A bedroom should be a place of serenity. It’s our own private sanctuary that we can retreat to at the end of a long eventful day; a day which is usually filled with the stresses of the daily hustle and bustle of our always on-the-go busy lives. Other rooms in our homes are full of laughter, play, chaos (if you have children or pets, or both) and general busyness, but the bedroom should be a place of calm away from all this to help promote a healthy night’s sleep. However, if your bedroom is not giving off this relaxing vibe and is more chaos and clutter than calm, then do not fear, I am here with some tips on how to create a happier and healthier bedroom with ease. Remember, healthy living isn’t just about what you eat, but the whole package. Being healthy, to me, encompasses the whole package from what I eat, to how I feel, to my environment, home and beyond.
Read on to discover my tips for how to create a happier healthier bedroom:
Add plants
Not only are houseplants a beautiful and natural form of décor, but by bringing nature indoors you will help to purify the air in your bedroom. They’ll also boost your mood and promote a sense of calm and well-being. I currently have two small succulents, a hanging devil’s ivy and a freestanding rubber plant dotted around my bedroom. They are all low maintenance and bring just enough of the natural vibe into our bedroom without being overpowering.
Maximise natural light
Natural light is absolutely great for staying uplifted in ourselves and bringing out the best in our home décor. In natural light, you can really see the colours and vibrancy of a room. Most of us would choose a home with a lot of natural light over a home that is very dark. It seems logical that a dark and dingy space would create a similar dull mood, but a room flooded with natural light will feel more spacious and airy. Keep windows clean and clear of obstructions. If the room is small then adding a large mirror opposite the window will give the illusion of a larger room.
Use soothing colours
For a tranquil environment choose a neutral colour palette. White gives a fresh and clean appearance which also acts as a blank canvas for colourful textiles and accessories. An accent colour can be changed with ease to a new colour scheme against the white background. Whilst green is reminiscent of nature, blue can also be a soothing colour to use as it represents blue skies and waters which produce positive and peaceful emotions.
Keep it fragrant, but toxin-free
To create a healthy space you’ll want to use only natural reed diffusers and plant-based candles to fragrance the room. This will help to keep the air safe as regular shop-bought candles, aerosols and plug-in air fresheners will be laden with nasty chemicals, air pollutants and toxins. If these potent ingredients are in the air then you’ll be breathing them into your body.
Maximise space with fitted wardrobes
To keep things tidy and decluttered you’ll want to maximise the space available to you. By installing floor-to-ceiling fitted wardrobes you’ll be able to utilise the space that is otherwise a dust haven, wasted space or a clutter accumulator such as on top of a regular freestanding wardrobe. My husband recently created some bespoke handmade fitted wardrobes for our bedroom and they use the space so much more efficiently. We now have somewhere to store spare blankets and hide the kids’ presents in a space that was previously so wasted! I’m also glad to not be awkwardly climbing on top of the wardrobe to dust every week.
Be minimal
There has been a study that found a link between clutter and depression. I certainly feel much happier and less stressed with less stuff. It’s also so much easier to keep a bedroom tidy when there are only the essentials in it and it’s been thoroughly decluttered. Having fewer belongings means you can concentrate on things that really matter like your own well-being, family and friends instead of attaching emotions to materialistic belongings.
Add sentimental photos
Pop a photo of one of your favourite memories on your bedside table or hang a couple on the wall. Waking up to something that brings back a happy memory will boost your mood every time you look at it.
Make your bed every day
It’s incredible how much better a bedroom can look once the bed is made. It will make the room look instantly refreshed and tidier which just has to lift your mood. Plus, shaking out the quilts is a great stress reliever! Shake away, straighten your sheets and admire your happier room each morning.
Use blackout blinds
As much as we want the most natural light possible in the daytime, we want to be able to get the best night’s sleep possible at night. To ensure an optimal well-rested night, blackout blinds will block out any light to stop your slumber from being interrupted, particularly when the sun rises so early in the summer months.
Invest in a good mattress
On the topic of sleep – invest in a high-quality comfortable mattress. There’s nothing worse than waking up with aches and pains due to an old worn-out bed. Mattresses don’t last forever so make sure you upgrade once yours is no longer providing a restful night. There are even clever mattress companies that let you choose a different level of firm on each side to suit a couple with differing preferences.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Finally, keep it clean. A dusty and dirty bedroom is not happy or healthy. Regularly vacuum as dust can collect behind doors and more so in the space under the bed. Use eco-friendly plant-based cleaning products such as Ecover or Method to clean surfaces, mirrors and windows to keep the air toxin-free.
Keep it warm
There’s nothing worse than a freezing cold bedroom to sleep in at night. Being constantly cold is a surefire way to catch the sniffles in the winter months. Make sure you warm your room before you go to bed at night so you’re not shivering at night! Choose a lighter duvet for the summer and remember to switch to a higher tog for the winter months and add throws to the bed if you are still covered in goosebumps when you go to bed! If, like in my bedroom, you have hard floors, then search online for rugs for sale and choose something that blends in well with the rest of the theme. We chose a light green chunky striped rug that adds to the calmness of the bedroom, but gives us something warm to step onto first thing in the mornings and whilst getting dressed to stop us from catching a chill from the cold hard floor.
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