Bedroom Sanctuary Ideas

 


Stress & Pain are often linked together and for many chronic pain suffers like myself there is a huge need to have a room in your home which is free of stress! The lounge is full of kids toys, or computer games and the kitchen – well unless you have a Michelin chef running it isn’t really stress free but the bedroom is purely mine (well husbands too but he only sleeps there!) so to me it is my sanctuary. Its where sometimes I have to spend the day, the whole day as I cant leave it or it’s my companion when I’m up all night in pain. So it’s a room I’ve invested time in to become my healing and sanctuary place. Here are my top tips on how you can make yours stress free.


 

Colours

 

I love colour! In a house full of boys I love seeing the splashes of bright colours everywhere but in the bedroom? I don’t want reds and blues alongside each other. They are gorgeous and while they definitely don’t cause it they don’t help relieve stress or anxiety. My walls are very boring in the bedroom and are a soft light reflecting cream. The walls look warm and cooling and gentle all at the same time. I wouldn’t recommend bare white walls but soft tones are proven to reduce blood pressure so its worth the change. You can add in soft colours to give it some life. I have a soft pink and green and quite frankly in the summer with sun dappling through the windows and a gentle breeze it beats any 5 star hotel I can think of. There are also paints around which are VOC free since VOC’s can trigger pain for years after!

 


Technology

 

This is a tricky one. Every article out there suggests for a bedroom to be a sanctuary it must have no technology! But quite frankly when you are stuck in bed all day or you’re awake at 3am and in pain staring at the walls it sucks! So I have my kindle by my bed – blue light turned off to reduce eye strain and migraines but I also have a tv in the room too. Wireless headphones stop the rest of the house waking up and it’s not huge or over dominating. Do make sure it’s not the sole focus or you might actually spend your time ignoring sleep and catching up on the latest Netflix uploads! Also my little tv is quite high tech and I’ve managed to lower the brightness and blue light again to help.

 


Scents & Pictures

 

Some people recommend scented candles etc to have in your sanctuary however this can trigger for me and some chronic suffers I know too. They also recommend bare walls to be more tranquil too but I find have some photos of me and the kids laughing at the rock pools or even my pets etc help me focus when I’m struggling with pain relief and I cant cope with reading or tv. But ensure that what you are surrounded with are things which bring nothing but joy or pleasurable memories!


 

The Bed

 

This is a big one! Not only do we naturally spend a third of a life in bed, for chronic pain sufferers sometimes its much much longer! There are days when I cannot get out of bed but I still want to sit up or need support. If you can a fully adjustable hospital bed in your own home can make the world of difference between getting through the day and actually it being a day that can be enjoyed. It makes it easier to get up to go to the bathroom and has allowed me to walk around the house when the pain before to get out has been too much. Always ensure the bed is at the right height so regardless of mattress or bedframe you can easily slide out of bed and not have to push up from the mattress to standing. It makes a huge difference! It’s also worth ensuring the temperatures are correct. Not just of the room itself but also of the bedding. We use wool bedding which maintains a constant body temperature whether it’s the middle of summer or winter! 

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