Do the winter months leave you feeling a little bit sad, tired, and just generally not as festive as the season we’re in? You might be suffering from what’s known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to Psychiatry, “people with SAD experience mood changes and symptoms similar to depression. The symptoms usually occur during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight and usually improve with the arrival of spring.” You’re definitely not alone in experiencing this, and considering the year 2020 has been, it’s natural to feel fatigued and drained. The good news is there are ways to mitigate this condition through home decor and styling. If we tweak our homes a little bit, we can bring ourselves some comfort and even improve our mood so we can still enjoy the holiday season. Here are a few ways to use decorative elements to fight the winter blues.
Let the Light In
The first thing you need to do is bring more light into your home, especially if it’s natural light. Living in a dark space can negatively affect your mood and make you feel more drained. Because there’s less light in the winter months, anything you can do to maximize on sunlight will do wonders for how you feel. The best way to take advantage of sunlight is to invest in window treatments that don’t block it. A set of white sheer curtains, for example, can be a simple way to let more light into the room and a powerful way to help you feel better. The great thing is you can switch your curtains around from season to season based on the style you want to go for, but most importantly, for the improvement of your health and wellness.
Keep It Clean and Tidy
Depression can be a vicious cycle when it comes to the environment we live in. It often leads to clutter and a decline of the order in our homes, but that disorder and clutter actually make the depression worse. A powerful way to combat SAD is to keep everything as neat and as orderly as possible and to declutter your home. This reduces your anxiety, gives you a sense of structure, and allows you to enjoy a calmer environment. When a room is messy, it often makes us feel more boxed in and this increases the mental and emotional strain. Get rid of things you don’t need anymore, organize your closet, clean out your kitchen cabinets, and donate the things you’ve decided not to keep. By maintaining a clutter-free home, you’ll feel much better coming home and staying indoors.
Make It Cozy
A warm, cozy, and inviting home is one of the ways you can feel better when the winter blues kick in. This winter is different because we’ve spent so much time indoors this year, and we can start to tire of being in the same place. Why not refresh your space by making it cozier? For many people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a warm fireplace, an electric fireplace, or even the glow from a heater really helps them feel comfortable and allows them to separate their home from the cold of a harsh winter. Candles are also a great way to add that cozy feeling, even if they are fake battery-powered ones. Add plush rugs and throws to your space and you’ll truly feel like you’re in your own warm and cozy cocoon which will help you feel better.
Your environment can have a huge bearing on your mood, and very often a small adjustment to a space can truly make you feel better. Decor isn’t just a way to make your home look more pleasing aesthetically, it can actually be a way to design your space around the things that matter to you, and the mood you want to invite into your home. It’s about making the personal choices that will put your stamp on it, and make you feel the joy of being in your own space.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is something many people experience, and the good news is that it can be mitigated. By taking the steps to create order in your home, and then to bring more warmth and harmony through decor, you can improve your mood significantly and allow yourself to rest, relax and recharge yourself as we head into a new year. Remember to put your self-care first, and to be kind to yourself as you deal with the winter blues.
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