There’s No Place Like Home
Our environment has a significant impact on our mental health and nowhere more so than in our home. From our choice of décor to the layout we chose, how we live reflects our tastes and personalities. But sometimes, especially if our circumstances change, we can lose the joy we once felt for our home. It’s Mental Health Awareness Week between May 9th and 15th and Stiltz Homelifts has taken this opportunity to look at the part your home plays in affecting wellbeing and how you can take steps to improve.
Stiltz has long been an advocate of future-proofed living and the positive mental health benefits this can bring through the installation of our domestic lifts. Our customer stories are testament to understanding the impact taking back control of your mobility can have by investing in a home lift. We know making changes in the home can be an emotional time, especially if it’s been home for a very long time. So, here we look at ways to establish a home which is fit for long-term independence, and how Stiltz Homelifts can support this.
Environmental Impact
There have been many concepts designed to create a sense of calm in the home with Feng Shui being one of the oldest. However, this concentrates on a lifestyle that suits very few people and doesn’t necessarily segue into the way we lead our day to day lives. However, the idea of simplification is one that makes so much sense when dealing with mobility issues and practical living considerations.
Maybe you could throw out that trip hazard rug or make more space by moving the coffee table that you keep banging into? How about ‘going modern’ and become a connected home; allowing your smart speaker to operate some basic household tasks. Simple modifications like culling clutter and being smart with space can be a catalyst for evaluating the bigger challenges in your home. They can gently ease you into the right mindset for any bigger changes you might need to make.
Resilience Toolkit
One wellbeing buzz word currently being talked about is, ‘resilience’. But what exactly does it mean in the context of mental health? According to The Red Cross website, “Resilience means different things to different people. People sometimes call it the ability to ‘bounce back’ after adversity. Latest research shows that resilience is more than just a personal skill, it’s an interaction between you and your environment”. Which leads us back perfectly to how you interact with your home.
A practical way of understanding resilience is often referred to as the ‘Resilience Toolkit’ which outlines ways to help you adapt. Again, the Red Cross highlights four key things that can help make those changes; “(i) The ability to adapt to change, (ii) meaningful connections to those who support you, (iii) resources you can use to support yourself and (iv) a healthy routine with a sense of stability”.
Help to Help Yourself
When it is time to admit, that whatever de-cluttering you’ve carried out still isn’t quite enough, Stiltz Homelifts will be there to advise on how a domestic lift can help you move effortlessly between the floors in your home. It’s time to call on that Resilience Toolkit and start adapting to the changes needed. We will support you throughout, from advice to installation and aftercare. If needed, we also work with important people such as occupational therapists who can further advise you and provide clarity to your situation. Once your home lift adaptations have been completed, you are well-placed to support yourself safely and embark on a new chapter in your life.
Mental wellbeing is a precious thing. Taking time to be certain your home environment works effectively – regardless of what life throws at you – is something that needs to be taken seriously.