6 Tips to Help Combat Anxiety Triggers at Home

We all know our home should be a safe place, where we should feel our most comfortable. Anxiety can get the best of us, but our home should contain as few triggers as possible to minimize this risk. I have found implementing these strategies into my home has been so helpful, and I have moved a few times, making sure I use each strategy in each new home.

Encouraging a positive environment in your home is the best way to prevent anxious situations. The few strategies I am going to include in this post are things I have implemented in each home I have lived in, and I suggest you try at least one in your own home! 

1. Embrace your green thumb!

House plants are proven to not only purify the air of your home, but they can also reduce stress levels. If you are all-too-familiar with dying plants, try low maintenance plants such as the snake plant, spider plant, Boston fern, peace lilies or aloe vera are very easy to take care of. They require very little caretaking and little watering. 

2. Keep spaces in your home empty, especially bookshelves.

Leaving your bookshelves half-empty or one-third empty will reduce clutter and be more appealing to the eye. Incorporating blue and cool tones into your home can also encourage relaxation, whereas colors like red can increase anxiety. Keeping these types of tips in mind can be very helpful, especially when moving into a new home or redecorating. Limiting patterns will also encourage a sense of calm. If you want to feature them, use them in small amounts.

3. Keep technology out of sight.

Keeping items such as technology and electronics covered and away will make you less likely to turn them on for no reason. This also creates a more unified look in your space, and reduces clutter to the eye.

The next few tips are things to add to your home or consider if you haven’t before:

4. Think about your bed placement.

Whether you believe in feng shui or not, the bedroom is (in my opinion) one of the rooms of the home where furniture placement is crucial. Having your bed in the wrong place can interrupt your sleep patterns and the overall feeling of relaxation within the room. According to feng shui, having your bed on the wall opposite the door but not directly across from the doorway will create a relaxing flow within the space. Try it and see what happens!

5. Consider opening your windows.

If it’s the summer months, you will also benefit from the fresh air. Simply being exposed to natural light is proven to reduce stress. If you are more prone to keep the curtains drawn, try opening them each morning. Let the sunshine in whenever possible, especially in spaces you are often in for long periods of time.

6. In general, stick to minimalism when decorating your home.

Your anxious mind will thank you for it. Keeping things organized and clean will also help with this, as I am sure you’ve likely realized on your own. Clutter can be an anxiety trigger and avoiding this is the best option.

I hope one or more of these tips and tricks can help reduce anxiety triggers within your home. I hope your home can be your safe haven, your escape from your anxiety. If you have any other tips I haven’t mentioned, please leave them in the comments so others can read them as well.

Stay strong and stay safe, 

Shaelyn.

A version of this article was previously published on teeupformentalhealth.com