How to Turn Your Bathroom, and Home,
Into a Healthy, Soothing Spa Sanctuary
Modern day life is full of stressors — work stress, deadlines, and family demands.
With a bit of creativity you can turn your home into your very own spa sanctuary. |
Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, a suppressed immune system, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, infertility problems and even accelerated aging.
A comprehensive economic survey posted in The Washington Post highlighted some of the effects since the start of the recession and the stress Americans have taken on:
- The nation’s poverty rate has continued to rise even though unemployment rates have dropped
- Since the data was originally collected for the first survey millions more have lost their jobs
Additional health problems that can develop or be exacerbated by stress:
- Heart disease
- Digestive problems
- Sleep problems
- Depression
- Obesity
- Autoimmune diseases
- Skin conditions such as eczema
There are two types of stressors, external and internal. Some examples of external stressors include major life changes, work, relationship difficulties, financial problems, children and family. Internal stressors stem from individual responses such as the inability to accept uncertainty, pessimism, negative self-talk, unrealistic expectations, perfectionism, and lack of assertiveness. All of these stressors can be self-generated. It’s up to you how you decide to handle these life stressors — internalize them or release them and move on.
Leaving Your Stress at the Door
Taking control of your stress is all about stepping up and taking charge of your emotions — and how you react to situations and resolve problems.
One way to make a big reduction in your stress levels is by making your home environment your safe haven and place of tranquility away from stress. You can create your own home sanctuary by shifting your visual approach to one that balances your senses.
There are many ways you can reduce your stress and prevent unnecessary anxiety. The following are simple, yet creative and inexpensive changes you can make to your house so you can come home to a place of peace and relaxation.
Furnish Your Rooms Wisely and Get Rid of Clutter
In many homes there are rooms such as the “exercise” room or the very formal living room that are misused or underutilized. Look around your house and ask yourself if the rooms are serving the real need and if not, repurpose those rooms to fit your lifestyle.
The entries to our homes become dumping areas, accumulating mail, shoes, keys, umbrellas and backpacks, creating a sense of unease and chaos upon walking through the door. Rather than being hit by immediate stressors, put these items in baskets and closets and out of sight.
Rooms That Tantalize Your Senses
Check to see if the views from your rooms complement the mood of your rooms. Ask yourself what kind of view you want to see from your bedroom or kitchen window. If it’s not what you like, change it.
You can do this by hanging a window-box herb garden in front of your kitchen window or hanging sheers behind your bed to soften the look of your bedroom. Be sure your rooms appeal to your five senses and remove any sensory disturbances. Put down a colorful area rug on your hardwood floor to absorb some of the echoes or pick up some fresh flowers that appeal to your eyes and nose and place them on your kitchen table.
Proper Lighting is all about Ambiance
One of the biggest mistakes when it comes to lighting is rooms that are too dark or dim or too bright. For dark windowless rooms such as those in the basement you can combine layers of lighting and mirrors. The reflection from the mirrors creates the effect of natural sunlight and makes the room more warm and inviting. If your room is too bright, invest in a dimmer switch to lessen harsh lighting.
In many kitchens, there is a sensory overload of scents, sounds, appliances and colors. If you find all of your senses are active when you walk in your kitchen you’ll need to find ways to create balance.
- Ways to Create a Culinary Haven
- Change the paint color to a more soothing color
- Add some soft textures such as a throw rug and cushions
- Keep the computers and children’s toys out of the kitchen and reserve the kitchen for cooking and eating only
- Keep all cooking utensils and pots and pans in close reach to make for easy access when it comes time for meal preparation
- Install an under-the-counter radio to lift your mood while you cook
- Buy a crock pot to make easy, delicious meals that you can leave to simmer all day
7 Ways to Creating Your Bedroom Hideaway
You spend most of your time resting and rejuvenating your body in the bedroom so it’s important to create a calm and inviting atmosphere.
- Rearrange your room by putting your bed at a different angle at least twice a month to induce a more restful night’s sleep or create feelings of relaxation
- Switch up the theme of your comforter and linens once a month to give your bed a fresh, inviting look
- Keep TVs out of the bedroom. Watching the news, especially just before bed can create a lot of anxiety and there may be a tendency to stay up longer to watch TV
- Your bedroom should be a place of peace and relaxation and never a place to pay bills or discuss heavy topics
- Don’t resort to using white to decorate your bedroom. Choosing one of the following colors brings on a sense of calm and relaxation:
- Light purple
- Yellow
- Light green
- Spanish chestnut
- Light brown
- Light blue
- Light pink
Turning Your Bathroom into Your Own Private Sanctuary
Why pay the big bucks at expensive salons to get that rejuvenating experience when you can create the same spa-like experience in your own bathroom? All you need to do is trust your senses and choose soothing colors, sounds, scents and soaps to nurture your body and soul.
Visually Appealing
Some great color choices for bathrooms are lighter shades of green, yellow, blue, silver sage, lavender and aquamarine. Don’t use reds, purple, emerald, navy, brown or black as they make the room look smaller, creating a tight and restricting feeling.
It is important that your bathroom is well lit. If needed pick up multiple lights or lights with a dimmer switch. Take advantage of natural sunlight and draw it into your bathroom by hanging sun catchers in the window or if privacy provides, open the shades or curtains to allow the natural light to flow through.
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Complete Your Bathroom Spa Ritual With Soothing Natural Non-toxic Hair and Body Products Wash
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Make sure your bathroom is appealing to the eye and not displaying a vanity cluttered with makeup brushes, bath salts, lotions and shampoos. Put these items away or organize them in a way that is pleasant to look at.
Revitalizing Scents
Ideally, your bathroom should emit fresh, clean air, not a chemical mix of fragrances, air fresheners and personal care and cleaning products. For natural scent options, you can put out small pots of fresh and calming herbs such as lavender, rosemary or sage.
Wind down from a long day with a soothing spray from an aromatherapy mister using a calming lavender scent that invigorate our spirits and relieve stress.
Natural, effective, and environmentally friendly products can now brings sanity to your stress-filled world, too.
Next, surround your bathtub with candles and set the tone for ultimate relaxation. Stock your cabinets with natural personal care products as opposed to those packed with harmful chemicals. You may want to read the labels on your personal care products and reassess. The vast majority — some 89 percent — of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products (products that you rub into your scalp and skin, spread onto your face and trust on your body) have never been evaluated for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other institution.
So be sure your soap dish is a toxin-free area.
Turn Your Shower Into a Spa!
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Bring the Spa Back to Your Shower
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There are many shower filters that remove harsh chemicals like chlorine protect your skin from free radical attack and aid your body in repairing damaged skin and hair.
When chlorine comes into contact with other naturally occurring elements in water, it forms dangerous byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and chloroform. Studies have linked these chlorine byproducts to many serious health risks such as:
- Bladder cancer
- Heart disease
- Asthma
- Eczema
Now you can turn your shower and your bathrooms into relaxing spas with rejuvenating health benefits that your entire family will enjoy.
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