Nine ways to transform your home into a sanctuary

Finding the right work-life balance can be a struggle at the best of times, but now more than ever we should be allowing ourselves some time to relax at home where we can.

We’ve joined forces with mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to offer advice on mental well-being during this period and some help on how to turn your home into a sanctuary.

Decluttering

Having a clear out and organising all your possessions and paperwork will make your house feel like a home again and less like a dumping ground for all the things that have piled up in lockdown.

First off it’s a good idea to make a list of all the rooms or areas you plan to tackle. Decluttering your home also creates the illusion of bigger spaces, which in turn can help to make your mind feel less cluttered.

Redecorating

Being creative can be a great way to improve your mood and hopefully you’ll be able to give a room in your home a new lease of life, too.

Try choosing a soothing colour scheme so that you have somewhere in your home that helps you to relax in. According to the experts, subtle greens are brilliantly calming for bedrooms.

Its earthiness brings the outside in, distracting us from our phones and devices in the process.

Create a dedicated workspace

If you’ve been working from home and your set-up has been on the sofa or propped up in bed, you might be finding it difficult to disconnect from work when it gets to ‘home time’.

So, if you have room to, it can be really helpful to create a separate workspace from where you watch TV or relax after work.

Having a physical distinction between work and play might help you switch off at the end of your shift, though we do realise many people don’t have the space to do so.

Transform your garden or balcony

Getting out to enjoy the sunshine, as well as giving us some vital vitamin D, is a great opportunity to turn part of your home into a sanctuary.

Have a go at planting some flowers, as it’s relatively simple way to add some colour to your garden. If, like us, you’re not a natural at this sort of thing, go for hardy plant options, like hydrangeas.

Or maybe you could add a swing seat – with a perfect view of the rest of the garden – for the ultimate place to read your new book with a glass of wine?

If you have a balcony, try growing some herbs. They usually come in small containers so they’re perfect for balconies.

Let the light in

This might sound like an obvious tip, but it can make such a massive impact. When you wake up in the mornings, you might be tempted to leave the blinds closed while you make a coffee and start your working day.

But if the first thing you do each day is open up the blinds or curtains to let in natural sunlight, you might find that it subconsciously makes you feel a bit more optimistic about the day ahead.

To maximise the amount of sunlight in your home, have a go at cleaning your windows if you get a spare half an hour.

Have somewhere to workout

To keep your mind and body as healthy as you can, try to find space in your home where you can exercise, even if only for a few minutes at a time.

You might have to temporarily rearrange some furniture, but there are loads of great home workout videos online to help inspire you if it’s the last thing you want to be doing.

Use your favourite places as inspiration

If you’ve had to cancel plans in recent weeks, why not remind yourself of some of your favourite holidays by putting up some new photo frames?

They should make you smile whenever you walk past them and will give you something positive to focus on when you take time out from work or your chores.

Bring the outdoors in

One of our earlier pieces of advice was about transforming your garden or balcony, but there’s no harm in going a step further and bringing some greenery into your home, too!

Think about where in your home a statement plant would look great, or maybe just try to have a fresh bunch of flowers on show as often as you can.

Another handy tip is to use materials such as stone or wood, which are normally found outdoors, and make them a part of your home’s interior décor.

If you’re struggling, talk to CALM

This is a unique situation for all of us, but there are trained support workers you can talk to. Whether it be financial worries about your mortgage or rent, or anxiety about your health, call CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or make use of their webchat.

They’ll be available from 5pm to midnight every day to provide practical support and advice, whatever you’re going through.

Contact CALM here.

READ MORE: How to look after yourself if you’re working from home