Our mental health really is so important. It affects the way we think, the way we feel and the way we handle stress- our frame of mind can be the difference between enjoying life, and wanting to hide away under the covers. We all know the basics of looking after our mind, such as living healthily, getting enough sleep and avoiding too much stress, but had you considered how your home could have an impact? Here are some of the ways that your home can help your mental health. 

Decorate in relaxing colours

As humans, we're more sensitive to colour than you might realise. Different hues can impact us to act and feel in different ways; some colours stimulate and energise us, others relax us, some can even make us hungrier! Marketers tapped into this psychology long ago, and use colours in their designs to influence the way they want us to feel. But it's something we can take advantage of in our homes too. An easy way to get colour right in your home is to decorate in neutral colours, they're calming and make any space look bright and airy. From there, you can add touches of colour using accessories- curtains, rugs, cushions and more. Blue has been shown to be a relaxing hue, as well as green. If you want to go with other shades, choose soft, pastel versions. So instead of going with a bright pink or purple in your bedroom for example you'd go with a light pastel variation. Avoid oranges and reds, while these bright colours can pop if they're done well, they're stimulating rather than relaxing. 

Create areas to relax in

There are lots of areas you can create around the home to relax in. Your sofa and your bed are obvious choices, dress them with sumptuous throws and squashy pillows. Perfect for kicking back and watching Netflix on after a long day; sites like LionsHome have lots of these kinds of home accessories all in one place making it easier to find what you're after. Other ideas are to create a cosy reading nook, or invest in some seating for the garden. That way you can spend sunny evenings sitting outside with a cold drink and listening to the sounds of nature- it's good for the soul! Your bathroom is another area you can create a relaxing zone in if you have a little more money to spend. A high end renovation will give you a spa like space to take hot pampering baths and relaxing showers in. Add some thick, fluffy towels and plenty of nice products like salts, oils and bubble baths to make the experience even better.

Keep it clean and tidy

As the saying goes, 'tidy home, tidy mind.' And there really is so much truth to this, psychologists have shown that spending time in a messy, cluttered or disorganised environment can add to stress levels- when your bedroom is untidy it can even prevent you from falling asleep. Cleaning, tidying and organising is an ongoing process, it's something that you need to commit a little time to on a regular basis to keep things ticking over. Spend just ten minutes each evening going around and tackling some of the smaller jobs, and then when you come to clean properly at the weekend there's much less to do. Decluttering should ideally be done a few times a year, throw away, sell or donate what you're no longer using to prevent things accumulating. Then you have space to organise and get to all of the items you do use. Looking for lost items might seem like a small stress, but it's often these small stresses in our lives that add up. Get your home in order and you'll find it contributes to your day running much more smoothly. 

Add flowers and plants

Finally, adding flowers and plants to the home is a great way to liven it up while boosting your mental health. These living things have been shown to stimulate reward zones in the brain when we look at them, they help us feel close to nature and give a vibrant pop of colour and some texture to any room without making it look fussy.