Home is a place where you are supposed to find peace and feel calm. However, in today’s evolving world, the real essence of homes is fading away. They are getting overwhelmed by chaos and the constant stress.

According to a report of the World Health Organization (WHO), during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic, there’s an increase of 25% in anxiety and depression rates globally.

Another report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between 1990 and 2013, there’s an increase of 50% in the number of people suffering from depression or anxiety.

These statistic shows the existence of stress in modern life and highlights the urgent need for effective coping mechanisms and support systems.

Imagine yourself in your home where there is no place for stress and every corner is filled with happiness and giving the vibes of calmness. Felt good, right?

So, it's the time to make it happen and transform your house into a haven of mindfulness.

In this blog, we will be explaining about mindfulness and some simple practices which you can incorporate into your daily schedule and create a stress free environment in your home.

Read the blog till the end to gain the knowledge about the essential practices to convert your house into a home filled with mindfulness and joy.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of being completely present and living in the moment, with a sense of acceptance and without any kind of judgment.

It involves considering and paying attention to your feelings, thoughts, surroundings, being more aware about each moment, and having a sense of curiosity.

The practice of mindfulness helps in improving focus, eliminating unnecessary thoughts, reducing stress, and enhancing your complete self and well-being.

According to a report published by National Library of Medicine, “a structured, six-week mindfulness program has the potential to benefit clinicians, personally by reducing emotional reactivity and professionally by promoting deep listening and communication.”

Creating a mindful home environment helps in having a sense of relaxation, harmony, calmness, and a peaceful mental state in your home.

Creating a Mindful Space

To be absolutely mindful, you need to create a mindful space around you. This helps you in experiencing the ultimate mindfulness and creating a stress free environment.

So, to create a mindful space, you can focus on the following:

Physical Environment

Your surroundings play an important role in setting up your mood for the day and enhancing your overall well-being.

You can consider the following points to make sure your physical environment is all set for you:

• Incorporate Natural Elements

Bring a touch of natural elements like some indoor plants inside your home. They will enhance the beauty of your home and their air-purifying qualities will create a soothing environment.

Keep the windows open as much as possible, especially during the day time. Let the natural light and air come into your home. This adds the brightness to your home and lets the fresh air pass through.

As per a study conducted by The International Journal of Indian Psychology, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 86% of the respondents reported that their stress levels decreased in the presence of indoor plants, and 52% agreed that houseplants are better than artificial air purifiers.

• Use Calming Colors and Soothing Interior Textures

Go for soft and muted colors for your home interior like blues, greens, or neutral colors. Muted colors symbolize calmness and give a sense of safety, while giving the modern and sophisticated angle to your home.

Along with the colors, you can also incorporate soothing texture to your furniture by choosing materials like linen, wood, and cotton. Such materials give a sense of connection with nature.

• Keep your Stuff Organized

Keeping your stuff organized contributes to a neat surrounding and helps in building more focus. Having a cluttered space does not allow you to think clearly and in some cases, makes you feel lazy.

So, always organize your things in the right way and have a sense of order and peace.

• Create a Separate Place for Meditation

Taking some time from your busy schedule for meditation is good to have a stress free mind. However, doing meditating or other mindfulness practices at the same place where you perform other activities is not always a good idea.

Consider having a separate space for such activities with subtle lighting, soft environment and comfortable seating and see the difference yourself.

That separate space can be an entire room or just a cozy corner but that will allow you to be completely focused and stress free while doing meditation or other mindfulness activities.

Sensory Experience

To have the ultimate mindful experience, you need to make sure your senses are heightened to be aware of your surroundings. This helps in ensuring your all senses are being used effectively for better mindfulness.

You can consider the following points to engage your senses and create a mindful experience:

• Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a healing treatment that uses plant extracts, known as essential oils, to create a sense of relaxation and improve your overall well-being.

Essential oils help in evoking different emotions. For example, lavender and chamomile oil helps with anxiety. These oils give a calming and relaxation effect and help in having better sleep.

Apart from providing the calming effect, essential oils help in some medical conditions too. For example, peppermint oil helps in unblocking sinuses, spearmint oil aids concentration, and lemon and patchouli oil help in moisturising and improving skin.

