How To Lift Your Mood with Home Improvements

According to Oprah.com, there are some great changes you can make in your home which will not only lighten your mood but also boost stress and help you wind down every evening and forget the worries of your day.

Research shows that light, space and room layout all affect our physical and psychological wellbeing and it is this research that has driven a new form of art, design and science! Sound confusing? Well it's easy! And Oprah.com have simplified all the elements into easy tricks that you can manage at home:

Decor: When you look around your own personal space and see the evidence of who you are, books you love, projects you have developed, experiences you've had, you feel grounded and more comfortable. In fact minimalist interior design may not be as beneficial to the brain as a home that is more cluttered so make sure you surround yourself with your personal items and all those little things that have meaning and significance to you.

Kitchen: "Being in the kitchen links you to hardwired feelings of comfort - beyond getting food, there's a sense of protection, warmth, sociability, sharing stories", says Zeisel which is why it should be a social space that is also functional where friends and family can gather, kids can do homework and you can relax! You should be able to cook with your back to a wall so that you can look at the people around you. This means you feel safer and more in control, relaxed and enjoying the situation.

Soft Curves: Using curves instead of hard edges on counters, furniture and cabinets will help to nurture contentment and wellbeing. Not everything has to be rounded, but if key pieces and areas are curved, this allows the body and mind to relax.

Rearranging: Allow yourself to move things around and play with the layout of spaces until you find something that you are happy and content with. "One of the keys to a home that elicits a lot of happiness and positive emotion is that it changes to some extent", says the University of Wisconsin's Richard J. Davidson. Davidson is not suggesting turning your house on its head but if you get the bug to move things or play with the lighting then go for it, and you may feel your mood lift too.