This is personal for me. I'm no doctor or clinical/medical professional but I've learned how home interior impacts our mental health in my own life and the life of others during a depressed state. Environmental Psychology explores the relationship between our surroundings and our behaviors. Is your mind feeling cluttered, dark, unkept, and unorganized, contributing to a cluttered, dark, unkept, and unorganized living space? You may not be able to make changes at your job or family/friends' house, but you can make a difference within your own. This doesn't mean your house should be neat, clean, and tidy, with new decor all the time, but it doesn't hurt to gain a new habit that will decrease that down feeling. Depression makes it hard to concentrate, take care of yourself, and get things done. I remember not doing laundry for myself or my children for months while depressed. And the thought of washing was too overwhelming. I was uninterested and tired, which made me not want to wash even more. The clothes just kept piling. Depression kept me from cleaning up and the thought of cleaning up made me even more depressed. See how that happens? But we have to take control if we want to feel better. I took small steps, taking everything one week at a time. I didn't know where to begin, so I started with the room I couldn't leave...my bedroom. I felt encouraged to make some changes throughout my living space that ultimately helped change my mood.
I'll share with you 6 budget friendly decor tips that helped me immensely.
Clutter is not your Friend!
Open all of your mail. Clear those cabinets and drawers...especially that kitchen drawer with the condiment packets from Wendy's. Remove the outdated notes from your desk or work area. Statements and notices are sent out monthly...so why are there notices from 3 months ago on the table in the foyer? Cluttered living spaces affect our mental state as it delivers feelings of being out of control. So, take some time and decide what should stay and what should go. Even if you don't completely declutter, there should still be some sort of organization.
Brighten It Up
Play with different colors. This is a tricky one. We all know that blue usually means down, red usually means urgent, and orange usually means warm. It all depends on how you want to feel. If you like the color blue, but feel it's a downer color, change the shade. Oceanside, teal, sky blue, and indigo are all beautiful hues of blue. If there is a lot of one color, add another color for that POP. Changing the color of your bedding, decor, curtains, and furniture can be a huge picker upper! Opening windows and allowing natural light in is also helpful. For those of you living in colder climates with less sunlight, Halogen light bulbs give a close approximation of natural sunlight.
Olfactory Sensory
Smell is the strongest human sense. It is closely linked with the part of your brain that processes emotion and memory. At this tender age of almost 40 (😂), certain fragrances take me back to my childhood. I remember my grandmother used to hang her linens on the clothesline in the backyard. When she made the beds, I slept so good to that fresh linen smell. To this day, I love fresh linen scented candles, fragrance oils, washing detergents, and soaps because of the memories attached to it. Think of the scents that make you remember something special. Add your favorite fragrance oils to a diffuser and feel better! Citrusy scents are extremely refreshing!
Decorate your Walls
Accent walls, wall decor, paintings, collages, mirrors, and clocks are several ideas for wall decoration. Whether you're a renter or homeowner, there are ways to spruce up your living space with what YOU want...minus the home makeover crew lol. It's amazing what some beautiful wall art can do to lift your spirit. Need some inspiration? Check out Crafty Cort - YouTube for easy DIY wall decor ideas. Click the links below for specific videos.
Rearrange
Create a new space, rearrange the couch/loveseat, add a chair, buy some new lamps, add a few pillows...just move! I remember being a little depressed when my eldest daughter moved out, then one day, I decided to move some things around in the house. My son moved into his sister's former room, and I turned his room into The Crafty CortRoom...the room where I do all my art, crafts, decor, and videography. Getting active, listening to music, moving furniture, adding shelves, and planning the finished look allowed me to live in the moment and it felt great! Sitting and enjoying my home's new look was a plus.
Go Natural
Allow nature to be of assistance. Think of the benefits of trees, grass, flowers, and plants outdoors and how they make us feel. Why do we love nature walks, beaches, planting, gardening, exploring, or sitting by the riverside? They have healing effects. But it's not bound to only outdoors. Bamboo palm, lavender, snake, and aloe vera plants are just a few plants that are inexpensive, low maintenance, and filter toxic indoor air. The air quality in our homes play a major role in our mood and sleeping habits. Remember that rest is vital to mental health. Indoor plants not only have internal benefits, but they add style, Feng shui, and a sense of peacefulness.
TIP: Research plants that do not require much attention. Don't add any more stress or anxiety to your life with high maintenance house plants.
All of the above mentioned involve some sort of movement. It doesn't matter what you do to get out of the funk, just get started. These are several of my favorites when I'm feeling down but I'd love to hear what home and decor tips boost your mood. 😊👌
Whew this blog hit home for me in many ways, literally just had to go get some pictures recently for the kids room and living room area to feel like “a change“ was made in the house. I’ll definitely look into the plants since my allergies are so terrible 🥴