Your bedroom is your sanctuary. Outside of your bedroom, the stress of daily life will claw at you, but once you get home and go to bed, you should feel more relaxed, not stressed. One way to make your bedroom a calming place is to focus on what’s in the room itself—your furniture, your decor, your colour scheme, and so on. To create a relaxing environment for yourself at home, consider the following tips.

Clean Up

The first thing you should do is focus on cleaning your room. A dirty and cluttered bedroom will contribute more to your stress and make you feel like you’re out of control in your own home. Not only will it give you more control over your space when you tidy up, but it’ll also be better for your hygiene and for the aesthetics of your bedroom. A clean space will also be less likely to overwhelm your sense, leaving you more of an opportunity to relax than before.

Calm Colors

Perhaps all your bedroom needs is a fresh coat of paint to make for a more relaxing environment! Cooler colours are more calming to the mind than harsh, bright colours while still adding some personality to the room. You don’t need white walls to be completely at ease—choose a soft shade of your favourite colour to make it your own. If you want something to stand out, consider darker colours for an accent wall, but use softer tones for the most relaxing bedroom.

Soft Lighting

Harsh, artificial lighting can be stressful rather than relaxing. Instead, choose 3-way bulbs for your ceiling light rather than strong fluorescent lights for your bedroom. If you want a lamp, get one with a dimmer switch to adjust the intensity of the light in your bedroom. By doing this, you’ll be able to choose when to turn the light down and let yourself unwind in your room rather than being constantly subjected to harsh lights above your bed. You’ll save your eyes the eye strain as well.

Bed

Your bed is the centre of your bedroom. It’s where you go to sleep, where you wake up in the morning, where you read your favourite books—it should be a place of tranquillity and relaxation. Keep your pillowcase fresh by running it through the dryer for ten minutes or letting it air out. This is especially helpful during allergy season, as it keeps your pillow fresh and clean. Making your bed at the start of the day can help you feel more ready to face the day ahead of you. Even if you’ve done nothing else that day, coming home to a made bed will let you know you’ve accomplished at least one thing that day and give you some form of structure in your daily routine.