5 to THRIVE: 5 Ways to Create the Ultimate Sleeping Sanctuary
Mayra Kavan,
Missing some motivation to organize your bedroom? Not anymore!
There’s no point in making your bedroom Instagram-perfect if you don’t get joy and comfort out of it. It may look good, but is it functional? Does it make you happy? You’d be surprised how complicated we can make home organization. But chill, we got you on this.
If you’re getting ready to organize your bedroom this month, then here are five ways to make your room a kick-ass sanctuary that you’ll never want to leave.
By creating your dream bedroom, you can create the ultimate calming and relaxing sleeping space. Take a look on Pinterest for some décor inspiration.
For a good night’s sleep, it’s important to keep your sleeping area separate from your work area. So if your bedroom currently doubles as your home office, leave your work stuff far, far away on a desk, and create the world’s most relaxing sleeping-only area.
1. Get ready to remove everything
Remove absolutely everything from the room, and we mean everything. You know, those boxes in the corner, paintings on the walls, Target bags of stuff you swore you were going to return. Oh, and those frames you’ve been saving to add your family photos too? Who are you kidding? Those pictures will probably stay on your phone forever. (Don’t worry. We all do that.)
Put all of these things into another (tidy!) room temporarily and use this as your sorting space.
Getting everything out of the way now will make it a lot easier to see what you’re doing. Clutter is a huge demotivator, literally. There are studies on this. And besides, imagine accidentally setting down your favorite book or dress onto a sticky candy wrapper or a dirty plate, ugh.
Now that you have an empty room, it’s time to start cleaning. Wipe down any surfaces, light fixtures, windows, and even the walls; yep, you’ll have cobwebs somewhere. Vacuum the floors and your mattress. If you can see it, wipe or brush it, basically.
2. Build out your zen haven
Finally, the fun part. Think about what objects you can put in your bedroom that will exude calmness, zen, and relaxation. Think about your bedding; what colors would really help you sleep? Maybe a lilac or pale blue? Reference some ideas from Pinterest and find a way to incorporate in your favorite items.
Maybe it’s also time to do away with your current wallpaper or paint; a calming color would make a perfect accent wall.
You can also experiment with adding and removing furniture. If there’s a large bulky piece of furniture that has always been an ugly focal point, now’s the time to donate it. You’ll be surprised how much space you’ll gain and how different the room will look afterward.
Remember to be really thoughtful about each item and remember, less is more. So you’re ready to start planning your zen space, you’ll want to:
- Make sure you have optimal lighting. There’s no point in making a room pretty if you can’t see it.
- Bring in paintings and photos for the walls that will exude happiness and calm feelings. Pictures of nature or your kid’s artwork, something that makes you smile. You don’t need to cover every space, but a little goes a long way.
- Choose five’ish books that make you feel calm and look good to showcase. Leave only one (the one you’re reading, duh) on your nightstand.
- Add some plants. Research shows that nature can really lift our spirits (and oxygen levels,) so be sure to add one large plant in a corner and some fresh cut flowers on your desk or dresser!
3. Freshen up the bedding
Yeah, we know, making your bed is such a bore, but there are ways to get it done faster. There are also a ton of things you’ll need to think about when creating a new sleeping space.
Need new pillows? We’re really supposed to change our pillowcases every 7 days, at least, though personally, I like to change them every time I wash my hair, which is around three times a week.
Bedding color and material: A good calming shade is a pale and neutral base, with pops of color with décor here and there. Get yourself a duvet cover instead of that comforter you got from your mom in 1995. Trust us, it’ll be way comfier. You could also pick a nice comfy blanket to lay at the foot of the bed in a color that will accent the photography or wall color.
Smaller decorative pillows are a fab way to bring in pops of color, as well as liven the place up a little.
4. Create the perfect nightstand
Your nightstand is probably the most important part of your bedroom. It is your nightly companion and contains things you like to use in bed – hey, get your head out of the gutter! We all know what some people do in bed! Okay, maybe we need to get our heads out of the gutter …
- Make sure everything that’s lying neatly on your nightstand is in some way related to your morning and nighttime routine. Sleeping mask, pillow spray, earplugs, scented candles; this is all good bedside clutter. Though it’s not really clutter, because it’s serving a very important purpose.
- Bring in the items you will need for your nightstand drawer and keep only what you need to grab quickly. A couple of pens and little pad of paper to jot down those strange dreams you have, lip balm, hand/foot cream. Buy a little plastic insert to keep it tidy or use a little makeup pouch you don’t use anymore.
I like to keep a little pouch for nail care: a nail file, cuticle clippers, nail polish, that sort of thing. If you’re on any medication, inhalers, or sleeping pills this is also the perfect place for them. You’re way more likely to remember to take them if you see them every day and night.
5. Sort through the remaining items in the SORTing room
Follow the “five pile rule” while decluttering. When decluttering items, sort them into various piles. These piles include:
- items you’re keeping
- items you’re donating to charity or a friend
- items to sell
- items to recycle
- items for the trash
Remember, for the items you’re throwing away and recycling, do just that. Take them to the trash or recycle can. Get them out of your space. If you’re donating them or giving them to a friend, load them in your vehicle.
Admit it, you’ve got a bunch of clothes you don’t really wear anymore. We all do. There are fancy outfits you’re saving for an event that never comes and old favorite sweaters that have holes in them, right?
Well, it’s time to let them go. Pull all your clothes out of your drawers one by one and ask yourself: Am I actually going to wear this again? If the answer is no – unless it has extreme sentimental value – get rid of it. But because we know how hard it is to part with clothes, we deemed this an important step to address the elephant in the room.
Once all of your junk is gone, and your new décor is THRIVING, it’ll finally be time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. There’s nothing more soothing yet exciting than spending your first night in a newly decorated bedroom.
So pull back the covers of your new sanctuary, grab that book you’ve been meaning to read, and settle in for the coziest night of your life. The only downside is you may not want to ever get out of bed again!
Your 1THRIVE Center is the perfect tool for planning the steps to create your new sanctuary. If you need some additional ideas about setting up your 1THRIVE Center, check out our ideas page for inspiration.
