With more time spent at home these days and the cold, dreary winter weather on its way, perhaps you need to work on managing your mental health more than usual. Depending on your personal circumstances, maybe more effort needs to go into getting through each day, whether it be with or without help from other family members or friends. If your home is your sanctuary and you’d like to make a change, it may be time to look at these home improvement ideas that can help you manage your mental health at home.
Going Through a Divorce
Whether you are in the middle of divorcing your significant other or the paperwork has finally been filed by your lawyer, divorce is a very difficult process to go through, especially if you struggle to be on your own or if having your kids all to yourself is very overwhelming.
If you’re in the middle of a divorce, your soon-to-be ex-spouse has recently moved out, and you are keeping the house, then it’s time to make some changes in your home. 53% of American homeowners have made some sort of home improvement in the last 12 months, according to Scarborough research. Are you next? Not only will making some improvements help you move on, but they may distract you from any sadness you are dealing with as well as help you manage your mental health through one of the toughest things a person can go through in their lifetime.
If you are now living alone, it’s time to dive into making your house your own home. Perhaps this means you will create your own personal gym. If your ex-spouse took up more space in your home, now it’s your time to utilize more room in your house for your own personal needs. Turn a guest room into a gym by buying fitness equipment, weights, mats, and a TV. Invest in some new workout clothes, paint the room a neutral tone, and get started on a new fitness journey. You may even consider renovating your basement, with the help of professionals, into a gym instead. This will require more money and work, so be conscious of where you are willing to invest your money.
Creating and designing your own home gym will get you motivated to manage your physical activity during the winter. You can use an elliptical, try yoga, and use light weights to tone your arms. This home improvement project will prove handy when it comes to managing your mental health at home. It gives you the power to work on yourself in your own space.
Struggling With Grief
If a close family member has recently passed away, you are likely dealing with heavy grief that is taking a toll on you and your mental health at home. While you can’t escape funeral planning services as well as the reality of your situation, you can certainly utilize a home improvement project to help get you on your feet as well as improve your mental health.
One home improvement project you may consider is creating a space dedicated to your passed loved one. Collect pictures and create a mural. If people have to attend a funeral online for your loved one’s passing, having this mural as part of the background will be a lovely touch. Buy flowers to decorate the area, and perhaps arrange some candles to be lit every so often as a way to commemorate your loved one’s memory.
One way to help with grief is to spend time with other family members. Another home improvement project you can embark on to manage and even improve your mental health at home includes creating a space to spend time with family. Perhaps your living room is messy or isn’t large enough to spend time together as a family. Enlist the help of your significant other or your children and perhaps rearrange your living room furniture or invest in some new pieces. Your children may love helping you look for second-hand furniture, knickknacks, and decorations that will liven and brighten up your living room. You may want to buy some wall decor that includes inspiring messages to help you through the tough time you are enduring. With the help of your other family members, you can create a space that makes everyone in your home feel happy and want to spend more time together than before.
Recovering From an Injury
If you recently had to hire a personal injury lawyer, you may not be in a healthy state of mind. Perhaps you are angry you have sustained an injury that required extensive surgery, and now you cannot help your family members with daily tasks. Perhaps you’re not used to being waited on hand and foot. Perhaps you miss cooking for yourself. To help cope with your injury and your inability to cook, clean, and move around for a period of time, consider enlisting your family to tackle a home improvement project that will help you manage your mental health at home.
Ask your children to create a livable, inviting space for you to spend your time in. This might mean that your first-floor guest room needs to be turned into a room just for you. No, this doesn’t mean make the bed and angle the TV towards you. If you’re going to be in recovery for a long time, it’s time to liven up the guest room and perhaps make some bigger changes.
While your children and spouse may be working on this project, you’re in charge. Choose a paint color, choose fun and inspiring decorations online, and perhaps invest in a new piece of furniture or two that will provide you space to put items on, such as your laptop, books, magazines, your phone, flowers, water bottles, trays of food, and more. You may even ask your family to purchase a new streaming service for the TV so you have more options while you’re stuck in bed. Make the guest room turned recovery room into your own sanctuary. Be sure the furniture is arranged how you like it, and perhaps invest in some new comfortable bedding if you’re going to be using it for a while.
When it comes to recovering from an injury, it may be hard to take care of your hygiene on your own. If you have Invisalign, adult braces, or use a retainer or night guard at night, be sure you are properly caring for these aspects of your health, too. It’s easy to spiral downwards and enter a dark state of mind when you can’t take care of yourself. Utilize your time to work on your mental health at home. While watching TV is fine, consider reading books that will lift your spirits and perhaps give you guidance while you recover.
