You spend most of your time at home, so it makes sense that your home should be somewhere that feels relaxed and comfortable. However, many homes are cluttered and lack the necessary décor to make them feel warm and inviting. Moreover, many homes lack the added benefits of natural daylight and indoor plants—two factors that can reduce stress and improve your mood. Luckily, there are many easy ways to make your place a more comfortable and healthy home to be. Here are some tips to help you turn your abode into a soothing and restorative retreat from the stresses of daily life.

KEEP IT CLEAN

First things first: clean your home! You might think that this is the most obvious and unhelpful advice for creating a healthy home, but it’s actually incredibly important. Unsurprisingly, a cluttered, messy home is less likely to be a relaxing one. Having too many things crammed into a small space, and spending time cleaning and maintaining them, will take away from time that could be spent relaxing and enjoying your home. It also makes it harder to find things when you do want to use them, which can easily lead to frustration. Keeping your home clean can help to reduce this frustration, and make it easier to focus on other things.

A cluttered and messy home can also have a negative impact on your mental health. Studies have shown that a cluttered and messy home can negatively impact your mood and make you feel less comfortable. It can also increase your stress levels, and make it harder to relax and enjoy your surroundings. The solution is simple: keep things tidy and organized, and avoid letting things build up too much. Having a tidy home is also easier to clean, which can help to reduce the amount of time you spend doing chores.

USE NATURAL LIGHT

Natural light reduces stress, improves sleep, and stimulates creativity. It also has a number of other health benefits, such as lowering the risk of heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. If you can, open up your home to more natural light by keeping curtains open, and making sure that there’s plenty of space between furniture. If possible, try to incorporate windows with large amounts of glass, such as skylights, into your home. These can be installed relatively cheaply, and can significantly increase the amount of light in your home.

If you live in an apartment, or are unable to open up your home to more natural light, you can still benefit from artificial light. However, it’s important to be careful about which light bulbs you use. Incandescent bulbs (which are commonly used in homes), emit a significant amount of heat, making them less efficient than other bulbs. Also, if you use halogen bulbs, they can produce harmful chemicals. It’s best to use LED bulbs, which use less energy, and are safe to use indoors. If you can, install dimmer switches in your home, as this can help you to regulate the brightness of the light in your home.

ADD GREENERY

Plants have been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, and aid sleep, all while increasing oxygen levels in indoor environments. Greenery has a number of benefits, including reducing blood pressure, lowering levels of carbon dioxide in the home, and improving indoor air quality. Studies have also shown that plants can improve mental health, especially in children. If you have the space, plants are an excellent addition to your home. They can be grown in pots, hanging pots, or even indoors. Some plants, such as palms and ficus trees, can also be grown outside.

If you don’t have the space, you can also benefit from indoor plants, such as indoor cacti, aloe plants, and ivy plants. All of these plants have been proven to lower blood pressure, and can also increase levels of oxygen in the air. You can buy indoor plants from most hardware stores, or online. If you don’t have the space to grow plants indoors, you can also buy potted plants.

While the benefits of plants are evident, they can be pricey to maintain, and can require a lot of water. If you live in an apartment, or don’t have the space to grow plants, it’s best to go for low-maintenance plants, such as hanging plants or cacti. Low-maintenance plants require little attention, and are cheaper than other varieties.

DECORATE WITH STYLE

While you might want your home to feel welcoming and comfortable, it doesn’t have to look messy or cluttered. To make your home look more organized and stylish, use color wisely, and incorporate furniture and décor that can be repurposed. Avoid using items in a way that clashes with their function, such as using a dining table as a workspace or a couch as a bed. It’s also best to use furniture that can be easily moved around, such as stackable furniture. If you can, purchase items made from natural materials. Natural materials, such as wood, stone, and paper, can be easily repurposed, and are often much cheaper than synthetic materials.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the space above your home, too. If you have a balcony or rooftop, you can add plants to it, and create a space that overlooks your home. If you have an attic, you can create a reading space, or add storage space to it.

FINAL WORDS

Your home is a place where you should feel comfortable and relaxed. However, many people let their home fall into disrepair, and fail to make it a place that is both welcoming and comfortable. By following the tips outlined above, you can make your home a more relaxing and healthy place. It’s never too late to start fresh with your home, and make it a place that is both relaxing and easy to clean. By following these tips, you can create a home that you love, and make it easier to relax and unwind after a long day.