How can your home support your goals?
Did you know that the design of your home can help support you with your lifestyle goals and add to your overall wellbeing?
For me, my home is my sanctuary. It’s where I go to unwind from busy London. During this time in lockdown I’ve been truly grateful for my space. Although my flat is small, it’s well organised and filled with plants! It means I have places to put away the laptop and notebooks at the end of the day and truly switch off. The plants help calm and ground me and I feel I can relax.
Our built environment contributes to our physical and mental health. We are now spending around 90% of our time indoors (and that number has only risen during lockdown I’m sure!). The spaces we spend time in are more important than ever. I myself achieved my WELL accreditation last year to have a better understanding of how the built environment can truly affect our health and wellbeing.
“We shape ourselves, and are shaped in return by the walls that contain us. Buildings affect how we sleep, work, socialise and even breathe.” Iain Sinclair – Living with Buildings
So what small (or large) changes can we make so our homes support us, our goals and our wellbeing?
Firstly, I’d like to highlight how important our home truly is. Not simply for our security; to protect us from the elements; a place to lay our head and eat.
Our home is so much more. It’s a place to rest, relax, but also socialise. It can be a space to learn, to escape, to practice stillness and inspire. It’s a place to take care of ourselves but also our families. It holds our most intimate memories and moments. It also creates space for our hopes and our dreams. It’s no wonder that it can deeply affect us and has the potential to support our goals.
Alain de Botton, the Swiss born philosopher and author studies our relationship with the built environment and its effect on our level of happiness in his book The Architecture of Happiness. De Botton explores order, balance, elegance and coherence to describe why we feel better in certain buildings.
The International Well Building Institute created 10 WELL concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community researching how our built environments can shape our habits and lifestyle choices.
The Danish have Hygge; which very loosely translates to all things cosy.
The Japanese Wabi Sabi; finding beauty in imperfection (and of course Marie Kondo; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying).
The Chinese look to Feng Shui; the flow of energy and orientation through space.
The importance of our home is very clear and how much it can truly affect us. Now, what if we think of how it can support us and our lifestyle goals? How it can affect the way we feel and how successful we might be at creating new healthier habits.
So, with that in mind, let’s talk about a few things that can help.
Organisation:
Although not glamorous, having adequate storage in a home is a great starting point. Everything having a place can reduce stress. I have to admit, this is one of my favourites. I personally find my flat feels calmer if everything is put away.
This also helps separate all of the activities that our homes are supporting. Especially at the moment where lines of work and home have completely blurred. It’s important to have a system in place to separate the two. This will also help you switch off at night.
Nature:
Bring nature inside with plants. Studies have shown that they can have an incredibly calming effect, reduce stress, increase productivity and even clean the air. I myself have at least 14 in my small flat and often hear from friends that it feels really calm. Another way of bringing in green is planting herbs in the kitchen. A bit of greenery and good for your health! Fresh cut flowers can also be an instant mood lifter.
Light:
Light has incredible benefits, can lift your mood and increase productivity. It’s important to consider different sources for different tasks. Think of the natural light each room gets and the position of furniture. My front room gets amazing sunlight in the morning so I’ve made sure there’s enough space to roll out my yoga mat. Consider table lamps in the lounge to set a cosy mood in the evening and have overheads on dimmers.
Colours & Materials:
Colour cannot only completely change the look of your home, but can also affect how we feel. Choose blue and green tones to create a sanctuary away from modern day stresses or perhaps yellow for a more energising and uplifting feeling.
Materials can also completely change the feel of your space. Consider natural materials to create a grounding, calming and rejuvenating sanctuary. A timber floor is one of my personal favourites.
Layout:
Consider the layout of furniture in each room. Don’t be afraid to get creative and switch things around. For instance, dressers work really well in entrance foyers and lounges for extra storage. They don’t have to stay in the bedroom.
Also consider all of the activities that each room needs to support. Create different zones if possible and create cosy nooks for working or reading.
All of these elements really work hand in hand to help support you and are important to consider when implementing a new habit. Once you’ve identified your goal think of how your home can support and take away any obstacles.
“We shape our homes and then our homes shape us.” – Winston Churchill
I love using my blender example to highlight how this can work. If you want to start making smoothies in the morning, make sure your blender is accessible. Organise your kitchen so it’s not buried deep in a cabinet. Taking away the obstacle and ensuring you have the tools necessary will help set you up for success.
Where to start?
Start with getting clear on your goals. And then decide how your home can support you. It can and is so much more than just a space to eat and sleep!
If you’d like to hear more I dive into this very topic on my good friend Christopher Morgan’s podcast ‘Over the Hump’. We’d love to know in the comments what you think.
