With the old year coming to a close and stepping into the new year, it’s a perfect time to review your wellness routine and find ways to make it even more supportive and relaxing.

One great way to do this is to create a dedicated wellness space within your home, so that you can make the most of your downtime. Well-being and mindfulness have been buzzwords for a while, but recent years have shown us just how important it is to support mental health, hence the trend of dedicated spaces for de-stressing at home.

Here, the home design experts at RW4Y share their top tips on how to make space in your home for a well-being room that you can use for winding down or spending time on a hobby. As well as making your home more welcoming all through the year, a dedicated well-being space might also help you feel more supported and cosy during the winter months, as Seasonal Affective Disorder in the UK hits its peak and many people are feeling the lack of sunlight hours (NHS Inform).

What is an emotional escape room?

One of the big wellness trends of 2022 is going to continue into 2023, with emotional escape rooms forming dedicated spaces in our home that allow us to vent, process feelings, or simply unwind from our day (Pinterest). Whether it's a rage room, an arts and crafts space, or simply a quiet corner of your apartment, having a separate, personal space can make de-stressing at the end of each day more achievable and realistic. It can also remind you to take some time and prioritise your hobbies and downtime.

Everyone's idea of an emotional escape room will be different. You might be into meditation, in which case setting up a space with a yoga mat, incense, and speakers to play calming music can give you a quiet moment to recharge. However, if you process your emotions better by talking them through with others, then a cosy den to chat with your friends and loved ones over a cuppa (or a glass of wine!) could be the ideal escape room for you. No two have to be the same.

Work/life balance

The most important function of emotional escape rooms is the ability to create a better work/life balance, even when spending more of our work and leisure time at home. Keeping desks and office computers away from our bedrooms is key, but so is keeping relaxation spaces like living rooms a calming, work-free zone. This can help us properly switch off at the end of the day and even encourage a better night's sleep.

Of course, not everyone has a spare room that can be used solely for emotional escape. However, choosing an existing space in your home such as a window seat or a quiet corner with a comfortable chair is just as effective: it offers you a little oasis that you always associate with finishing work and decompressing. If you want to separate this space more from the rest of the room, then adding a sheer curtain, fairy lights, and a collection of houseplants can help create a cosy, private bubble just for you.

Another important aspect of any wellness space is having enough light, as increasing natural daylight can really lift your mood, especially in winter. So, choose somewhere that already has natural light, or add windows to bring it in if possible. If you’re utilising an attic space, including skylights or windows in your renovation is a useful way to add a bright, relaxing area to your home.

Creative spaces

If you've always enjoyed getting creative but have a numbers-oriented, high-pressure career, then making time for this hobby can do wonders for your mental health. You don't need a grand art studio to get back into creativity, either: a quiet corner with a set of paints, pencils, and a sketchpad will be enough to get you started.

Whether you create a masterpiece or not, getting stuck into something creative can give the analytical left side of your brain a break and engage your creative, problem-solving side. This can help with everything from memory retention to offering an emotional outlet whenever you feel overwhelmed (Fox Hill Residences).

Searches for 'tiny libraries' have also increased by twelve times according to Pinterest's latest trend report. Putting up compact shelves to fill with your favourite books can therefore be an ideal way to escape into a different world of fiction every evening.

Home gyms

Working out at home has remained extremely popular, with many people enjoying doing their workouts in the comfort of their own homes (Garage Gym Reviews). If you are one of the people that enjoys working out at home, you might want to create a home gym as your wellness space. This means that rather than setting up equipment, you can just go from your office to your dedicated health and well-being space.

The great thing about creating your own at-home gym is that you can tailor it to your needs. This might mean that you want to centre it on a treadmill and have a TV or music station set up to accompany your cardio sessions. Or, it might mean you invest in quality adjustable weights that you can use to push your strength training further. For those who enjoy slower paced exercise, this is a perfect way to make your yoga or Pilates routines more relaxing too, with calm décor, relaxing music or meditation audio, and gentle lighting.



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