Mental health is an important topic in today’s world and, unsurprisingly, your living space and overall environment plays a large part in a person’s mental health.
How do you feel when your living space is clean and organised vs. when it is cluttered and dirty? A clean space allows for a less stressed mind, whereas a cluttered environment can lead to anxiety. Seeing as so many suffer from mental illness, it is important for your rental to promote mental well-being.
As a tenant moving into a rental, it can be difficult to make it feel like home because of how limited you are in changing the property. However, according to mental health experts, there are certain things one can implement which are sure to help improve your space and with it – your mental state.
Here are some simple ways to make your home optimal for mental well-being.
1. Clean your space
A healthy environment equals a healthy mind. If your space is full of clutter, your mind will constantly feel overwhelmed. Minimalist living space has been proven to increase positive emotions and lessen mental illness. A tip we have to keep your space clutter-free is to tackle things before they pile up. For example, don’t let your dishes, laundry or mail start to overwhelm your space, tackle them ASAP! As a landlord, a great thing to do for your tenants is to provide sufficient storage space so that they can keep their belongings out of sight.
2. Plants, plants, plants and more plant
There is nothing quite like some greenery to improve your mood. As simple as it may sound, studies have shown that being near nature (even if it is just houseplants), can drastically improve your mental health. The colour green is known for its promotion of calm and emotional balance. A few suggestions for your first houseplant include Rubber Plant, Peace Lily, Chinese Money Plant and String of Pearls.
3. Who said walls need to be boring?
A great way to enhance your space is to add fun, removable wallpaper to your bland walls. This is a simple, yet effective way to improve your mood daily. Landlords can also make it a priority to paint their walls a calming colour such as light green or blue. The most important part of this tip, however, is that it is vital to make your space your own. If you can add parts of your personality to your environment, even if it is just through removable wallpaper, do it. Mentally, this will make your space feel safe, familiar and homey.
4. Bright lights in the big city
Natural light is the holy grail for improving one’s space. According to studies, the more sunlight we get, the better our mental health will be. However, it is rare (especially in a big city like London), to have a living space full of natural light. But do not worry, there are many ways to overcome this. If natural light is lacking in your environment, consider buying multiple lamps to put around your room. Pop one in the corner and this will do wonders in brightening those dark corners. Make sure your main lighting source is strong and bright, especially in London’s gloomy winter months.
5. A little self-love never hurt
A great way to spread a little positivity and improve your mood is to have little mental health reminders around your space. Whether that be a poster with a quote, post-it notes with daily affirmations or just some pick-me-ups, it will go a long way to improve your mental state. This may sound a little cliche, but studies have proved that this is a great way to improve your mental health.