Sarah W.Life can be stressful. Maintaining relationships, making appointments, striving to maintain creative hobbies and projects, and keeping up at work can all take a toll. Considering all of that, relaxing at the place you live should be the reward for yourself after accomplishing all that life shoveled onto your plate that day. However, if your home is not a restful, calming place, and instead a source of additional stress and discomfort, then the likelihood of getting trapped in a cycle of worry and unease is palpable. That is why it is crucial to make your place of residence a haven for yourself, rather than a stressor. Here are some small changes you can make to your home to make it feel calmer and provide more relief for you at the end of a long day.
Combat Noisiness at Home
When your home has the same resting noise levels as the average vacuum cleaner, it’s probably best if you can make some changes. However, even if your home is just a bit hectic and noisy — either because you have young kids at home, noisy neighbors, or live in a generally loud and boisterous area — then you are going to want to invest in some sound-dampening furniture. This is not as expensive or technical as it may sound from the offset; you do not need to live in a sound studio to benefit from noise reduction, you just need to employ some smart techniques that help reduce sound levels.
Some examples of noise dampening furniture are colorful rugs with thick pads underneath. These can absorb sound waves while livening up the floor. You can also get some thick, well-mounted curtains to block noise getting in from outside. Plants can absorb sound while also providing life and color. Even things like wood bookshelves and cupboards can help reduce the amount of noise in your home. If you really want to commit, you can pattern your walls with acoustic panels; there are some tasteful options out there that can reduce sound levels without turning giving your home an ugly industrial vibe.
Reduce Screen Usage in the Bedroom
All of us are guilty of doomscrolling on our phones or watching TV shows way too late at night. However, it’s not always the healthiest habit, and if furnished with too many electronics, your bedroom can become an entertainment center rather than the calm, tranquil center of rest it ought to be.
This is partly due to the impacts of blue light. According to UC Davis Health, blue light — which makes up nearly a third of all visible light — can cause harmful side effects in large doses. While the primary contributor of this light is undoubtedly our sun, things like computers, televisions, and smartphones are also large sources of blue light. While in small doses blue light is shown to improve memory and mood, taking in too much — especially from sources close to our eyes such as smartphone screens — can cause damage to our retinas, leading to eye and vision problems and resulting in headaches, pains, and blurred vision. To top it all off, blue light exposure can make it harder to get to sleep at night.
Naturally, our eyes are not great at blocking blue light. If you find that screen exposure is causing you to get headaches and visual issues, then you may want to wear blue light glasses, or have blue light tinting added to your prescription eyewear. This can decrease eye strain and make it easier to get to bed at night. However, the easiest way to reduce blue light exposure is to reduce screen usage in your bedroom. That means putting your phone away and removing your TV. You can watch TV or spend time on your computer and phone outside of your bedroom, but once you go to bed you should be in an environment conducive to sleep, not entertainment.
Conclusion
Even small adjustments can make our lives at home more restful and palatable after a long day of work. Whether that means adding, removing, or adjusting the pattern of furniture, or our daily habits, we can turn a noisy, restless home into a calm and quiet one. The results will be well worth it, we promise! If you are looking for other lifestyle, wellness, or nutrition articles, feel free to check out our other blogs!
