Did you know that your environment affects your well-being?

It can influence your mood, impact your motivation, contribute to your stress level, and encourage interactions with other people.

If you're not happy with the state of your current environment...

...with a few small updates, you can turn your dorm room into a sanctuary that creates less stress and optimizes good times.

Photo by Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash

If you spend a lot of time studying in your dorm room, making a comfortable study space will help you focus and reduce mental stress.

Consider:

💡 Lighting — make the most of natural lighting, get a good desk lamp, switch out light bulbs for ones that mimic natural light

📐 Ergonomics — set up your desk, chair, laptop, and monitors so you have enough space. Check that any screens and keyboards are at comfortable angles to reduce strain

⚪️ Minimalism —keep desk clutter to a minimum to minimize distractions.

Photo by Iewek Gnos on Unsplash

Getting a good night's sleep contributes to your overall health and well-being.

Make your sleeping space more liveable:

• Add a mattress pad or a foam topper to your bed.

• Bring your favorite comfy bedding from home like a duvet, blankets, and pillows.

• Wear earplugs and an eye mask to sleep.

• Buy blackout curtains to block out street light.

• Run a small fan to drown out noise and increase air circulation.

😴 Clearly communicate with your roommate if you have different sleep schedules! You can both take action to accommodate one another!

Having easy access to healthy, energy-boosting snacks keeps your blood sugar stable and improves your focus and energy level.

Keep a few snacks stocked in your dorm room for your next study break:

• Vegetables and hummus

• Apple with peanut butter

• Sunflower seeds

• Greek yogurt and fruit

• Granola bars

• Oats

• Coffee and tea

• Nuts

🍫 What about all of those less healthy snacks? Save them as a treat for movie night or an evening with friends!

Decorating is a great way to add personality to your space and make it feel like home! Be mindful to keep the clutter down so that you don't need to constantly clean and organize.

Some ideas to get you started:

• Add a floor mirror — mirrors make small spaces look bigger.

• Put up a poster — find something funny, relaxing, or interesting that reflects your personality!

• Get a plant —take advantage of on-campus plant sales to add greenery to your room. Make sure it's low maintenance in case you can't be as attentive during exam time.

• Bring something from home — your favorite pillow, blanket, photos, or mug will help you feel at home in your new space.

Start by taking a look around your dorm room.

Consider what's working and what isn't. Then...

With a few tweaks, you can make your room more livable!