Do you know what to do to turn a room into a stress-free sanctuary? Stress is a serious problem in today’s society. While most people throw around the term like it it’s a temporary emotion, stress is one of the main causes of hormone problems, organ damage, heart disease, and possible death. Stress makes you age in ways that modern research is still discovering, and the longer you deal with chronic stress, the more likely that damage will be permanent. So if you have an extra room you’re not sure how to use, one of the best ways to use it is to turn it into a stress free sanctuary for total relaxation. Essentially, this room will be the place you go when you want your stress to melt away.

Characteristics of a Stress Free Room or sanctuary

find your stress-free sanctuary

Building a stress free room sounds easy, but it takes a type of commitment that modern families are not used to. For your room to be completely stress free, it should have the following:

Use a lock for your stress free sanctuary

No one should be able to bother you when you’re in the stress free room. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pressing need. For a sanctuary to be relaxing, only you can use it at any given time. If you have family in the household, you can consider setting rules to try to limit contact when you’re inside the room, but the most important thing is a lock to make sure no one can barge in and ruin your de-stressing moments.

Use muted colors for your stress free room to be relaxing

Colors can be exciting to the eye, and while bright colors may not cause anxiety, they certainly don’t relieve it. So paint the room some type of dull white or a color that doesn’t have much excitement value. The difference it makes will be small, but it is no less important.

Your stress free sanctuary should have no technology

Your stress free room should be free of every type of technology, with one exception that we’ll discuss later. No TVs, no landlines, no cell phones, no computer, no radio. It can have some soft lighting, but no bright lamps, no clocks, and certainly nothing that moves or draws attention to itself. Once again, technology doesn’t necessarily cause anxiety and stress (with the exception of the 24 hour news networks), but technology keeps your mind active, and when you’re trying to relax you need your brain to be as bored as possible.

Use white noise in your stress free room

Here is the exception to the technology rule. It’s a good idea to have some type of white noise (see picture below). You shouldn’t listen to music. Music does have the potential to relieve stress, but most people listen to music that doesn’t have that quality. For example, listening to loud rock songs may improve your mood, but they’re not an effective relaxation tool. So you should consider either some type of light-free technology that plays white noise (no touch screen, etc), or something that makes noise naturally, like a small running fountain.

Your stress free sanctuary should be clutter free

The room should also be completely free of anything that looks like clutter. Human beings at their very core like order. While you may not realize it, looking at a room that’s a mess can actually be mildly stressful in ways that are completely subconscious. Keeping the room as free of stuff as possible is vital for relaxation.

Make use of soft furniture in your stress free room

There is a theme to these changes. The idea is not that the items themselves are relaxing (although white noise can be fairly relaxing) but that you avoid things that could counter your relaxation. Hard furniture, for example, may cause very mild back pain, and that is a type of stress. Soft furniture will cradle your body so that your back and neck are pain free.

Your stress free room should have empty walls

You should also clean your walls from any imagery. Even family images, which can be calming, may not be as relaxing – especially if you have an enlarged portrait on your wall watching you as you try to become stress free. Empty walls avoid this problem.

Soundproofing is important in your stress free sanctuary

Finally, if you have the budget, it would be a good idea to sound proof your sanctuary to make sure that the noises outside don’t disrupt your relaxation. The quieter your room is, the more relaxing you’ll find it.

For total relaxation, there are various other rules you’ll need to consider. For example, no using the stress free sanctuary for anything other than relaxing. Your body associates locations with events and emotions. If you occasionally do work in your sanctuary, for example, and that work is stressful, then anytime you’re in the room your body will gain a bit of stress. The sanctuary must always be a place that family members go to be stress free, and nothing else. Similarly, combining the stress free sanctuary with various anxious stress reduction exercises, the room can become even more useful.

If you’re willing to take the time to transform a room into a stress free sanctuary for your relaxation, you’ll find that the long term benefits are second to none, and that you’ll have a much easier time relaxing no matter how stressful your personal or professional life.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera is a family man that has set aside his time to help others reduce their anxiety completely on their own. You can learn more at www.calmclinic.com.

A white-noise maker. Available in stress-free open packages from Amazon.