you’re currently living in a space lacking in light without the means to do structural work to the property, then there are a few clever ways you can help enhance your lighting.
If your space is lacking in natural sunlight hang mirrors or stand them on the floor to reflect light around the room. According to Kate Watson-Smyth mirrors reflect up to 95 percent of the light that strikes them and the best place to position your mirror is directly opposite the source of light. Another method to add light into a room is reflective surfaces, high gloss paint and metal furniture will bounce the light around the room. Also ensure furniture is not hindering the exposure to natural light and arrange the layout of the room to allow light into the space.
Image: Mint Agency
3. Bring nature indoors
When was the last time you felt calm and stress free? The likelihood is that you were surrounded by nature at the time. Research has found that 90% of us feel at peace when in a natural environment. Not only does being exposed to nature improve emotional wellbeing, it improves creativity, reduces anger, blood pressure and muscle tension. One way to improve your mental health at home is by bringing the great outdoors inside. This concept is known as Biophilic Design which considers factors such as light, air quality, organic materials and vegetation in architecture and interior design, providing the inhabitant of the space with a connection to the natural world.
How to bring nature inside. Incorporate larger windows or bio-folding doors to blend the outside world with your interior, this takes advantage of light and greenery. Bring plants indoors, not only do plants lift a space but some even help cleanse the air. For instance, Peace Lilies purify the air, they remove mould and break down and neutralise toxic gases from the atmosphere. The next time you are feeling unproductive, try incorporating plants in your home office to improve concentration levels. Use colour that mimics the natural world just as Jess and Darius have from Clueless renovations. Painting their space in a colour that reminisces an earthy rusty pink soil palette directly links the space with the outdoors. This colour combined with large windows and plants creates a calming and restorative interior. Finally use natural materials inside such as wood and stone to create an organic positive environment.
Prioritising our mental health and wellbeing has been a big topic recently so I encourage you to look around your home and make sure it is improving your health and not diminishing it. Tag me on Instagram if you do make any changes to your home or if you found this post helpful. I think the power of interior design has been overlooked recently and it’s about time we made sure our homes are making us happy!
Image: Clueless Renovators
Prioritising our mental health and wellbeing has been a big topic recently so I encourage you to look around your home and make sure it is improving your health and not diminishing it. Tag me on Instagram if you do make any changes to your home or if you found this post helpful. I think the power of interior design has been overlooked recently and it’s about time we made sure our homes are making us happy!