The backyard has always been a special place, but it’s taken on even greater importance in today’s world, a period in which many of us are working from home and/or spending a lot of time staring at screens. In that context, having a relaxing outdoor space becomes more than just a nice bonus. It’s essential for maintaining our mental well-being.
Want to get all the benefits of having a relaxing outdoor space, but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll outline some of the most effective ways to quickly transform your backyard into a truly tranquil space.
Up the Privacy
It’s unlikely that your neighbors or anyone else will look into your backyard while you’re there, but you’ll be a lot more comfortable if you know that they couldn’t even if they wanted to. Making your backyard more private allows for a deeper level of emotional safety that is required to truly relax, making it easier for your stress levels to enter ‘recovery mode.’
There’s no shortage of ways to incorporate additional privacy into your backyard. A tall fence is the most obvious solution, but there’s value in getting a lot more creative in how you create a secluded space. Tall trees, hedges, and a pergola can all provide the intimate environment you need without feeling claustrophobic.
Switch to Electric Tools
Tranquil backyards are peaceful and quiet. Unfortunately, traditional tools do not share those characteristics. Gas-powered lawn mowers, for instance, can be extremely noisy, and not only that, but they can also be difficult to use given how heavy they are.
Switching to electric tools can help to preserve the peace of your backyard in more ways than one. A robot mower, for instance, isn’t only essentially silent, but it also removes one of the most time-consuming tasks from your backyard to-do list. You’ll be able to soak up the rays with a book in your hand while your electric-powered mower silently works to keep your lawn neat and tidy. There are electric versions of most garden tools, which, even if they’re not fully robotic, help to eliminate the noisy, industrial sounds of traditional tools that can so easily disturb the peace.
Add a Water Feature
As much as you might attempt to create a calming atmosphere in your backyard, there’s no avoiding the fact that external sounds, such as loud neighbors or passing traffic, can find their way into your outdoor space.
Adding a water feature is a visually appealing way to mask that sound. And even if there are no disturbing sounds, you’ll find that it can have a calming effect. Being around water is scientifically proven to lower stress levels, boost mood, and even enhance mental clarity. That’s a whole lotta good that can come from adding a feature that also provides the backyard space with additional visual appeal.
Keep it Tidy
Clutter doesn’t just impact the interior part of your property. It can also impact your backyard, too. A messy outdoor area has a subtly negative impact on relaxation levels because it makes it more difficult for the brain to enter relaxation mode, and even if you don’t think that the mess is impacting you, you may be receiving an ever-so-gentle signal that says, ‘don’t relax; there’s work to be done.’
Keeping your outdoor space tidy is about doing a little bit of work often, rather than waiting until things build up and trying to do everything in a single day.
Invite Nature
Inviting wildlife into your backyard is one of the most underrated ways to boost your enjoyment of the space, as well as enhance the tranquility of the environment. Studies have shown that watching wildlife really can have a huge impact on mood and stress levels, and what’s more, you don’t need to take a trip to a National Park to get these benefits. You can get them simply by observing wildlife in your own backyard.
For that, you’ll need to make your backyard appealing to wildlife, which you can do by incorporating the things that appeal to most creatures: that is, shelter, water, and food. Planting plants native to your local area, adding the water feature that we mentioned above, and creating piles of branches/twigs/leaves for shelter should all increase the number of visitors that swing by your backyard.
Invest in Storage
Investing in storage for your backyard might not be the most exciting item on this list, but it’s arguably up there with the most important. We tend to think of backyards as clear spaces, but they can contain a lot of items that can clutter up the place.
And that doesn’t just create visual noise, but also disturbs the view that your backyard is a natural, relaxing space. It’s the outdoor equivalent of having wires on display; really, all you want is to see the end result, not the process! A good shed will help to keep your items out of sight, out of mind, and can even enhance the look of the backyard.
Buy Truly Comfortable Outdoor Furniture
Many homeowners opt for budget-friendly outdoor furniture because they believe that A. it’ll be damaged by the elements and B. they’ll only use it at certain points throughout the year, and thus it’s not worth splashing the cash on.
But that’s flawed logic. Invest in good outdoor furniture, and you’ll be more likely to take good care of it, and you’ll be more likely to make additions that allow you to use it year-round (such as installing lighting and an outdoor heater). More importantly, quality, comfortable outdoor furniture will make it easier to truly relax. After all, physical comfort is a pathway towards mental comfort.
Make It a Screen-Free Space
Finally, look at making your backyard a screen-free space. It can be difficult, but it really can make a difference to how relaxed you feel while outside in your backyard. Instead, you can read, do yoga, meditate, and do the other things that lead to a tranquil inner world.