Most homeowners tend to focus on DIY projects that have a practical benefit, or those that give the home a higher resale value. And if you’re working on renovating a home you plan to sell in the near future, those are worthy goals to pursue.
But what if you plan on living in this home for the next several years, or even longer? If that’s the case, it’s in your best interest to focus on home improvements that could improve your mood and wellness—and they’re more common than you might think!
Home Improvements to Consider
These are some of the best improvements you can make to boost your everyday mood and feelings of wellness:
- Install solar panels. If you’re environmentally conscious, you should know that the majority of our traditional energy comes from burning fossil fuels—and residential solar panels are more affordable and easier to install than ever. Installing a handful of solar panels on your roof will make your home less dependent on the grid for energy, so you’ll save money and sleep easier knowing you’re minimizing your impact on the planet.
- Use better air filters. Do you ever find yourself in a sneezing fit for no discernable reason, or does dust seem to accumulate like clockwork in your home? You might be able to solve the problem and dramatically improve the quality of your in-home air by changing your air filters more frequently, and investing in higher-quality products. It’s a simple change that could improve your quality of life.
- Clean the ductwork. While you’re at it, consider investing in a thorough clean-out of the ductwork in your home. No matter what type of filters you’re using, eventually the dust and dirt will build up in these ducts, and compromise the quality of the air you breathe. This is something you should do once every few years.
- Repaint the interior of your home. The colors of our surroundings have profound effects on our psychology. If you’re used to looking at ugly colors, or if you’re stuck in a room with an inappropriate color choice, you might end up in a bad mood all the time. Repainting your home’s interior is an easy way to reverse this effect.
- Seal your home tighter. Poor insulation, old windows, and cracks open your home to the outside—which means it will feel colder in winter, hotter in summer, and will be noisier throughout the year. Sealing up your home with better doors and windows, in addition to fixing those gaps, can make your home far more comfortable.
- Invest in a better showerhead. Your shower would be much more relaxing if you had a high-pressure showerhead to improve the water flow. This is an inexpensive and easy DIY fix, so there’s no reason not to do it.
- Install a better water filter. Your drinking water probably contains more harmful chemicals and metals than you realize. Investing in a home filtration system will not only make your drinking water purer, it will make it taste better, prompting you to drink more of it and feel better.
- Improve your posture. Invest in better furniture and accoutrements to improve your posture throughout the house. You’ll be amazed what a better posture can do for your overall feelings of wellness—especially in the bathroom.
- Invest in a workout room. Are you usually too tired to go to the gym? Turn a room of your home into a workout room so you don’t have an excuse to skip exercise. Even a simple setup, with a treadmill and some free weights, could help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
- Create a quiet space. Finally, create a quiet space with minimal distractions—even if it’s just part of one room in your house. Seal the room as tight as you can, choose a neutral color, and avoid cluttering the space with unnecessary things. Now, when you need to clear your head or practice mindfulness, you’ll have a place to do it—and you can start reaping the long-term benefits of the practice.
Toward a More Positive Lifestyle
Imagine living in a space where you’re consistently happier, you’re able to be more productive, and you simply feel like you’re in better physical health. Though these upgrades may not cure your depression or outweigh the effects of lifestyle factors, they are shown to have a significant effect on your mind—and sometimes even your body. Since most of these upgrades range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and none of them require a full-scale renovation, they’re worth investing in—especially if you save money and feel the satisfaction of doing the work yourself.