Make your home an anxiety free sanctuary

When you step into a relaxation room at a spa, before you’ve even had a single treatment or even a sip of tea, your breathing eases and your stress levels wind right down. In the same way we might eat certain foods to reduce inflammation or practice yoga to calm our psyche, treating the spaces we inhabit to some simple stress-reducing measures can make an enormous difference in the way we feel when we’re in them.

When I change up my home, I change my anxiety levels overall. From sleep routines and meditation spaces to beautiful scents, natural light and adding plants, making your home a true sanctuary is easier than you think.

Image via Camille Styles

#1 Design a mediation space

Years ago, I learned Transcendental Meditation as part of a group. I’m still not perfect at doing it, I don’t think I ever will be. But I do know that it needs to become a habit. It helps with anxiety enormously; and as with any practice, having a reminder helps you stay accountable. Designing a little space, say in your bedroom, that isn’t your bed and with plenty of natural light, will remind you to do the practice as regularly as possible.

#2 Establish a sleep routine

It sounds early, but try starting your evening routine around 5 p.m. It can often take a few hours for our brain to start to let go of the day. Around 5, dinner is almost done for the kids, I make a cup of tea and later that evening after they are in bed, I take a hot bath or long shower. I light candles and dim lights. As you get closer to sleep, lose the phone—I keep mine across the room or in the kitchen, away from my bed, starting at 9 p.m.

#3 Keep things tidy

Messy environments are stressful, and the act of cleaning up can itself evolve into a meditative, calming ritual, especially if you can position it in your mind as self-care (as opposed to a hated chore). Clutter can be a challenge, especially if you have kids. Try being intentional about what you have and when you use it and making sure it’s not taking up unnecessary space. And the things you do use should all have a place. Living with two young boys, creating the habit of putting something back where you got it has been key.

#4 Bring in nature

Nature is organically relaxing and healing, so it’s important to bring some natural elements into you home to ease any tension. Adding natural touches of plants, stones, and/or greenery to your living spaces will instantly infuse them with harmony and balance.

You can choose any natural elements you like or any type of nature that brings you joy—this can be a potted plant, a vase of cut flowers, decorative branches, a small succulent garden, jars filled with sand or seashells, or even a small electric water fountain that trickles in the corner if you have space—(talk about zen vibes!) If you’re trying to keep things compact, built-in shelving is an ideal way to display lots of little green things without encroaching on valuable real estate in your space.

# 5 Make yourself some tea

The practice of turning an ordinary behaviour into a ritual helps us slow down and self-soothe. Something as simple as making tea has incredible benefits. For me, it’s a naturally calming ritual I look forward to every morning and night. The consistency of that is something that helps me stay calm. When I’m making tea, I’m not worrying about my phone or my email—I’m forced to take a moment.

#6 Be strategic with scents

It’s not just that certain scents calm and others energise. Scent can trigger old memories and old patterns. So I love to use scent to create new ones. The candle in my bedroom smells like how I want to feel when I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. Whether I stay in this house for the rest of my life or not, I want these memories to be the ones I hold on to.

image via pinterest