The right lighting, textures that calm, entertaining without stress, and more
Stress doesn’t stop at your front door. Transform your home into the relaxation destination you deserve with our top 8 tips for relaxing, recharging, and letting go at home.
#8
Get Some Green Friends
Plants help us breathe easier.
Live plants produce oxygen which helps balance the CO2 levels in our bodies, allowing us to think more clearly during the day and even sleep better at night. A good night’s sleep does wonders for feeling less stressed.
Plus, the simple act of caring for plants lets you focus on the task at hand and be in the moment which can release anxious thoughts and worries.
Snake Plants are the best choice for improving indoor air quality. This plant converts carbon dioxide into oxygen. They also remove all sorts of toxins in the air like trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and xylene. You will want 6-8 waist-high plants. Place them throughout your home for ultimate purification.
#7
Lower Your Kelvins
Don’t fry your eyes.
Not all light bulbs are the same. Soothe your senses with warm indoor lighting.
The light emitted from light bulbs has a color temperature. Warmer light is more relaxing and low-key, not to mention more flattering. Cooler light can be harsh and irritating to the senses.
The color temperature of a light bulb is measured on the Kelvin (K) temperature scale, and it indicates how warm or cool the light will be. Lower Kelvin numbers mean warmer, yellowish, light. Higher Kelvin numbers mean cooler, blueish, light.
For intimate spaces, like bedrooms, dens, living rooms, and dining areas, we recommend LED bulbs in the 2700K – 3000K range. You can step it up to the 3000K – 4000K for the kitchen or a workspace. Unless you want the room to feel like a 24-hour convenience store at 3 a.m., don’t ever exceed 4000K.
#6
Throw A Takeout Dinner Party
How to entertain without the stress or the mess.
Breaking bread with your friends is a fun way to let off steam and have a great time in your home. However, hosting a dinner party can often lead to the exact kind of stress we’re looking to squash.
Meal planning, food shopping, and cooking can all be fun and inspiring if you’re in the mood, but if you just want to kick back with your friends and skip the effort (not to mention the pile of dirty pots and pans at the end of the night), throw a takeout dinner party.
Order in from your favorite take-out spot (Tacos, Indian, Thai, Sushi, BBQ, etc.)
Get a variety of dishes and serve it up as a buffet, or do multiple orders of the same dish and plate it for your guests in traditional dinner party style.
Use real plates, cutlery, and glasses (no plastic) for a true diner party experience.
Take things up a notch by chopping up some fresh herbs as a garnish to elevate the presentation (parsley or cilantro works for most dishes).
#5
Soften Your Surfaces with a Real Sheepie
How to create the ultimate relaxation destination.
Sometimes just taking a five-minute breather in a soft spot can really help calm the mind and help you focus on whatever you need to take on next. Adding soft natural textures, like a Sheepie, to a home can relax the mind and soften cold hard surfaces.
The thick fibers of a Real Sheepie are naturally orthopedic. They form a springy, cushioned, support that cradles your body, easing pressure points and relieving muscle aches and pain.
Real Sheepies are also exceptionally soothing to touch, even for individuals with sensitive skin. Unlike faux products, genuine Merino wool fibers contain lanolin, which has similar properties to the oils in human skin.
This is why Real Sheepies are the wellness home essential that instantly turn any space into your happy place, so you can relax, recharge and take on the world.
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#4
The Hot Bath: A Relaxation Classic Because It Works
A hot bath is a sublime way to end a hectic day. Submerging ourselves in hot water is both therapeutic and invigorating because it relaxes our muscles and increases blood flow to the skin, producing a rush of feel-good endorphins.
Bath Tips
A water temperature of 100º – 110º F (38º – 43º C) is warm enough to produce the desired effects without feeling like you’re being cooked. You can use a kitchen or aquarium thermometer to check for the temp that feels best to you and then match it each time you go for a soak.
Never fill the bath all the way up. Keep the water level shallow enough so that you can sit up and cool down if you start to feel too hot. Alternate between being completely submerged and half in / half out to extend your time in the tub.
Add a scented candle and some soft music to the scene to level up the experience. Or just put on a fun show and tune out.
#3
Destress With The Strike of A Match
Candlelight gives a warm glow that instantly changes the mood of a room and calms the mind.
Burning a candle with a favorite scent is even better. The combination of the glow from the candle’s flame mixed with the pleasing perfume it releases into the air is the perfect way to hit multiple senses with a dose of calm.
Having a signature home scent to burn in high trafficked rooms, like the living room, is a nice way to relax the entire family and create a calming vibe.
Keep the kitchen smelling fresh with florals or citrus scents which tend to do the best at overpowering unwanted lingering cooking smells.
Light a candle in the bedroom to create a sexy mood. Warming scents like vanilla or campfire are sure to send a silent signal that tonight’s the night.
SHOP BURKELMAN CANDLES >>
#2
Fight Bright Light
Protect your eyes from unwanted brightness.
The glare from daylight coming in from a window can cause severe eye strain leading to extra sensitivity. Glare can be especially irritating if we are feeling anxious or have a headache. Installing sheer blinds that help filter the sun’s rays are a must, especially in rooms where we use screens often.
Nighttime light pollution is also a potential secret stressor. Light pollution is the ambient glowing light that creeps through your bedroom window. It comes from streetlights, passing vehicles, a full moon, neon signs, etc. This disruptive light can cause us to have restless sleep, insomnia and anxious feelings. The best way to deal with this is to have proper room-darkening blinds or curtains to block the “noise”.
Double walled honeycomb blinds can be used to deal with both of these situations. They are custom made to fit your windows, come in a range of colors and opacity, and they are easy to install if you want to DIY.
#1
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching (because no one is)
Get into the groove to get your endorphins flowing.
Physical activity releases neurotransmitters and endorphins which serve to alleviate stress. These brain chemicals are our body’s natural painkillers and also improve our conscious perception of the world. They make us feel happy.
Dancing at home, even if it’s just for a few songs, is a great way to blow off steam and get the endorphins flowing. After a challenging day, we love an impromptu 20-minute post-dinner dance-off, especially if we didn’t get a chance to work out that day.
Burn off the meal (and the drinks) and hit your pillow spent and ready for a good night’s sleep.
Bonus: Keep some party lights, a disco ball, or a smoke machine handy to really feel your fantasy.