5 common wellbeing goals and how your home can help you achieve them

Wellbeing isn’t just about what you eat or how often you exercise — it’s also about how your home supports the way you want to live. At YDM Design Studio, we believe your environment plays a quiet but powerful role in your happiness and overall wellness. When your space is aligned with your lifestyle, values and emotional needs, it becomes a place of restoration, creativity and joy. Here are five common wellbeing goals and how your home can help you bring them to life.

GOAL 1: Reducing Stress and Overwhelm

A calm, clutter-free space allows your nervous system to slow down. Ways in which you can create a serene environment to help you control your stress levels include:

• Colour palettes and materials that are inspired by nature can help you reconnect with the natural world and stay grounded.

• Smart storage solutions can help you reduce the amount of clutter in your home, which can help to relieve mental stress.

• Thoughtful floorplan layouts can remove additional stresses caused by friction points in your home.

• Including areas for relaxation and little rituals that bring you joy, and creating peaceful spaces to work on hobbies, can contribute to reducing stress and overwhelm.

GOAL 2: Improving Sleep Quality

To support your circadian rhythm we recommend setting up your home to get plenty of natural light in the morning (mortised blinds and curtains can make this extra easy!) and then reducing the light to soft wall lights, table and floor lamps only in the evening before bed time. Of course, the way your bedroom is set up will also have a big impact on your sleep quality. We recommend to invest in large block out curtains that can achieve complete darkness and absorb some of the noises coming from outside.

GOAL 3: Connection with Loved Ones

When designing your spaces, consider how you will share it with your loved ones. Island benches and round tables can encourage conversations as a group, whereas 2 armchairs arranged together in a nook or a large window seat can create a more intimate setting for deeper connection. Comfort also plays a big role here as it allows everyone to feel more at ease and connected. Ensure dining areas, couches and armchairs are all comfortable and ergonomic. You can also help to create more comfort and ease through all the senses - consider adding soft warm wall lights, temperature control and cosy materials.

GOAL 4: Better Eating Habits

The way you design your kitchen can have a huge impact on your eating habits. A kitchen that is difficult to use, lacking storage or with terrible lighting can make preparing food feel like more of a chore. As well as a well-functioning kitchen that has enough benchtop space, storage solutions and plenty of light, your kitchen should also be a space you love to spend time in. Selecting finishes, fixtures and colours that bring you joy will make the process of preparing healthy food more enjoyable.

When designing your kitchen space, you can also consider specific habits that you want to incorporate. For example, if you are trying to cut down on your alcohol intake, you can put the wine fridge (which is now for entertaining only) in another space like the laundry to make it harder to access. If you want to avoid snacking, keep the snacks somewhere that's more difficult to reach like a high cupboard or a cupboard under your island overhang (so you need to move the stools to access them!).

GOAL 5: More Movement

We will be taking a similar approach to increasing your movement and exercise as we have with many of the goals above. It all starts with having a dedicated space for your chosen activity which you enjoy to be in! This doesn't need to be a full gym - just think about creating somewhere inviting in the home that has enough space for stretching, yoga or a few weights. You definitely don't need anything fancy but there are a few companies that make weights that look like decor which you can then just pop back on a shelf or side table!

Designing your home with intention can quietly transform your everyday wellbeing. It’s about more than style — it’s about creating a space that supports your goals, your relationships, and your sense of self.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post. Have a wonderful week!

Nina xx