Your student home should feel like a comfortable place to chill and relax when you’re not at lectures or out with friends. And, just because you don’t have a huge budget to splurge on decorative interior features, it doesn’t mean that you can’t create a lovely space, surrounded by all your favourite things.

Here we have some suggestions of small ways that you can adapt your student home to make it more luxurious and relaxing…

 

De-clutter regularly

Getting rid of some of the things that you don’t really need or like can have big effects on the way you feel at home. The links between decluttering and mental health have been studied and documented for years and there’s no denying that if you want your mind to be clutter-free, then you need your space to be too.

Just like you aim to keep your mind clear, do the same for your student home – don’t fill it full of rubbish, and don’t give space to things that don’t deserve it. Keep your home organised and underloaded, so that your mind will hopefully follow suit.

Take some time to go through your things carefully and be as ruthless as you can. If you’ve not worn or used something for over a year, then it’s time to find it a new home – either by selling it online or donating to your nearest charity store.

 

Create an area for calm

Whether you live alone or with a group of people, it’s important to find a space where you can cut off from the outside world and digital noise and find some peace for a while. As a student, your student room might have to suffice, so make it a space that is welcoming and that makes you feel content every time you are in it.

You could create a little reading corner with beanbags and cushions or clear a place to lay your yoga mat – basically anything that makes you feel relaxed and de-stressed. No mobile phones allowed – make sure you leave them in a drawer or another room to keep distractions at bay.

 

Set the mood

Once your room is less full to the brim with clutter, you can spend some time making it feel cosy, and lighting is a simple and cheap way to do this. A few lamps or fairy lights strategically placed around your room can instantly lift it. Candles also add to the effect, and if you opt for aromatherapy versions, you can benefit from their calming scents too.

Houseplants also have so many positive benefits for our mental health and can help you to connect with nature and the outside world – even if you don’t have a garden space. Not only so plants add character and visual appeal to your room, but they also have a very soothing effect, and will also help to purify the air as you study and sleep there too.

 

Think about colour

The colours you surround yourself with in your student home can have a big impact on your feelings and emotions in that space.

Gentle, natural shades can help to achieve a calming atmosphere in a room, whereas brighter colours can have more of an energetic, and sometimes even stressful effect. For this reason, go for soothing shades in your bedroom for bed linen, blankets, and soft furnishings – avoiding loud prints and clashing colours which may end up stimulating your mind too much before sleep.

 

For more help and advice on maintaining your wellbeing while studying at uni, be sure to check out the rest of your handy student blog articles.