Since the beginning of the Coronavirus and lockdowns, many people have been self-isolating in their homes. Self-isolation usually lasts for two weeks, and that can be a long time if you are used to going out and about and going to work. It’s very important now that your home is as cosy as possible, to make the self-isolation time go by in a breeze. It can be a bit difficult to accommodate your space if you are sharing it with flat-mates or other family members. But even one room that is dedicated for you can be a good escape and make your self-isolation time enjoyable. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your living situation enjoyable. If you want to know how to make your home cosy while you are self-isolating, read on.
De-clutter your space
It can be very difficult to relax and enjoy your space if it’s not clean and full of clutter. A tidy home will create a tidy mind, and help you relax and enjoy the time spent at home. Start by de-cluttering all of the rooms you spend time in. De-cluttering the space will make cleaning it later a lot easier. Throw away any stuff you don’t use on a regular basis, or that you haven’t used in a long time. Nobody needs a space full of old papers, boxes and other knick-knacks lying around. After de-cluttering, it’s time to clean the house.
Clean your home
After you have de-cluttered all the unnecessary stuff and created more space, it’s time to clean your home. A good scrub will leave your house smelling and looking wonderful and fresh. Start by dusting all the surfaces and corners – especially the ones you didn’t clean often. Do a full scrub of the bathroom. The bathroom is a room that’s used very often, and it’s a perfect ground for bacteria and viruses to spread. Since you are in self-isolation, minimizing the chance for you and your house members to get sick is of utmost importance. Disinfect every surface in the bathroom, and try to repeat the process at least once a week. This goes the same for the kitchen. Tidy up your bedroom, as you will most likely spend the majority of your time in.
Rearrange the furniture
The easiest way to freshen up your home and improve the look of it is to rearrange your furniture. Rearranging furniture doesn’t cost you anything, and it’s an easy fix to liven up any room. Since you will spend all your time at home, you will need as much space and easy flow as possible. If you are self-isolating with children at home, they will need even more space than usual to play around. Rearranging your furniture will give you the feeling you did a big remodelling when instead, it was a few hours of work for a completely different look.
Light candles
Lighting candles is an easy way to create ambience and cosiness in your home. Candles appease two senses: sight, and often smell. There are many candle scents to choose from. Candles that smell the cosiest are apple and cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and wooden scents. If you light any of these candles, your whole house will smell amazing. The light of candles creates peace and calmness. If you need a candle that will relax you and reduce stress, choose candles with scents like lavender, frankincense, and sage. Colours of the candle also play a big role in creating a mood. Red candles create a romantic mood, purple is associated with calmness, yellow and orange brighten up the mood, etc. Remember to always practice fire safety when using candles.
Decorate with lights
Lights play a big role in setting the mood of your home and creating cosiness. Even if it’s not Christmas, you can put up string lights all around your home to create a cosy feeling. Warm yellow string lights are perfect for creating a cosy look in a room. They are inexpensive, and you probably already have a string of lights in the basement from Christmas decoration. Drape the string around your bed frame for perfect backlighting while reading a book, or around your living room for a cosy wintry look. If you want more colours, choose lights in the colours you love.
Play some music
Music can dictate the mood of a room and person. If you are working while self-isolating, pick a playlist with work-specific songs that will help you focus. When your work is done, switch to a different playlist to block out the time you are spending working and relaxing. It’s easy for the work-time to blend into free time, so use any technique necessary to divide times for different activities. If you have to share the space with other people, consider investing in good noise-cancelling headphones. They will block out the distracting noise and help you focus. Choose a relaxing playlist for your free time. Relaxing music or even sounds like fire crackling and rain, will help you de-stress and enjoy the time spent indoors.
Bring in nature
Since you are spending all your time at home, it should be a lot easier to take care of plants now. If you have been struggling to keep plants alive because you are never at home or too busy, now is the time to properly nurture a houseplant. Bringing in nature inside will help you relax and enjoy your time spent in self-isolation. Plants also give us much needed oxygen, and make us feel at peace. Create your own piece of jungle in the living room, and watch your mood lift.
Bring in new furniture
If you have been planning a redesign of some rooms for a while now, now is the best time to buy some new furniture, since you will be using it all the time. Invest in a good mattress, as proper and healthy sleep will regenerate your body and raise your immune system. If you want to indulge yourself and relax as much as you can, a massage chair is perfect for you. It will release all pent up tension and be a perfect companion in this time of heightened stress. Place as many throw pillows and blankets as you can on the sofa and bed for the ultimate cosy atmosphere.
Separate the working and living area
When working from home it’s easy to blend in the working space into the living and relaxing space. This also goes for the time used for working. We don’t have a fixed schedule and end up spending the whole day at the laptop. If at all possible, physically separate the working space from where you relax. It will help you focus a lot better on your work, and also help you relax easily in your free time. You won’t be distracted at any given time.
Conclusion
Self-isolation can be a difficult period in your life, especially if you are living alone. To make this time more enjoyable and easy, try to create a cosy atmosphere in your home with our suggestions. You will feel more relaxed and this time of self-isolation will pass by in a breeze. Emma Williams is an Australian writer with a master‘s degree in business administration, who has a passion for anything lifestyle and design related. She spends most of her time redecorating and participating in house projects. As a great nature lover, her biggest pleasure is travelling to magical places and spending time in the small family cottage by the river.