You can use the essential oils for aromatherapy in multiple ways, like

1. Popping two to three drops of the essential oil into a diffuser
2. Applying two to three drops of the essential oil on your skin
3. Adding some drops of the essential oil to your bath
4. Dabbing some drops of the essential oil on your feet
5. Inhaling the essential oil

You can experiment with different essential oils to see which works best for you.

• Using the Power of Sound

Music is proven to provide a soothing experience. So, you can create a playlist including sounds of nature or some calming tunes to have a soothing auditory environment.

You can also add sounds of birds or the rhythm of waves to your playlist. It also helps in creating a calming environment.

While sleeping, you can put on your earphones and play these rhythms for a smooth and peaceful sleeping experience.

• Experience the Sense of Relaxation

To experience the sense of relaxation, you can surround yourself with soft textures of blankets, bedsheets, and cushions. You can also use soft coloured curtains.

These elements help in creating a sense of pleasure and relaxation, while keeping you in the present moment.

• Mindful Cooking and Eating

You can experience mindfulness while cooking and eating, when done right. Focus on the aroma, presentation, and tastes of your food.

Feel the richness of food with every single bite of it. This helps you in experiencing the present moment with uttermost satisfaction.

Mindful Routines and Rituals

Establishing consistent mindful practices and incorporating them into your daily routine plays a significant role in enhancing your well-being. You can incorporate mindful practices into your morning and evening rituals.

So, to make the mindful practices a part of your daily routine, you can focus on the following:

Morning Rituals

Start your day with a fresh and calm mind to have a peaceful starting of the day and a soothing morning routine.

You can consider the following points to add mindful practices into your morning rituals:

• Meditation

Take out some time in the morning for meditation. This helps in focusing on your thoughts and making a better connection with yourself.

You can also use apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer for better guidance. Headspace improves focus by 14% and significantly decreases mind-wandering.

After meditation, every morning, always make sure to express your gratitude for all the things or people in your life for which you are grateful.

• Mindful Awakening

Start your day gently and give yourself some time to transition from sleep to wakefulness. This helps in gaining the necessary energy required to start your day.

Don’t start rushing out or worrying about your chores the moment you wake up. Think of a new day as a new opportunity.

• Setting your Goals

Setting your goals helps you in giving a path to your thoughts. So, define your goals at the beginning of the day.

Focus on what you want to accomplish today rather than worrying about what all you need to do.

Doing this will help you in increasing focus and improve your dedication towards your work.

• Journaling

Start writing your thoughts and feelings in a diary in the morning. This will help you in getting rid of any kind of frustration and clearing your mind from unnecessary thoughts.

Evening Rituals

A peaceful ending of the day is as important as a peaceful starting of the day.

So, you can consider the following points to prepare yourself for a mindful sleep:

• Digital Detox

Set a time for yourself to leave your phone or other electronic devices alone. After that time, give yourself 15 minutes and think about what you have done in your day and what you want to do tomorrow.

For instance, if you are setting a time as 10 P.M., then after that keep your phone aside and give some time to yourself. This will help you in getting a deep soothing sleep.

• Follow a Bedtime Routine

Prepare a bedtime for yourself and follow it consistently. Doing it consistently at the same time will give a signal to your body that now it is the time to wind down.

You can consider taking a warm bath before sleeping, listening to calm music, or reading a book.

• Perform simple relaxation exercises

Perform simple exercises before sleeping like basic yoga, stretching, or deep breathing. This will help you in relaxing and releasing tension.

Involving Family

Creating a mindful environment at home leaves its impact on everyone staying in it which involves your family members.

To create mindfulness within your family, you can try having open communication as such a way of communication strengthens family bonds and creates a positive environment.

Along with open communication, you should also focus on active listening as it makes the person feel that he is being valued. It also gives you a chance to understand the perspective of the person who is talking.

Try involving children in all the mindful practices as much as possible as it forms a strong well-being for them from a young age.

You can incorporate mindful practices in their daily activities and teach them the importance of meditation.

Conclusion

Creating an atmosphere of mindfulness in home is a long journey. This journey involves incorporating small steps into your daily routine and involving your family to create and achieve a state of peace.

Prioritising mindfulness at home helps in reducing stress and making deeper connections with yourself and your family members.

So, follow the effective tips mentioned in this blog and create a harmonious living space. Always remember that small steps can bring significant changes in your life.