SPECIAL SECTION: FOR YOUR HOME
Recharge
STATION
A few simple tweaks to your home can elevate your space into a self-care sanctuary. BY TANIA GOMEZ
W
e pride ourselves on being the world’ s most laidback country, but the truth is more than half of Australians have reported feeling stressed in the past 12 months. While it would be nice if we could all just hire a live-in masseuse to soothe our worries away, it’ s clear many of us need a more accessible form of self-care.
After all, self-care is far more than a‘ nice-to-have’ – truly investing in our wellbeing has been shown to improve energy levels, mental health and how we manage stress.
But how can we make it an automatic part of our daily lives? One strategy is to create self-care spaces in our homes where we can retreat to whenever we want to feel calm and relaxed.
And the good news is this: you don’ t need an entire room or a big budget to make a soothing space. In fact, a few clever design and organisational tweaks may be all it takes to help carve out a nook to help you relax and recharge in the comfort of your own home.“ So many people these days are so overstimulated and overwhelmed by life,” says Mel Barry, professional organiser and founder of House of Calm( houseofcalm. com. au).“ There are some really simple ways to make our homes more calming, which can be really important for self-care.”
Know what you need
Self-care is different for everyone – some of us need a space for meditating, others want a reading nook or a craft den, while some people may crave time in nature or an adrenaline-pumping activity for a much-needed reset.
Think about what brings you joy and consider nifty ways of creating a space dedicated to making that happen. For Mel, an occasional chair positioned to catch the morning sun brings infinite joy.“ I live in an apartment so don’ t have space for an entire room dedicated to self-care, but I have my little occasional chair where I sit and have my tea every morning – it relaxes me and makes me feel calm,” she says.“ If exercise is a form of self-care for you, could you designate a cupboard by your TV or screen to keep
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18 | SEP / OCT 2025 COSTCO CONNECTION