Your backyard should be a place of comfort in your life. You should be able to go back there after a long work week and find peace and solace in a natural area that is all your own. Not only is this just generally relaxing, but it actually has lasting benefits for your stress levels and mental health.
Spending time outside has been shown to reduce the effects of several mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, and even ADHD. If you want to work on creating a serene environment in your own backyard, follow these simple tips to get an idea of how you can get started.
HAVE QUIET SEATING AREAS
A significant, necessary element of any relaxing backyard needs to be seating. If you have beautiful landscaping with no place to sit, then you don’t really have a backyard that is meant to wind down in. It might still be great to take walks or do physical activities, which is great, but it doesn’t lend itself to a place that you can find pure relaxation. For this reason, strategically find places that you can have seating throughout your yard, whether that is in the form of benches, patio furniture, or more natural fixtures, such as a sitting rock or tree stump. Try to arrange this seating so that your view includes a nice image of the natural environment.
INCORPORATE WATER FEATURES
Water features are a key addition to any serene, natural environment. The sound and presence of running water have a relaxing effect on our minds. Look throughout your yard for places that you can incorporate some version of running water, whether that is a fountain, a stream, a small pond, a birdbath, or any other fixture that includes water. In addition to creating a relaxing environment, you can also incorporate other signs of life in your water features, such as putting koi in a pond or attracting birds in your yard to use a birdbath.
BRING NATURAL ELEMENTS TO YOUR PATIO
Too many backyards will have beautiful landscaping, but will have a hard line where the patio begins; the harsh concrete clashing with the natural elements around this. You can create more harmony in your backyard by working together to blend those elements. Instead of a blank concrete slab, use recycled concrete pieces or stones to create natural designs that fit better into a natural aesthetic. A wooden porch/patio can also contribute to this. Likewise, you should include potted plants and overhanging trees with your patio to bring greenery onto the more manufactured areas.
ADD LIGHTING FOR NIGHTTIME USE
A serene and peaceful backyard should be a place that you can go to whenever you need to, not just during daytime hours. In order to accommodate this, you need to think about how you can incorporate lighting fixtures to add mood lighting to your yard during the nighttime. Some things to think about when doing this is how soft the lighting is (softer, more diffused lighting will be more relaxing), the color temperature of the lights (tungsten is generally nicer for this purpose, and how bright it is.
CREATE A GARDEN THAT CAN BE WALKED THROUGH
Natural elements that you can explore are critical for a relaxing backyard. One of the best examples of how to do this is in a garden. Whether you are just growing a flower garden or are growing a garden with vegetables that you can use for cooking and other utility purposes, a garden can be a great place to go and practice your more nurturing sensibilities. Here’s a good article you can check out to get started with a gardening hobby.
In conclusion
Your backyard should be a place of refuge and tranquility. Making even the smallest of changes can make it more inviting and relaxing for those long days of stress and worry. These helpful hints are only the beginning of the countless ways you can make your home a sanctuary from the world and a place of peace for yourself and your family.
