Bedroom Or Sanctuary? How to Make Your Room a Stress-Free Wellness Haven

Tests, assignments, lab reports, exams... the average day of a student is filled with tension-inducing tasks. That's why when it's time to wind down, it can help to retreat to a bedroom filled with wellness and stress-relief products to shake it all away.

Of course, on a student budget, fancy white noise machines and essential oil diffusers aren't always an option. So, if you're a well-being enthusiast looking to save some bucks, or just a drained student longing for your own cozy space to relax, you'll likely benefit from our varied list of inexpensive, simple organisation tricks to transform your bedroom into a wellness retreat.

1. Try Out a Pillow Spray

Although pillow sprays aren't the most traditional of wellness products on the market, don't let their peculiarity stop you from giving them a try! These products, which are made of water, essential oils or herbal components like lavender and chamomile, have been shown to boost sleep quality, allowing the body to relax and wind down. Better yet, you can find them here, retailing at about $10.

2. Decorate your Bed with Throw Pillows

Close your eyes, and think of the feeling of jumping back into bed after a day of rushing from class to class, sitting through tiring lectures, and typing away at a computer for hours. Now imagine that same feeling, but this time, in a bed adorned with comfy, soft throw pillows. It's that simple. Give your room a restorative quality with this easy decorative trick, and allow yourself to regain the day's energy in the coziest of beds.

3. Light Scented Candles

Wellness centers and SPA's are often decorated with fragrant, calming candles, so why should your bedroom be any different? Invest in a few scented candles, place them on your nightstand, your shelf, or your desk, and light them as soon as you come home in the evening. This simple hack will fill your space with a soothing aroma and shed a warm light around your bedroom. Just remember to light them out when it's time to snooze!

4. Invest in a Weighted Blanket

Alright, alright, while this may be the most expensive item on the list, its numerous benefits for health and the body's rest justify every cent. These duvet-style blankets are characterized by their extra weight, that is, their magic ingredient for more comfort, stress-reduction, enhanced sleep quality, and increased sense of calm. Many retail up to $200, but you can find them for around $30 too. Seriously, it's an investment worth making.

5. Get Comfy in your Favourite Loungewear

To best enjoy your cozy, wellness-inducing bedroom, there's one fundamental step you should follow: change into your favorite pajamas, sweater and sweatpants, or loungewear. Not only will this allow your body to breathe (jeans can be suffocating, we know), but it will signal a shift in your routine. By taking off your school or work uniform or the outfit you've been wearing since the morning, and replacing it with the comfiest homewear, you're taking away the day's activities and challenges, gently easing your mind's transition into a more relaxed evening.

6. Create a Comfort Corner

Everyone has their own treasured comfort items. Perhaps it's your personal journal, your favorite novel, the eye-mask that you can't sleep without, or a cup of relaxing herbal tea. For this room organization tip, try storing all the objects that make you relaxed and help you regain your energy in one "comfort corner". Simply place your comfort items within arm's reach (perhaps on your bedside table) so as to make your evening de-stress routine easier than ever!

7. Deck Out your Room with Plants

The benefits of houseplants are not to be understated: research consistently proves that plants decrease stress levels, help maintain low blood pressure, and purify the air. So, why not re-vamp your room with inexpensive greenery to boost your well-being! All you need is a trip to your local flower shop or gardening center and of course, some natural light.

8. Leave your Devices in a Designated 'Tech Station'

We know how tempting it can be to peruse your socials when it's time to wind down, or fall asleep with Netflix still playing on your laptop after a long day (really, we've all been there!). At the same time, we're also aware that scrolling through TikTok for hours on end, stimulating your mind and straining your eyes before falling asleep simply cannot be healthy. Luckily, to make your room a tranquil, healthier space to fall asleep in, there's an effortless solution: organize a space in your room to drop your phone, tablet, or laptop when bedtime rolls around, a so-termed "tech station"!

9. Purify the Air with a Himalayan Salt Lamp

Himalayan salt lamps are one of the hottest current trends in home decor. While many advocate for their health-boosting advantages (they're often believed to purify the air or help increase a happy mood), others remain skeptical, given unclear research findings. Try investing in this glowing pink lamp here to boost your room's wellness atmosphere. Whether they improve health or not, their relatively inexpensive price justifies adding this accessory to your bedroom.

10. Burn Fragrant Incense Sticks

Last but not least, what better way to have your bedroom resemble an authentic sanctuary than to equip it with aromatic incense sticks? Besides their perfumed quality, created by their essential oil components, burning incense is accredited with positive effects for increased calm, anxiety reduction, and sleep promotion! Purify your bedroom with these fragrant sticks and enjoy a peaceful end to your day.

There's no doubt that after a day of classes, assignments, and extracurricular activities, the mere thought of crawling up in bed only to wake up hours later to do it all over again is mentally exhausting. But, if you take the time to set up your bedroom with wellness-inspired products and a comfortable layout, perhaps you'll appreciate your room's soothing, restorative qualities.

All in all, the key to successfully unloading the day's stress is being able to do so in a room that inspires rest, relaxation, and utter comfort. Sure, some of these ideas might appear simple, modest, or even questionable (come on, give the pillow spray a chance!), but you'll find that incorporating some of the above organization or decor hacks might just be what you need to recover efficiently from any undue stress and tackle the next day's tasks head-on.