Your Own Indoor or Backyard Escape
a self-soothing environment for your mental and physical health
With the hustle and bustle of life, whether it be work or family, YOURSELF should be a priority. Alongside your hobbies, exercise, and any mind-body practices (meditation/yoga/chiropractic care), a self-soothing space will help calm the mind and relieve anxiety. Having a physically clean area that you can relax in will lead to a mentally clear and clutter-free mind. Being able to rest and think clearly may motivate and inspire you to start something new or continue something you have been working on. A self-soothing space could be found within the four walls of your home, or a peaceful place outside may be just as calming. Below are ideas of how to create your inside or outside escape.
Find an area inside or outside your property. It does not have to be huge, but enough space to place some seating if you need, décor as you wish, and some of your other favorite things. Areas you may find of interest could be:
INSIDE
Bay window/area
Sunroom
A spare room of your house
OUTSIDE
Front or back porch
Patio or deck
Front yard or back yard
Side yard
Shed/’She Shed’
Pool/pool deck
One you find your space, follow the steps below to make it peaceful 🤍
DECLUTTER & CLEAN
To create a relaxing area, it is essential to take some physical items away to help with mental anxiety. Dispose, recycle, or donate all the things you may not need (or have not used within the past year). This could include clothes/accessories, small appliances/kitchen supplies, office supplies, toys, or yard tools. Once you have cleared out the space, cleaning helps get rid of dust, bacteria, and anything else that may take away from your peaceful experience. It may take some scrubbing, vacuuming, and washing, but it will be worth it!
CHOOSE A COLOR PALETTE
This step creates the environment for your space. It can be bright or dark if you want, but it may be best to go neutral (you can adjust the accent colors anytime). Off-white, cream, beige/browns, grays, or crisp white would work for any space. The color palette may be chosen for walls, floors, trim, decking/outside stone, curtains, or furniture. Then you can add accent colors with blankets/pillows, plants, or décor. It’s your space so choose what seems best for you!
ADD SHADE
Sun is fun once in a while, but if you need to cool off or physically cannot be in the UV lights, create a shady area. You can hang curtains, plant small shrubs outside, or use hanging baskets outside near the window if you want to have shade for inside the house.
Here are ideas for shade outside of the house:
Plant small trees, shrubs, or bushes in or around the space of your choosing
Hang curtains on your porch or pergola (if you already have one)
Build an arbor, pergola, or gazebo; you can add curtains or a vine canopy
Use an oversized umbrella
Purchase a shade sail
ADD SEATING
Create a comfortable seating area – for either entertaining or just for yourself.
INSIDE
Reclining armchair
Chaise lounge chair
Loveseat
Daybed
Bench seats/window bench seating
Wicker egg chair
Floor cushions
Beanbag chair/Swivel chair
OUTSIDE
Outdoor seating sets (woven or wicker furniture)
Bench seating
Gliders/Swings
Adirondack chairs
Camping chairs
PLANTS & GREENERY
If you added shade outdoors, you already have some new plants! But you may want to place more greenery or plants to your indoor space. Studies show that indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress and improve cognitive function (Han, 2022). Adding greenery promotes “comfortable, soothed, and natural feelings” (Lee, 2015). Plants improve air quality and can be used for purification to help with pollutants, allergies, and bacteria.
IDEAS FOR OUTSIDE
Garden bed (you can make this as small or as large as you need)
Potted plants or hanging baskets
Flowers or grasses in a mulched area
Window box
Herb garden
IDEAS FOR INSIDE
Potted plants: aloe vera, split-leaf philodendron, fiddle leaf fig, succulents, peace lily, yucca cane, snake plant, philodendron silver, spider plant, bonsai tree, Boston fern (Southern Living)
Herb boxes for the windowsill (oregano, cilantro, rosemary, sage, or peppermint)
Eucalyptus
DECORATE
You picked out a space and made it comfortable. Now, let’s add some details to make it truly yours! Place rugs/mats, curtains (if you did not already), furniture such as a small end table or bistro set (the more simple, the better), artwork, lights (small lamp, Himalayan salt lamp, string lights, solar lights), headphones/speaker or white-noise machine, blankets/pillows/cushions, journal/notebook and pens, books, candles, and healthy snacks (homemade trail mix, baked chips, whole fruit) or your favorite feel-good snacks. For outside (if you are a bird lover), you could also add a bird house, feeder, fountain, or Hummingbird feeder.
Now go and create your self-soothing safe space! 🌿
Referenced: Han, K-T., Ruan, L-W., & Liao, L-S. (2022). Effects of indoor plants on human functions: A systematic review with meta-analyses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7454. | Lee, M-S., Lee, J., Park, B-J., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study. Journal of Physiological and Anthropology, 34(1), 21.