Relaxation. At Home. It may feel like a bit of a pipe dream with kids running around the house, but if you’re lucky enough to have ample room around your home, then it’s certainly doable.
If there’s one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it’s that we need our own space to look after ourselves, to be able to take time away and look after our own mental health.
It’s more important than every, particularly as the likes of addiction, anxiety and depression are on the rise, with more people checking into rehab for alcoholics than ever before. And as part of treatment in such places, there’s very much an emphasis on calm.
But how can you in a house full of toys, clutter and mouths to feed?
Well, as we say, if you’re lucky enough to have the room, then a relaxation space can offer this up in abundance. But how do you create such a space?
Firstly, find a room…
If you have a spare room, or perhaps even a space that’s unused in a room, then you can create a truly relaxing environment to take yourself off to and kick back.
The best spaces are those that are a little out of the way of the main activities going on in the house. For example, you don’t necessarily want the smell of dinner being cooked to be wafting through into your space, or worse still, the smell of the toilet. It’s not exactly going to chill you out. It needs to be a room to escape to.
Use calming colours
Decorating will likely be required and colour is so integral here. Bright and busy walls won’t offer you the same levels of relaxation as calmer tones would. The best option is to keep the colours neutral and cool, with beiges and pastel colours perfect for this as these will have a much more calming effect on our brains.
Embed nature into your space
Houseplants are hugely beneficial to us, as they offer both improvements on our psychological and physical health.
On the physical front, they create cleaner air to breathe, as well as reduce blood pressure. From a psychological point of view, they can improve mood and reduce stress levels, which is exactly what we’re looking for from a relaxation room.
Add a scent and get the lighting right
This is all about setting the mood. During day time moments of relaxation, you’re going to want to make the most of any natural light that comes into the space, while during the evening you’re going to want to create a much calmer ambience, which means softer lighting and calming scents.
Candles are great for this, while lamps in which you can adjust the brightness are also helpful when putting together your relaxation space and getting the mood exactly right.