Begin your year, by taking care of not just your physical health, but also your mental health and wellbeing. Ensure that your home is a sanctuary for you, where you can return, feel secure, cozy, and come home and unwind.
Anxiety has become a common mental health issue affecting millions of children and adults around the world and has been on a significant rise since the pandemic. With the most recent data showing 27% of the US population and almost 4% of the world’s population having symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety can cause feelings of paralyzing panic, worry, fear, and nervousness that can interfere with your everyday life. While there are many ways to cope with anxiety such as medication, therapy, meditation, and exercise. One often overlooked aspect is the impact your home environment can have on your overall mood and mental health.
AI Assisted Design: Arlington Avenue Design
Declutter & Organize
Our homes are where we spend most of our time and should be our happy place, they should promote comfort and relaxation. Unfortunately, many people live in cluttered, unorganized, and chaotic environments that are triggering and worsening their anxiety. Getting rid of items we don’t need, or use creates more space and breathing room, and allows us to focus on the important things.
Sometimes it can be hard to get rid of things you’ve become used to in your surroundings. Try packing up the clutter into a box temporarily, putting it into a closet for storage, and living without it for a short time before donating it. Once you realize you feel better and less anxious in your space without the clutter and become aware of the fact that you don’t need those things you can move forward with donating them, giving them away, or selling them.
It’s a win, win situation, you have less clutter, less to clean, organize, and manage, you free up more time, and energy, and if you decide to donate you are helping others in need.
AI Assisted Design: Arlington Avenue Design
Add Living Plants
Green houseplants are a happy instant visual pick me up, but they also make our space feel fresh and produce more oxygen. One notable study shows that not only looking at but interacting with plants (planting, watering them, etc.) can also reduce stress.
This also goes for fresh flowers. Fresh blooms and plants have been proven to lower rates of anxiety and depression and increase positive feelings. This is a fairly low cost and low effort way to help lower anxiety and brighten your mood and your surroundings.
AI Assisted Design: Arlington Avenue Design
Anxiety Reducing Colors
Color theory is a whole subject within interior design in and of itself that’s incredibly interesting. The amount of time and consideration that goes into choosing colors especially for commercial spaces because of the affect it will have on the people that will be occupying the space is astounding. It has a very real and measurable impact on people’s psyche.
All this to say if you want to reduce anxiety it’s important to be intentional about what colors you use when decorating your home. It’s a fairly commonly known fact that neutral earth tones such as whites, tans, and grays are calming and anxiety reducing. It might be lesser known however, that light blues and light greens are associated with nature and are relaxing, anxiety reducing colors as well. Lavendar is another known stress reducing, tranquil color.
AI Assisted Design: Arlington Avenue Design
Decorate with Photos & Art
Something as simple as decorating with photos that make you happy or pictures of the great outdoors and viewing these pictures for as little as 5 minutes can have a relaxing effect on the brain. Seeing photos filled with your favorite people and your happiest experiences can do wonders for your mindset.
Additional Anxiety Reducing Tips
Some other examples of some simple ways you can decorate to reduce anxiety are by adding soft textures to your home such as soft pillows and blankets. Also, by making sure your lighting is warm colored lighting and putting your lighting on dimmers so you can adjust brightness levels. Limiting busy patterns is another way to reduce busyness in your space which can also reduce overwhelming feelings and anxiety.
Comments