How to Create a Safe Environment at Home

What does the word “sanctuary” bring to mind? You might picture a quiet garden or a peaceful temple. But what if your own home could be your sanctuary? When you are navigating a mental health condition, the environment you live in can have a powerful effect on your well-being. Creating a space that feels both physically and emotionally safe can be a foundational part of your recovery.

At Televero Health, we often talk with patients about the importance of their home environment. It’s not about having a perfectly decorated house; it’s about intentionally creating a space that reduces stress, promotes calm, and supports your healing. This is an active, empowering step you can take to care for yourself.

Physical Safety: The First Priority

For individuals who struggle with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, creating a physically safe environment is the most urgent and important priority. This concept is often called “means restriction” or “means safety.” It involves reducing access to any methods, or means, that could be used for self-harm. The simple act of putting time and distance between a person in crisis and a lethal means can save a life.

This is not something you should do alone. It is a step to take in collaboration with a trusted family member, partner, or friend. It involves:

• Securing Medications: All medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, should be secured. This could mean giving them to a trusted person to hold for you, or using a medication lockbox.
• Securing Firearms: If there are firearms in the home, they must be stored safely and securely away from the person at risk. This means locked up and unloaded, with the ammunition stored in a separate locked location. Ideally, they would be temporarily stored outside of the home.
• Addressing Other Risks: Depending on the situation, this might also involve securing sharp objects or other potential means of harm.

This is not about a lack of trust; it is a practical, evidence-based safety measure, just like putting a gate at the top of the stairs for a toddler. It is a compassionate act designed to keep you safe during your most vulnerable moments.

Emotional Safety: Creating a Calm Haven

Beyond physical safety, your home should also be a place of emotional safety. It should be a place where your nervous system can calm down and you can feel at ease. When you are struggling with anxiety or depression, your senses can be on high alert. Creating a low-stress environment can make a big difference.

Consider these strategies:

• Reduce Clutter: A cluttered physical space can contribute to a cluttered mental space. You don’t have to become a minimalist, but taking 10 minutes a day to tidy up one small area can reduce visual chaos and create a greater sense of order and calm.
• Manage Sensory Input: Think about what calms your senses. Do you prefer quiet, or does soft, instrumental music help you relax? Do you find natural light uplifting? Do certain scents, like lavender, feel calming? You can use things like dimmer switches, noise-canceling headphones, or an essential oil diffuser to create a sensory environment that feels good to you.
• Create a “Calm Corner”: Designate one small space in your home—a chair, a corner of your bedroom—as your personal sanctuary. Fill it with things that bring you comfort: a soft blanket, a good book, a plant, a favorite mug for tea. When you feel overwhelmed, you can retreat to this space with the intention of calming yourself down.
• Establish Routines: Predictability can be very comforting when your inner world feels chaotic. Simple routines for your mornings and evenings can provide a sense of structure and stability to your day.
• Set Boundaries: If you live with others, it’s important to communicate your needs. This might mean asking for a period of quiet time in the evenings or agreeing not to have stressful conversations right before bed.

Your home is more than just four walls and a roof. It is the environment where you rest, recharge, and heal. By taking intentional steps to make it a safe and calming space, you are building a powerful foundation for your mental health recovery.

Key Takeaways

• Creating a safe home environment is a crucial, proactive step in supporting your mental health recovery.
• Physical safety is the first priority, which includes “means restriction”—securing medications, firearms, or other potential means of self-harm, ideally with the help of a loved one.
• Emotional safety involves creating a calm, low-stress environment by reducing clutter, managing sensory input, and establishing predictable routines.
• Designating a specific “calm corner” in your home can provide a personal sanctuary to retreat to when you feel overwhelmed.

Ready to take the first step? We can help. Get started with Televero Health today.