How to Create a Calm Environment: At Home and At Work

There are a lot of things in life that are out of our control. Focusing on what's out of our control can create stress and anxiety. It's very easy to spiral and get into a funk when we feel like our lives are out of control.

It may seem cliché, but one way to mitigate stress and anxiety is to focus on what we can control. Two things we can control (to a certain degree) are our home and work environments.

We put together some tips and tricks to creating a peaceful home and work environment to help you feel a little more relaxed.

How to Curate a Peaceful Home Environment

We'll begin by talking about how you can introduce a calm atmosphere into your home. It can seem overwhelming to implement all of these practices into your home. Instead of doing all of these at once, think of a place that seems easy to start and work from there!

Introduce Positive Energy Into Your Home

First, we want to offer some suggestions that can introduce positive energy into your home:

Maximize natural light. Natural light is a great way to make your space feel more open and to maximize the amount of sun exposure you have in a day. Open your blinds while the sun is still out to incorporate natural light into your home.
Open the windows. When it's warm outside, opening the windows is a great way to establish a calm environment. Allowing fresh air to circulate through your home will do wonders for stress relief and feelings of peace.
Declutter. I know, easier said than done. As someone who struggles to get rid of things, I get how easy it is for clutter to accumulate. The best way to start decluttering is to start small. Start with a drawer and get rid of things you no longer need. Establish an organization system so everything in that drawer has its own place. Then, move onto other drawers, then cabinets, then larger spaces in your home. This could be a months-, or even years-long project so be kind to yourself and realistic about what you can accomplish each time you declutter.
Make your bed. This may seem small but making your bed every morning can help you feel more put together and make your space seem cleaner. It's an easy habit to start and takes very little time out of your morning routine.
Put things away. When you take something out of a drawer or a cabinet, put it where it belongs as soon as you're done using it. This helps keep spaces less cluttered and makes routine cleaning an easier task.
Establish a cleaning routine. Having a clean space does wonders for stress relief and reducing anxiety. It can be hard to bring yourself to clean when you're having a busy week and really just want time to relax. I've found that establishing a routine makes weekly cleaning a little easier. Dedicate certain days (or one day) to specific chores. For example, I have one day of the week that is dedicated to doing laundry and a different day that I clean my room. Having a routine will keep your home clean and create a peaceful atmosphere.

Remove Negative Energy from Your Home

On the other hand, removing negative energy from your home can also create a peaceful home environment. Here some of our suggestions for purging negative energy:

Burn incense. Burning incense is a long-standing practice people will use to cleansing a space. There are different types of incense we recommend to promote calmness and reduce anxiety: Lavender, Sandalwood, and Nag Champa. When you do burn incense in the home, make sure you do it carefully!
Place crystals around your home. You know we love our crystals. Place crystals around your home that promote calmness and protect against negative energy. We recommend using Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, and Labradorite. For more information on crystal healing practices, check out this blog post.
Clean the negative energy. This would be an example of a time you might break your regular cleaning routine. When negative energy has been brought into your space, cleaning your home can make you feel more at peace. We suggest cleaning after you or someone in your home has been sick, if you've had a big fight with someone in that space, or if you've just been in a mental funk.

There are, of course, a million other things you can do to establish a calm home environment. What's most important is to find what works for you and what fits in your schedule.

How to Create a Relaxed Work Environment

Besides spending time at home, the other place you probably spend most of your time at is work. For some of us, work and home are located at the same place! For others, work is at an entirely different location.

Foster a Calm Atmosphere at Home

You might work full-time at home, or you might work a hybrid schedule where some days you're at home and some days you're in the office. We recommend these practices for creating a calm work environment at home:

Focus on aesthetics. While the physical look of your work space isn't the complete cure to a calm work environment, it can make a difference if you're in a stuffy office vs an open space. As we recommended for a calm home environment, you'll also want to maximize natural light and fresh air as much as you can. Pick a room for your home office that has a window!
Pick comfortable seating. A comfortable place to sit can make a world of difference. If you're experiencing a lot of back and neck pain, or are just generally uncomfortable during the work day, you might end up feeling more anxious or stressed. Investing in a good office chair so you can be comfortable at work is 100% worth it.
Minimize noise pollution. We know it's impossible to completely cut out all noise while you work. Many of us live with roommates or have family members at home while we work. When I need to be productive or join a meeting, I keep my door shut to let the other people in my home know that I need quiet. It can also be nice to have headphones in or give the people in your home a heads up when you need it to be quiet.
Declutter. Unsurprisingly, decluttering also applies to establishing a calm work atmosphere. Keeping your workspace clean can help reduce stress and anxiety when you work. I keep post-it notes, lotion, and pens at my home desk that I always make sure to put in their respective places before I log off for the day.

Establish a Calm Environment in the Office

We also know some people work full-time in an office or work a hybrid schedule where some days they're in the office and others they're at home. In an office, the environment is a bit more out of your control but there are practices you can try to maintaining calm at work:

Transparency. Be honest with yourself and your coworkers about what you need to create a calm work environment. You can tell your coworkers when you need to be productive and don't have time to casually chat. This goes both ways—make sure you're respectful of your coworkers' requests as well.
Introduce calm into the space. If you have your own desk, bring things to work that make you feel calm. You could get a zen garden or a stress ball to play with when things get overwhelming. Maybe, you'll even want to wear a fidget ring to help manage anxiety! I also have decorated my desk with pictures of people I love and things that make me happy. Having snacks at your desk can also curb feelings of hunger and bring some brightness into the day.
Invest in comfortable clothes. Whether your office requires you to wear a pantsuit or lets you wear jeans, there are always comfortable options for any type of office clothing. When you feel comfortable and confident, you'll likely feel more calm and less stressed at work.

Create a Peaceful Online Atmosphere

For many of us, a lot of our work is done online. Your online space is 100% another place that can be managed to reduce stress and anxiety. We put together some tips for keeping your online space calm as well:

Stay organized. You don't necessarily need a folder where everything goes and spend hours of your day sorting things. As long as you have a system that makes sense to you, that's all you need to stay organized. You'll feel less stressed when you know where everything on your computer is!
Declutter. Again?? Yes! You can also declutter your online space. Before you log off for the day, sort your emails into their respective folders (if that's something that works for you) and clear your inbox. Make note of things you didn't get to and add to your to-do list for the next couple of days.
Customize your online space. I know there are restrictions with how much you can customize a work-issues computer. There are subtle ways you can customize your work space. A lot of apps and browsers you use on a daily basis have different themes and colors you can change their appearance to. Choose colors and themes that make you feel calm and happy.