Wellbeing & Wellness
Looking To Combine Self-Care And Home Decor? Let’s Get Started
Self-care is important for your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing, so why not incorporate it into your home life?
Sometimes it may be tempting to neglect self-care to focus on other things. Work, chores, and social responsibilities. We’re here to remind you to re-centre yourself in your routine. Taking care of yourself always comes first, and here are five simple ways to incorporate self-care into your home. Whether it’s a temporary home or a forever home.
PLANTS, PLANTS, PLANTS!
We love plants. Long-time readers have probably picked that up by now, but we love the fact that plants are mood-boosters. Taking care of plants in itself is a rewarding hobby. It is also a form of self-care, as relaxing with a hobby is a brilliant way to take care of yourself. While also taking care of something else!
Not only this, many plants have individual effects that have been scientifically proven to be pick-me-ups. Plants such as lavender visually look appealing. Additionally, their scent can calm the mind, and lift the spirits. Other plants such as Peace Lillies and Aloe Vera are fantastic air-purifying plants.
Scientists have suggested that plants also improve study and concentration. If you decorate your space with houseplants, the benefits are seemingly endless. You can provide yourself with some hearty self-care without even moving a muscle some days! Simply sit and admire your greenery, and let your mood benefit from it.
SWITCH UP YOUR LIGHTING
Dull natural lighting got you down? Or perhaps the lighting in a room is too bright? I’m sure we’ve all been there: when overhead lighting just won’t do it, it’s too jarring, too unsettling. What you might need is some ambient lighting.
Switching from harsh overhead lighting to ambient, subtle lighting can do wonders for the mood. It can also augment other self-care behaviours, like meditating or yoga. You could install some LED lighting strips, purchase a ‘sunset lamp’ which mimics the colours of a sunset, or simply buy a coloured bulb.
There are even things known as ‘happy lights.’ These give you additional exposure to light, especially when there’s less sun in the winter or fall months. If you suffer from SAD, this could be a fantastic pick-me-up. While it won’t cure depression, it can certainly help, and we could all use a little help sometimes.
While you can’t install lights in serviced apartments, you can bring them. Night-lights, portable battery-powered lamps and even portable light-up air diffusers can be options for you. Just double-check anything you’re unsure of with your apartment provider beforehand.
INVEST IN SPEAKERS OR HEADPHONES
Having trouble performing daily tasks? Can’t seem to get yourself out of bed? Stimulate yourself with some music or a good podcast, and give yourself a better chance of being productive. It also acts as self-care by nourishing the part of the brain that requires audio stimulation, or even conversation.
While you’re pottering about with chores, have your headphones on, or speakers blaring. You could even assign certain music genres to certain tasks. Or listen to an episode of a podcast every time you do the dishes or hoover! This especially acts as self-care for those who may be unsettled by loud, abrasive noises. You can even get noise-cancelling headphones for an even more immersive effect.
There are also many sounds proven to boost moods or calm anxiety. Ambient noises such as birdsong, ocean waves and rain patter have been proven to have calming effects on the brain. Figure out which ones work best for you and make a playlist! With apps like Spotify, you can even take it wherever you go.
SCHEDULE TIME FOR PHYSICAL SELF-CARE
Whether that’s a skincare routine or a shower routine: make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically. It’s incredibly important for your mood and health to keep yourself and your body healthy.
This doesn’t have to be a full-on, beauty-vlogger, 3-hour, 108-product routine either! With something as simple as blocking out five minutes to wash your face in the morning, you can rejuvenate and check in with yourself at the same time. It can be easy to speed through the day and forget you have a body at all! Little things like really feeling your hands work shampoo through your hair, or lathering up soap between them, can really ground you.
Grounding yourself is crucial in taking care of yourself. If you’re running about like a headless chicken with your feet barely touching the ground, your mental health is going to suffer for it. Have a dedicated shelf for self-care: skin products, shampoos, body lotions. All with your favourite scents, ( for mood-boosting, we recommend neroli or basil! ) for an added bonus. Have a travel bag to bring with you when you travel, too! Complimentary bath products are very convenient, but they’re not your bath products, so give your brain a little extra love by bringing them with you instead.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PLEASANT AROMAS
We’ve already spoken about scents being proven mood boosters. Your sense of smell is closely aligned with the part of your brain that processes emotions, so smells can quite literally lift your spirits and help determine your mood.
Along with spritzing your favourite cologne or perfume on yourself every morning, consider lighting an incense. Remember that incenses leave ash and therefore mess, however, so don’t use them unless the property is your own! For a mess-free alternative, you can invest in an air diffuser. There are many kinds available: wired and battery-operated, wall-plug ins or portable. There are fewer fire risks with air diffusers, too, making them a very popular choice.
As well as cleansing the air, diffusers release scents. You can swap out these scents by simply using different essential oil. Some that we recommend for self-care are:
- Ylang-Ylang for its relaxing and uplifting notes.
- Citrus, such as orange, for their fresh and cheerful notes.
- Vanilla for its warming, mood-boosting qualities.
- Rosemary for its concentration-enhancing qualities.
- Mint for its focus-sharpening effects; it also keeps spiders at bay!
If you neglect self-care, you may hit burnout. Here are a few ways to keep burnout at bay, and avoid that happening.