Finding Hobbies You Can Do at Home
Perhaps you are not dealing with a particular circumstance such as divorce, grief, or recovery from an injury. Maybe you struggle with your mental health, and being home more than ever isn’t helping you. While you may be struggling, there are some home improvement projects and tips you may want to consider trying out.
Are you into art? Perhaps building and designing your own art studio may be a great idea for you to invest in when it comes to considering your mental health at home. Start with choosing an area in your home to transform. Perhaps your basement, garage, or guest room can work. If your basement isn’t finished, consider investing in hiring professionals to redo your basement – or tackle the project yourself. While it may take some time to finish, it’s a great investment and will increase your home’s value, too. Once the basement is finished, thrift some furniture and decorations to spruce up the space and make it your own.
If your garage would make a nice art studio, consider adding suitable flooring and installing a heating system to keep your warm during the winter months. Again, consider shopping second-hand or furniture and decor to save you some money. If you don’t already have plenty of art supplies, consider investing in some new items, such as paints and brushes if you’re a painter, new beads if you’re a jewelry artist, or a new sewing machine if you make clothes. With your own space dedicated to an activity you love, you may find yourself spending more time doing that hobby. This is a great way to manage your mental health at home.
If you are into fixing cars and working with your hands, consider purchasing repairable salvage cargo vans for sale or asking friends if they need any repairs done to their cars. If you need a space to work on cars or vans, consider turning your garage into a makeshift repair shop. This may mean you need to add to your garage quite a bit. If this is something you are interested in pursuing long-term, hire professionals to extend the size of your garage to fit necessary equipment, tools, and vehicles you’ll be working on. Hang up inspirational posters, and perhaps install a high-quality stereo system so you can listen to music while you work. Not only is time spent alone healthy, but doing something you love at the same time will significantly help you manage your mental health at home.
Coping Strategies: What Can Help You at Home?
If you don’t have a particular hobby you enjoy, perhaps other strategies and activities can help you manage your mental health at home. If you utilized other forms of expressing your emotions or letting out your anger, such as going to indoor gun ranges or swimming at a community pool, and those aren’t options for you right now, then it’s time to find a different method.
Have you ever considered journaling? Invest in a cute journal, perhaps with an inspiring quote, as well as a bookmark, stickers, and some gel pens. Take twenty minutes every day and write down your thoughts and feelings. This may be difficult at first, but it’s really a great way to get out any anger and passion you may have toward someone or something in your life. You may even consider drawing in your journal to express things you can’t quite put into words.
Perhaps you were visiting a therapist before you were stuck at home, or perhaps you haven’t considered that option or are too scared to get started in the process of finding professional help. When it comes to managing your mental health at home, it’s best to not put all of the pressure on yourself. Find a therapist you can consult with via video chat. Not only can you do this from the comfort of your own home, but you can wear sweatpants and not feel the pressure of seeing a stranger in person for the first time. While scary at first, talking to a therapist once or twice a week can truly help you manage your mental health at home.
Creating a Space to Reflect
Do you need a space to journal, draw, or talk to a therapist? As discussed before, invest in creating a space for yourself in your home outside of your bedroom. Perhaps turning a guest room or your garage into a spot to sit and reflect would be a great use of space in your house.
If your garage is not in the best condition, perhaps it’s time to call in a 24 hour garage door repair service to fix your broken door. Consider new flooring, installing an HVAC system, and hanging decor in the renovated space. Find second-hand furniture or invest in some new pieces to decorate your reflection space. If your guest room isn’t used very often, consider taking the bed out of the room and adding some new furniture, a fresh layer of paint in the color of your choice, and some new decorations, too.
Looking for other ways to make your house a better space for you to manage your mental health at home? There are a few other ways to go about this. Find ways to incorporate natural lighting, start a collection of plants to add life, add more warm colors and decorations, clean your unused jacuzzi, reorganize messy areas, and repaint bland rooms in your home. Outside of your home, consider purchasing a pair of skis or looking at boats for sale to try out a new hobby this coming winter or next summer.
Taking care of your mental health at home is vital this winter. Find ways to cope with and express your feelings in healthy ways, and consider trying out a new hobby or creating a space that allows you to practice one you already enjoy doing. With an abundance of options, no matter the circumstances you are in, prioritize your mental health and consider tackling one of these home improvement projects.