How to Stay Sane During Your Renovation - Part Two
If you’re renovating, you’ll want to make sure you have the best possible experience. In addition to having your project well planned, preparing adequate financing, and choosing a great contractor; it’s also important to prepare mentally. In part one of this two-part series, we discussed four ways to keep your mental health intact during the stress of your renovation. In today’s blog, we’ll go more in depth with three additional tips that apply not only during your renovation, but also in your everyday life.
Save Room for Self-Care
As you enter construction, planning self-care will be important to keep you sane. Self-care is taking dedicated time for the sole purpose of caring for yourself. In other words, it’s allowing yourself a set amount of time to be “selfish” and take a break from your daily stressors. Whether it’s hiking, taking your dog to the dog park, a long walk, or a date night; self-care will help you keep from constantly worrying about your renovation. Self-care will look different if you decide to live in your home during your remodel. Taking a long bath while your house is in shambles, for instance, won’t feel very soothing. Your self-care during a live-in remodel might look like booking a hotel for a night with a soaking spa tub. Regardless of what it ends up looking like for you, you’ll find self-care helps keep your inner zen no matter what gets thrown your way during construction. Simple moments for yourself and with loved ones are good for the soul!
Keep Your Renovation in Perspective
Renovations can seem like the most important thing in the world while you’re in construction. When you find yourself getting easily annoyed and frustrated, it’s important to step back from your renovation to practice gratitude exercises. Gratitude has been shown to decrease stress and improve your mood if done intentionally and frequently. We recommend having a journal dedicated to gratitude journaling during your renovation. In this journal, you can reflect on things for which you are grateful. Whether it’s a person, a pet, or something sentimental; focusing on these will take your attention off your bathroom, kitchen or closet and keep your focus on what’s truly important. A great journal prompt during a renovation is writing about three things you are grateful for that you normally take for granted. Having a quiet house, access to a stove, and not having to share a bathroom are things that come to mind. Another great prompt is to find things you are grateful for in the present despite the hassles of your renovation. If you find gratitude journaling encouraging, it’s a great practice to keep going as this grounding can help in all areas of your life!
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
Staying calm and grounded during your renovation means pushing mental health stigmas aside and doing whatever it takes to make sure you’re okay. The pandemic has taught us all how important mental health is and how easy it is to slip into depression from isolation and anxiety from the constant worry of sickness to ourselves and our friends and family. The same thing could happen during a renovation if you happen to choose a bad contractor or if you have a good contractor but are overwhelmed by all the decisions you have to make. If you rushed into the renovation or have multiple other stressors occurring simultaneously, you might find your mental health slipping. There’s no shame in signing up for once-a-week therapy or asking your primary care doctor to temporarily prescribe you a low dosage of antidepressants or antianxiety medication to get you through your renovation. Life happens, and there’s nothing wrong with needing a little extra help.
With these tips in mind, we hope you’re feeling ready to tackle your dream renovation! Taking care of your mind, body and soul will ensure you have the best possible experience. Of course, having an experienced construction team makes renovating a thousand times easier. As always, our Mayflower design consultants are only a phone call or email away!
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