Design a home that supports your healing process in these 5 steps

Home is not just a physical space where you spend time doing the cooking, the laundry, or reading a good book.

It is a sanctuary that nurtures your wellbeing. If you’ve experienced an unexpected incident that has turned your life upside down, and you’re now in a recovery process, you’ll need to give yourself time and engage in self-care, which means eating healthily, getting enough rest, and seeking support from loved ones. But did you know your home environment can also play a huge role in your healing?

It’s true—your home can foster a sense of security and peace, provide you with comfort, and alleviate stress, which will ultimately contribute to your recovery. In this blog, we will provide tips on how to design your home to support your healing, so keep reading to learn more.

 

 

Get rid of clutter

Clutter is bad for your health and emotional wellbeing, so the first step when creating a home that supports recovery is to get rid of it. Start by assessing the things you use regularly, what you use from time to time only, and what you haven’t used in a long time, and eliminate from your space the items you don’t need anymore.

Recovery is a stressful process on its own, but clutter can make it a lot worse, so a deep clean will have bigger implications on your healing than you may believe, decreasing the amount of time needed to soothe your reactions to triggers, hardship, and tough emotions. Just remember to take baby steps instead of aiming to declutter the entire living space in one day – this can be daunting and add unnecessary stress, so focus on tackling a single room.

 

Bring nature indoors

Studies have shown that access to nature can be a valuable resource for enhancing your well-being.

Biophilic design provides numerous cognitive and emotional benefits, ranging from stress reduction to improved immune function, so it only makes sense to figure out how you can incorporate elements from the natural world into your space.

For instance, you can bring houseplants and think of creative ways to display them, such as accenting an empty corner of your home with a large potted plant or a small tree. The more plants you add to your home, the better, as they won’t just improve the aesthetics of the space but will also create better air quality.

 

Use lighting to create a calming environment

When recovering, creating a calm home environment should be a priority because you cannot relax in a space where you feel constantly overstimulated.

One way to do this is to adjust lighting, which greatly impacts mood. For instance, letting more natural light in can help combat symptoms of depression and anxiety while ensuring you can maintain a regular circadian rhythm, thus getting the rest you needs so that you can heal properly.

Another idea is to incorporate customizable LED lights into your home, allowing you to create a colour scape in the living space that inspires safety and calm. For instance, a cool blue tone can make you feel energized in the morning, while a restful sunset orange is more suitable in the evenings.

 

Make your bedroom a retreat for rest

When your body suffers an injury, it needs rest in order to heal properly.

Maybe you’ve been a victim of medical negligence, which is a distressing experience that comes with many consequences. While Gary Matthews solicitors can offer legal support in this journey, which will also help alleviate the emotional distress you’re feeling, you need to equally take care of your body by ensuring you get a good night’s sleep.

For this, you need to ensure that your bedroom promotes a calm and comfortable atmosphere. Opt for a soothing colour palette, such as a nature-inspired colour scheme that includes greens, earth tones, and blues, which can all provide calming effects.

Don’t forget to pay attention to lighting, which should also promote relaxation, and keep your room tidy so that clutter won’t make you feel stressed.

 

Make adjustments that support your current lifestyle

Your current lifestyle is likely very different from the one before the recovery process, so it’s important to make the necessary home changes to make your daily life easier. These changes can be both aesthetic and functional.

For instance, you may want to reconfigure a room’s layout to provide better functionality. Or maybe you want to breathe new life into a space by adding new furnishings or a different colour scheme.

Whatever it may be, consider what kind of adjustments best accommodate your current needs. Don’t let yourself be limited by what you see in front of you; instead, consider reimagining the space to meet you where you are now in your recovery journey – while you may not implement all the changes, you can always make a list, and narrow it down based on what you think is feasible.

Believe us, simple changes can go a long way in creating a home that supports your healing.

 

The bottom line

The road to recovery after you’ve suffered an injury, surgery complications, and so on can be long and distressing.

While your body will rebuild strength in its own time, it’s important to remember that the design of your home can aid recovery by promoting physical and emotional wellness.

So, evaluate how your living space currently looks like, but above all, consider how it feels. Elements in the home design have a major impact on your emotions and mood, including the colour palette and lighting, so it’s essential to choose them carefully.

This article has provided some ideas on how to design a nurturing and comfortable home that can contribute to your recovery, so consider implementing the ones that make the most sense to you. However, don’t forget that creating a supportive environment in your home is just a small part of the recovery process, so make sure to also practise self-care and follow your doctor’s recommendations.