Doing Cocooning Right: Your Environment – with the Sims (video)
We depressives are frequently drawn towards cocooning, the practice of hanging out in our homes for most of our free time. A lot of the time that’s due to a lack of energy, but also a need to be “safe” in our own little nest.
Not to mention that many people who aren’t depressed tent do cocoon a lot because of the short days and cold weather.
So if you’re going to cocoon, do it right. Before the Netflix and cocoa, what you want to do is make your environment cozy and inviting.
Many people feel compelled to cocoon (or hibernate) when winter comes, at least in the evening. The shorter days and cooler weather make being outside seem much less appealing than in the summer, when the sun goes down past 8:00 instead of 5:00 and the air outside feels warm and soft.
There’s also the allure of the Danish concept of hygge, which a lot of people on Pinterest or Instagram misinterpret, to some extent, by focusing solely on fluffy blankets, candles and hot cocoa. There is more to it, and we’ve put some links below.
If you’re depressed, you’re definitely familiar with the idea of cocooning. It might be due partly to lack of energy, but also to the need to hide or to be safe that a lot of depressed people can experience.
Whatever your reason for cocooning, you should try to do cocooning right, first of all, by optimizing your environment, whether your space is a house or apartment, dorm room or your own room in a house.
First of all, you need to get rid of the irritants, those things that bug you about your environment. Those things that *kind of* bother you will bother you a lot more when you’re spending much more time around them. You’ve probably noticed this.
It might be something small, but if you see or deal with it every day, why not take care of it?
For example, are your clothes heaped all around your room because your closet or dresser is too full? Is there paper clutter covering every surface because you don’t have a quick and easy filing system? Or maybe you can’t find anything when you really need to? Do you just generally have too much crap? This is the time to take care of it.
I know that this is particularly difficult to do when you’re depressed, but keep in mind that these irritants are probably causing you stress, and stress is one thing you don’t need when you have depression.
So if your stuff needs to be organized, you can KonMari your space, look into minimalism to help you decide what you *really* need, or use whatever other method works for you. For instance, when I can’t fit anything else into my closet, I go through my clothing, and if I haven’t worn something in a year, unless it’s formal attire, that says to me that I don’t like wearing it, or as Marie Kondo puts it, it doesn’t “spark joy” for me.
Depressed people can have trouble making decisions. If you’re depressed, you may have trouble deciding what to get rid of, or how to organize your stuff. Consider asking a really well-organized friend to go through your stuff with you.
Serious cleaning is the next thing to tackle. Again, if you have depression, I know this is tough, but if you can’t afford to hire someone to clean for you, and you don’t have willing or nearby friends or family, make yourself push through the lethargy, because it *will* be worth it.
Remember to wash curtains and other soft things like couch cushion covers and table runners that collect dust and odors.
Anything that can’t be machine or hand washed should be shaken outside or beaten with a rug beater over a clothesline. At a minimum, air these things outside.
Febreze fabric refresher (not the room fragrance) also makes a big difference for those things that can’t be washed.
Speaking of curtains, window covering of some kind is essential to creating a cozy environment. Even if you don’t need the privacy that they provide, they literally and visually warm up your space. They don’t have to cost a lot; check Target or Walmart or make some out of sheets or cotton fabric if you have a sewing machine. They’re pretty easy to make. We’ve put links below to some instructions.
Next, you want to look at your lighting. Don’t underestimate the effect it can have on your environment – and your mood. There’s a reason that retail stores and dining establishments hire lighting consultants.
Overhead lighting does *not* say cozy – it says interrogation room. If that’s all you currently have in your space, get some eye level lighting sources. Again, you can get these cheaply somewhere like Target or Wamart, but also consider eBay for fun vintage lamps. If you do do that, you might need to update the wiring in the lamp for safety reasons, but that’s not too difficult. We’ve put some links below.
Plants are very important for a cozy, healthful environment, for a number of reasons. Not only is there research showing that exposure to nature is beneficial to our mental health, but you’ll also benefit from the oxygen that they produce in your space, especially in wintertime when everything’s closed up.
Since you hopefully will have people over to hang out at least occasionally, make sure that you have enough extra seating; think floor cushions or ottomans if space is tight.
If you’re doing your cocooning in cold weather, you might want to also look at how things will smell in your space, since it won’t be getting a lot of fresh air. Candles are fine, but also consider reed diffusers and electric or battery operated essential oil or scent diffusers.
Now remember, this video isn’t a template for how to optimize your environment, unless you want it to be. Just consider these suggestions and take away whatever works for you.
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