53 Environmental Self-Care Ideas to Transform Your Space and Boost Well-Being

One of the forms of self-care that’s not talked about nearly enough is environmental self-care. Amongst the others, it usually takes a back seat, but to make sure all of your other self-care efforts don’t go to waste, taking care of your environment should really be your first port of call.

Well, What is Environmental Self-Care?

It’s the practice of cleaning, decorating, and maintaining your physical space in a way that supports your well-being and lifts your spirits. It means decluttering, cleaning, reorganizing, and decorating your environment to reflect the type of space that allows you to feel calm, focused, and productive. 

Although your environment is an external factor it has a massive impact on how you feel internally, so taking care of your space means you’re indirectly taking care of yourself. A well-organized space will have you feeling peaceful, happy, and relaxed. 

If you’re anything like me, then you frequently have a spontaneous declutter, and this isn’t necessarily because your space needs one, but it might just be because you’re feeling a bit of overwhelm and need to de-stress. Keeping on top of maintaining your space will help your stress levels, and (I’m genuinely not being dramatic here, Google it if you like!) your overall quality of life. 

Why Should You Add Environmental Self-Care to Your Routine?

What do I mean by environment? Really it’s anywhere you spend any time; your room, car, office cubicle at work. Your surroundings should stir up a positive feeling and make you feel excited to be there, but often times our spaces go neglected while we do our hair and skin care routines, after our bubble baths with the expensive bath bombs and a glass of wine. 

Our mental health and emotional health mirror our spaces and cluttered, untidy, and dirty environments will do what? Create feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, stress, frustration, and sadness! However it manifests for you, it’s a negative emotion nonetheless. 

Sorting out your space, decorating it with some plants, and adding a few drops of essential oil to your diffuser will boost your mood instantly and give you a sense of achievement. Not only that it’ll chill you out and it’s known to increase focus too. 

Oh, and it doesn’t call for a completely new aesthetic for your space, paint, and super expensive candles either! Let’s dispel this myth around self-care = spending! 

53 Environmental Self-Care Ideas

Ideas for organizing and decorating

1. Declutter your draws and cupboards regularly, they easily gather junk
2. Create a cleaning routine that you can stick to each week
3. Keep your working area clutter-free and organized
4. Rearrange your furniture so that your space is as accessible and open as possible
5. Pick a little nook in your house and make it your cozy corner, to read and relax. Don’t forget the blankets and cushions
6. Choose calming colors for your space – go for neutrals or muted/soft shades
7. Marie Kondo your space and fill it with things that spark joy
8. Air your space out frequently by opening the windows
9. Try to make the switch to eco-friendly products to help the outer environment while maintaining your own
10. When you have the cash to do so, invest in some comfy furniture pieces
11. Reduce the overwhelm by eliminating noise pollution. Use soundproofing materials, noise-canceling headphones, calming music, or white noise 
12. Work towards creating a minimalist space, extra stuff creates clutter
13. If it’s within budget, try to change a few bits of decor in your space to reflect the season
14. Regularly review the key elements of your home maintenance like the boiler, security alarm, and smoke alarm to avoid big stressors if something goes wrong
15. Keep doorways, hallways, and porches in your home clean and clutter-free to set a positive tone when you come and go

Ideas to stir the senses

16. Adding in elements of water like a fish tank or a small water feature will add tranquillity to the space
17. Arrange items in your space to create balance and make it feel harmonious
18. Aromatherapy is a great way to promote different moods with scents
19. If you can, add as much natural light to your space as possible
20. Invest in an air purifier to remove the nasties from the air in your space
21. Go for natural scents – use essential oils. Synthetic scents can throw your hormones off, but that’s another blog post!
22. Use natural materials to decorate your space and create a warm and grounded feeling space
23. Plants! Add some greenery and dot it around your space; plants purify the air and bring a grounding element to it
24. Mood lighting, buy lamps, light shades, and bulbs that create the kind of mood that you love
25. Make the space your own; get that crazy wall art, buy that weird scented candle, buy that unusual dog-shaped ornament front the thrift store. Make your space full of you
26. Organize your bookshelves and sort them by color or size
27. Use lavender essential oils or a sleep spray before bed
28. Candles, candles, CANDLES!
29. Add warm and comfort by using lots of different textures in the space, blankets, throws, cushions, curtains a rug – make it plush

Ideas for a digital detox

30. Create an ‘off-grid’ spot in your home where no devices are allowed to help you disconnect
31. Too many tabs open? Organize your bookmarks, apps, and desktop on your devices
32. Set up a charging point outside of your bedroom so you don’t keep your phone in your room
33. Schedule screen-free evenings to read, talk a walk, paint, or whatever takes your fancy
34. Create a screen-free nighttime routine, to let your brain unwind from the stimulation of devices
35. Install screen time-limiting apps, to limit the time you spend scrolling
36. Swap out your phone alarm for a sunrise alarm clock that gradually wakes you with light
37. Unfollow or mute accounts on your social apps that don’t inspire or uplift you
38. Create a morning routine that doesn’t include any screens
39. Install blue light filters on your devices or buy blue light glasses
40. Explore hobbies outside of a screen; try knitting, drawing, crochet, baking, learning an instrument
41. Limit your notifications to the important ones like text messages, all the rest is just noise
42. Use a real alarm clock or your smartwatch – this will help you avoid scrolling as soon as you open your eyes
43. Swap screens for nature and spend some time outdoors every day 

More environmental self-care ideas

44. Use a project management app to organize your tasks and to-do lists 
45. If you’re going to use apps, use apps that uplift you like daily motivational quotes, reminder apps to remind you to meditate, breathe, or drink water 
46. Don’t scroll or watch TV while you eat, take in all the tastes, textures, and smells and savor every bite
47. If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder then buy a SAD lamp to help you get the sunlight exposure you need
48. Buy some decent quality bedding, including the quilt, sheets, and pillows for better sleep hygiene
49. Change those bedsheets regularly too!
50. Clean up as you go – don’t leave it for later
51. ‘Reset’ your kitchen every night before bed
52. Buy yourself fresh flowers regularly 
53. Hang precious photos of family and friends around your house, so you have constant reminders of happy memories

Pin these environmental self-care ideas for later!

Clear the Clutter – Clear Your Mind!

Environmental self-care goes way beyond keeping a clean space. It’s about creating a happy space in which you can see yourself reflected and can feel at peace. 

Be intentional with the changes you make to your space and make each change with the thought of making your environment one that supports your mental well-being in the forefront of your mind. As you ponder these environmental self-care ideas, remember that even the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference in how you feel. 

So take your time and start small; slow progress is still progress. Furthermore, bear in mind that self-care looks different for everyone, so don’t try to create a plan based off what everyone else is doing, do things that are personal to you and add joy to your life.