A relaxing rental is just a small change away. And there’s nobody better to help us than Michelle Li, yoga instructor and co-creator of yoga wellness company Yoga&.
“It can feel overwhelming when we’re constantly bombarded with all these wellness tips from every corner of social media,” says Li. “And it can feel like creating a wellness space at home requires a huge investment, or a huge list of products or memberships at different places.
“Cultivating some form of space that promotes wellbeing doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive – it’s about making really small, intentional choices that fit into your daily rhythm.”
Here are five great suggestions for upgrading your rental space to support wellness.
Add greenery
Studies show plants can counteract the effects of anxiety, improve concentration and productivity, help recovery from illness, and increase happiness.
“I’ve got snake plants,” says Li, “I’ve got lots of ivys – plants that are quite leafy and can create a lot more oxygen in the household. It can be a really nice way to ventilate the air in the home. It’s also just really soothing to have plants in your bedroom – being able to open your eyes first thing in the morning and see greenery is super soothing for the nervous system.”
Li points out there are alternatives to buying plants new. “All of the plants in my home I’ve collected, over time, through Facebook Marketplace finds, or even just inherited from neighbours when they’ve moved out.”
Chase the sunlight
In a rental property, it’s luck of the draw when it comes to finding bright spaces with good sunlight. It’s important to work with what you have to find a better wellness approach for living and working at home.
Li suggests simple changes, like setting up your yoga mat or a reading chair next to your brightest window. “Organise your space in a way that capitalises on where the sun is,” she says. Better yet, check if your building has a dedicated space you can use, like a communal yoga room. If it doesn’t, make sure your next home does when you’re looking for a new place to live.
Choosing a home location close to pleasant walking trails also means you can get some sunlight in on your daily walks. LIV Aston by Mirvac is on the corner of Flinders and Spencer Streets in the emerging North Wharf precinct, right by Batman Park and the Yarra for daily riverside walks or strolls into the heart of the city. Bonus: the apartments and communal spaces get plenty of natural sunlight, too.
Integrate wellness rituals into your morning
Li says reaching for your phone first thing is one of the worst things you can do for relaxation because it creates a dopamine hit that is often followed by a low.
“I think one of the easiest ways to create wellness, or have a wellness space at home, is to start with very simple rituals. Trying to step outside or even near a window to get some natural sunlight in your eyes is probably the first thing you can do – and that’s great for setting up your circadian rhythms the rest of the day,” she says.
“Put the kettle on, make a cup of tea … you might find a little corner in your home that you can make really inspiring by lighting some incense or putting on some sort of calming scent.”
Other elements of a daily wellness routine could be a workout, yoga or meditation, followed by a sauna to support recovery. Saunas can also be a good way to start the day before getting into work or running errands.
Create a digital sunset
Wellbeing routines are important at night as well. Li says a lot of it has to do with the downsides of blue light.
“Blue-light screens are really, really disruptive to our circadian rhythm,” she says, “and that’s going to make it harder for us to wind down and get to bed. Turning off anything that is too bright and using lights that emit a warm glow is better.”
Li also suggests choosing light sources that are less bright and emit sunset-like colours, such as a salt lamp or coloured bulbs. “Create a digital sunset: dim the lights straight after dinner. Play some relaxed music and, again, light some incense or use soothing oils. Lavender is really good for relaxing.”
Choose a rental with a bonus
Finding a space that accommodates wellness and work-from-home can be hard. Li suggests looking for rentals that offer wellness bonuses.
Choosing a home or apartment building with wellness and health benefits built into your rent, like the new LIV Aston by Mirvac, allows you to use all its amenities for no extra cost. LIV Aston also offers cool new health features beyond the standard pool, spa and gym (although its versions of those three are more luxe than your usuals). These include traditional and infrared saunas, a multi-purpose room for yoga and meditation classes (perfect for Li’s suggestions of yoga by the window and morning wellness routines) and complimentary massages. Having these wellness amenities available just a few floors away means you can prioritise your health without compromising a comfortable lifestyle and home.
“If you can be in a building where you have access to a variety of these wellness options without needing to have additional memberships or multiple memberships elsewhere, that will certainly make a healthy lifestyle way more accessible,” says Li.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with LIV Aston by Mirvac. Other benefits at LIV Aston include calming interiors by Hecker Guthrie, resident co-working spaces, private dining areas, a library, cinema and more.
