Wellness by Design: Setting Up a Home for Success and Serenity  

Your home is your sanctuary. It sets you up for a successful day at work and then helps you relax in the evening. The space is also ever-evolving. It shifts to reflect fun trends, new favorite hobbies, and big life changes like having kids.

What happens when it stops feeling like a sanctuary? Chances are, your home is lagging behind the new you. It’s no longer the perfect fit for your interests and lifestyle. Maybe you struggle to find things in the slowly growing clutter, or you packed your fridge with takeout because you didn’t have time to cook. If your home isn’t supporting your health, or it doesn’t feel good to step through the front door, it’s time to make a change.

What’s the difference between household items and household clutter? The first category is in good condition, easy to find, and used often. Clutter, meanwhile, takes up space. It blocks your view of what you do use and, piece by piece, can steal your serenity away. You don’t have to jump on an extreme minimalism kick, but clearing away clutter is both practical and good for your mental health. It turns your home into a calming space that’s easy to keep clean because everything has a designated place.

If you have a lot of clutter, chances are you struggle to let go of things. Items that are worn down and in bad condition should probably be tossed, but what about the rest? Try thinking about this in terms of finding a new home for something instead of getting rid of it. You can offer them as gifts, donate to charity, or pass them on to a new owner on an online marketplace. Chances are, somebody near you will really appreciate your gently used exercise equipment or the cookbook you never got around to reading.

Still fighting to let go? Try sleeping on it. Set out the items you’re not sure if you will get rid of. The next morning, you may feel better about passing them on. If not, you can always give them up later.

Once you’ve opened up some space, you can optimize the extra room to support your wellness goals. For instance, if you’re jumping into a new fitness routine, try to eliminate friction points. Those can derail your healthy habit once that first burst of enthusiasm wanes.

Take stock of your now-decluttered home. Is there a space big enough for yoga? Keep your mat rolled up nearby. Do you need to move a plant so you don’t knock into it? Maybe you can keep your shake powders by the blender so you don’t waste time hunting in the pantry. Don’t forget to pre-pack your gym bag and leave it by the door. That way, it’ll be set up to grab and go even when you’re running late to a fitness class.

It’s hard to overemphasize how important a good night’s rest can be. Sleep works behind the scenes to improve so many things about our total wellness. These include everything from mood to cognition and memory to how well our immune system functions.

  • Our home environment is possibly the biggest factor in getting a solid night’s sleep. How is your bedroom supporting that, or is it setting you up for failure? If something in the environment is keeping you awake, there are probably environmental solutions you can try. For example:
  • Annoying streetlight outside? Invest in blackout curtains.
  • A family member comes in from work as you’re drifting off? Try a white noise machine.
  • Phone notifications lure you into texting and scrolling? Mute them between certain hours or leave the phone on a designated table across the room.

Too hot or too cold? This is a bigger problem than people realize. Our body temperature drops slightly at night, which helps make us feel sleepy. If your bedroom is too hot, it’s fighting against that natural process. However, shivering under a blanket won’t help you drift off, either. Look into HVAC contractors that can program your home with heating and cooling patterns, and experiment to see what works for you.

Many Americans have had to recover from injury or deal with a chronic condition in their lives. If you’re one of them, what can you do to adapt your home environment so it works for you? Maybe you’ll lower cabinets so you can easily reach them from your wheelchair. Diabetes testing supplies can be organized on their own shelf in the fridge, and you could set up smart home reminders of when it’s time to reorder. Lymphedema equipment can be set out by your favorite couch, letting you manage your condition as you catch up on TV. Get creative and get your home supports in place.

The launch pad is the place in your house where you transition to the outdoors and back again. It’s typically by the front door, or the door into the garage if you drive everywhere. So what is a launch pad? It consolidates items and mental load, keeping both your home and attention clutter-free.

Launch pads are where you store mud boots, winter coats, umbrellas, and more. They often include a table or cabinet where you leave your purse and keys, along with anything that you need to handle the next day. For example, if you really need to mail a gift tomorrow, set it down beside your keys. This creates an unmissable visual reminder of your most important tasks. Setting up the launch pad lets you free up your mind from lingering worries that you’ll forget something important.

Does your house support your wellness goals or distract from them? It’s all too easy for your space to get cluttered with relics from your past. Getting rid of the old doesn’t just create a cleaner and more harmonious space. It also allows you to adapt where you live into someplace easier to live in, no matter your health challenges or wellness goals.

Wellness by Design: Setting Up a Home for Success and Serenity   2

Megan Isola holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and a minor in Business Marketing from Cal State University Chico. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends. 

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