Design Your Home to Promote Holistic Well-being
Since all of us are complex beings seeking betterment, there are surely multiple ways you want to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health at this very moment. For example, it’s perfectly reasonable to be in the process of trying to increase your productivity while simultaneously aiming to decrease your anxiety and lose ten pounds. Fortunately, research shows that you can do both by designing your home to boost your overall health and well-being. The goal here is to consciously create your external world in such a way that it mirrors and promotes the internal world in which you strive to reside. Begin the process by considering your space in regards to these three categories: the basics, the paint color, and the decoration.
First, a few basics are integral to creating a space which promotes a holistic sense of well-being. To begin with, declutter. Take a page out of Marie Kondo’s book, and get rid of everything that doesn’t serve a purpose or bring you joy. Also, do your best to maintain a natural light cycle within the home, opening blinds and windows to let in light during the day and closing them at night to ensure restful sleep. Additionally, an open window or door creates airflow that works wonders to clear a foggy mind. In the event that good airflow is truly impossible to create, at least, make sure that the space is a comfortable temperature.
The second aspect of creating a living space to support your total well-being is that of paint color choice. Colorology gives us insight into how color affects our internal landscape, so ask yourself what kind of emotion you want that area in the home to evoke. What do you need it to do for you? For example, if you’re considering the paint color for a small bathroom and are someone who needs help waking up in the morning, a bold yellow or red might be just the ticket. In a master bedroom, however, you’ll probably want to choose a neutral shade or one that creates a more relaxing atmosphere, such as a cool spa blue or sage green.
In regards to the final element of creating a mental, emotional, and physical health sanctuary at home—decoration—it’s best to air on the side of minimalism rather than risk clutter. But, whatever type or amount of decoration you choose, make sure it FEELS like YOU. Being “in your element” grounds you in those things which feel most familiar and bring you a sense of comfort and contentment. Speaking of seeking peace, studies show that one specific decoration particularly bolsters our bliss indicators—scented candles. Not only does a flickering flame, literally and figuratively, generate heat (think the "spark" of creativity), the aroma of specific scent combinations can produce benefits, ranging from a boost in mood, productivity, creativity, and concentration to a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression. A final tip— in as many spaces as possible, try to incorporate live plants. Not only do plants naturally detoxify the air you breathe, they are even shown to decrease the occurrence of colds, sore throats, and fatigue.
Of course, the above categories are only a starting place from which to begin consciously designing the spaces that will optimally serve to bring you what you need in order to be the happiest version of you. Include these concepts and more as personally important design ideas come to you. Ideally, you want to go through this process for every area of your home, including the separate spaces for meditation, exercise, eating, sleeping, and living. You’ll get out of this healthy-space-creation process as much as you put into it. And, since the whole thing is about really digging into who you are and what you want, you can be heartened by the fact that you truly are the best person for the job!
