Designing Your Home with Self-Care in Mind

Self-care is trending. But it’s not just another hot topic that will be here today and gone tomorrow. Taking care of ourselves is, perhaps, more essential than ever. In our digital world with near-constant stimuli, it takes diligence to slow down and check in with ourselves. Failing to do so leaves us feeling burnt out and uninspired. The good news? We can all make some changes to our homes to make self-care a little easier. Here are a few of our top tips.

Where do you go to get away from it all? Image: Alex Dampsey Design

Make space to relax…

This is probably a no-brainer, but it’s easier said than done. Can you think of any areas in your home that are truly free from distractions? The bathroom comes to mind, and that’s probably a big reason why so many people who regularly practice self-care are big on taking baths. But if you’re not a bath person and don’t love spending time near your toilet, make sure you make space somewhere else.

This could be a big, cozy chair where you add a comfy throw and a side table with a scented candle. Or maybe it’s a spot in your backyard where you can take in your favorite view from your house. Wherever you choose, dedicating a space to self-care can make it easier to step away from the busyness of daily life and check in with yourself.

Making space in your life to pursue your hobbies isn’t always easy, but carving out a physical space in your home for them makes it easier. Image: David Churchill

… and recharge

Part of the reason self-care is trending is probably due to the fact that everyone likes an excuse to sit around in their PJs, eat snacks and binge TV. And while that can be an effective self-care practice, especially if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends and are feeling downright exhausted, don’t stop there. Solid self-care should leave you feeling rejuvenated and inspired. Create a space in your home to recharge your battery by doing things you love.

If you’re an artist, carve out a mini studio space. Do you love working out? Then clear out the garage or convert a spare bedroom into a home gym. If family time recharges you, set up your living room with games and movies everyone loves. Building in spaces where you can pursue your passions makes you more likely to do exactly that. Plus, the physical space can be a visual reminder to make time for your hobbies on a regular basis.

Clear counters make wiping down the kitchen a snap. Image: Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design

Streamline to simplify cleaning

One of the best ways to care for yourself is to ensure that when you’re home, you’re able to relax. Walking through your front door and seeing a pile of dishes, dusty bookshelves and an overflowing laundry hamper is not ideal. Now, we’re not necessarily saying you should shove everything under the rug. But there’s something to be said for being able to employ the out of sight, out of mind principle. If you feel the urge to clean when your body or mind is screaming for you to slow down, it could be time to rethink your home design.

This can be as simple as investing in a laundry hamper to hide dirty clothes away or a pretty dish drying rack so the countertop doesn’t look so cluttered. It might mean more work now to create less work in the future, though.

Think through the things that are most tedious to clean. Simplifying your home design could mean simplifying your cleaning. If it’s your shelves filled with small items that are annoying to dust around, it might be time to part with some of them – or at least put them into storage. If your bathroom grout never looks clean, taking the time to re-grout now can save you from an ongoing headache for years to come. Pay attention to what taxes you the most in keeping up your home, then act on ways to change it.

This bedroom is a birdwatcher’s dream. What would you dream space contain? Image: Greenwood’s Home

Fill it up for yourself

What kind of items do you have in your home? How do they make you feel? When you look at that art on the wall or that chair in the corner, are you filled with joy? If not, it could be time for a home makeover. Your home or apartment is the space where you are likely to spend the most time. Fill it with things that you love and you’ll get more enjoyment out of where you live – and your life in general.

This can – and probably will – take time. But enjoy the process of hunting for items that are truly special. You might stumble across them in a thrift store of a friend might gift you with them. As you build your home collection of items that bring you joy, you’ll be creating a more meaningful, life-giving home. In short, you’re building self-care into the very fabric of your living space.

What kind of changes have you made to practice self-care? Has it shifted your home design? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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