Getting along with the people you live with is useful for having a safe and supportive home. There may still be barriers to experiencing full relaxation, though. No matter how much you love the people there, if the environment itself is chaotic, you may have a hard time winding down at the end of the day. Fortunately, there are several small changes you can make to help everyone relax more easily.
Take Design Prompts From Favorite Places
Is there a place that you and your family love to go to relax? Bring some of the same design elements into your home to re-create that same feeling. Think about the colors and the setup of the space. Creating an area in your home that reminds you of that environment can have a calming effect.
Decorations are a great way to remind yourself of the relaxing places you have visited. Instead of putting up generic wall art, display a piece that you picked up on your last trip. Frame your favorite pictures of your family in your favorite sunny places or local haunts. A few seashells or rocks that you picked up at the beach or on a hike are simple reminders to take time to enjoy the world around you. You don't have to completely reorganize your space to make it more peaceful; you just need a few small touches.
Add Plants
Few things make a space seem more like an oasis than your favorite plants. Houseplants are visually pleasing and help you relax. They are typically easy to care for, and it can be exciting to watch how well they flourish even with minimal effort on your part. As long as you choose varieties that are not harmful to any pets you have in your home, your plants can be a source of enjoyment for years.
Adding some greenery to each room doesn't just liven up the room by bringing nature indoors. It also helps purify the air. You can improve the air quality of your home and help everyone breathe a little easier with your favorite potted plants.
Pay Attention to Sensory Input
Your home environment affects your senses, and that effect can dramatically influence your mood. In addition to paying attention to the visual impact of each room, take other senses into account. Is there unnecessary noise in the area that you can minimize or replace with more soothing sounds? Some sounds are out of your control, but you can choose playlists that help you relax.
Touch and smell also play big roles in comfort levels. Cultivate a cozy environment with soft throws or large pillows in living areas, particularly in the spaces where you tend to gather as a family. Use aromatherapy to infuse the air with light, pleasant scents such as lavender that soothe the senses. When you discover the stimuli that are relaxing for all your senses, incorporate them into your home wherever you can.
Implement Tech Boundaries
In many ways, technology makes life easier. In other ways, however, it keeps us from relaxing by making sure we are always on. When you are home, it's good to take time to decompress, and this often means putting the technology away. Talk to your family about setting reasonable tech boundaries:
- Keeping phones away from the dinner table
- Turning the TV off after an hour or two
- Creating a central charging station for devices when they're not in use
- Setting a "bedtime" for devices when they will be turned off silenced
- Minimizing electronics allowed in bedrooms
Creating a relaxing home environment is probably easier than you imagine. With a few small changes, you can give your family the space to decompress every day.
