Bedroom remodels are one of the most common home improvement projects, but you don’t have to tear out everything and start over to get the serene and comfortable bedroom you want and need. As part of your effort to achieve a more serene bedroom environment, you can also try the M21™ Wellness Guide. It just takes 21 minutes in the morning to melt that stress away and give you energy and a renewed sense of purpose.
When you set out to create a serene bedroom, it sounds simple enough. Is it though, really? As you take steps to plan out and integrate more serenity into your bedroom, take your time. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. Here are a few tips for how you can achieve a more serene environment as you wake up and embrace your day.
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1. Add Lighting Options
Lighting can affect your mood. It’s something you probably already know, because you may feel sad or depressed in the winter months when you haven’t seen the sun in a while. While room lighting doesn’t have the same effect as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the right lighting can help you relax.
Bright lights can also intensify your emotions and green lights can even help you feel more creative. Lighting is an especially important consideration in your bedroom because blue light can suppress your body’s melatonin production and make it harder to sleep.
2. Consider Multi-Purpose Furniture
Rethink your furniture and how you’re using them. What if you could transition your nightstand into something that could also serve as a bookshelf and storage space? Keep an eye out for multi-use furniture that feels right, meets your needs for functionality and comfort, and fits into your limited bedroom spaces.
Some of the most common out-of-the-box pieces of furniture are multi-use daybeds, couches, or other furniture. There are so many options for comfortable furniture that will do just what you want it to do. When all else fails, consider creating a “furniture use” plan. How do you use your furniture? How do you want to use it?
What would it take for you to take the furniture you have and turn it into the furniture you’d like to use. It could be as simple as rethinking the size of the furniture in your room or adding casters to make the furniture more moveable and less cluttered.
3. Discard Stuff That Does Not Serve You Well
Speaking of clutter, how is it affecting the serenity of your bedroom? Is it driving you to distraction? Clutter could be anything that makes your room look and feel untidy. It’s a mess and it often runs counter to a comfortable environment. Why? It makes you feel more stressed. It can lead to feelings of depression, greater fatigue, guilty feelings, and even hopelessness. Research shows that it’s not good for your physical and mental health.
Studies show that clutter affects women more than men and it can affect your cortisol levels, which can lead to worsening stress, avoidance behavior, and other negative side effects. While you may not always be able to control the clutter that enters your life and your bedroom, you will be happier and healthier when you actively work to maintain organization and discard those items that no longer serve you.
4. Repaint Your Walls (and Furniture?)
A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for how you feel about a room, particularly a bedroom. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try a different color, add some removable wall features or even rethink your use of space and artistic features on your walls and ceiling altogether.
Just because your walls have always been like that or just because you've had your furniture for years doesn’t mean you have to keep it that way. You can put your furniture to better use in other rooms, alter or change the piece to make it more comfortable, give it away or recycle them all together for furniture that better meets your new color scheme and needs for your bedroom.
5. Replace Your Mattress
Is it time to change your mattress? The average mattress usually can last 6-10 years under usually ideal circumstances. That time frame can vary depending on how much you’ve used the mattress, the quality of your mattress, the type of mattress, and a myriad of other factors. Even if you bought your mattress four or five years ago, start considering mattress disposal options.
When you recycle your mattress, it's the best, most environmentally conscious way to get rid of your mattress. Even if you haven't owned the mattress that long, you know when it’s no longer offering the comfort and support you need. Beyond considering your options for mattress disposal or mattress recycling, you should also consider your mattress dimensions, whether it’s a plush or firm mattress, and what you love and hate most about your mattress.
