How to Make Your Student Room a Place to Relax *

*Collaboration

Got a lot of work on at uni? Don’t get too bogged down.

Rest is just as important as getting those study sessions in, and without a proper disconnect, you’re only going to crash and burn.

Establishing clear boundaries between work, rest and play times is so important. Part of that is having a relaxing bedroom to come home to, where you can fully let your hair down and catch some zzz’s.

In this post, we’ll show you how to turn your student bedroom into a place to truly relax and recharge, so you get the most out of uni life.

Why your room should be a haven

There are some simple tricks you can use to make your uni bedroom a place to chill out.

Though you probably won’t have permission to paint your room or make any major changes, it’s impressive just how much can be done with lighting, perfumes, textured throws, and a dash of creativity.

Relaxation isn’t just about the aesthetic, though. As human beings, we need to ensure there’s a defined line between work and rest, and that can mean decluttering our lives – and our bedrooms – in more ways than one.

So without further ado, here are 7 of our top tips for making your uni room a relaxing sanctuary.

7 ways to make your uni room a place to relax

Keep your study area separate 

When you find your ideal student housing in Sheffield, Belfast, London, or whichever amazing UK city you choose to live in, having a dedicated study area in your room might not be top of your list of priorities. You will, however, come to realise how handy a desk and chair can be for last-minute deadlines and revision sessions.

But stop there.

If you feel tempted to pull an all-night study marathon in your uni bedroom, before flopping into bed in a haze of stats, stress and exam trivia, think again.

To truly feel rested and refreshed it’s important to draw a psychological line between your place of work and where you sleep.

If you find that you need to study in your bedroom, make sure you do something to separate your study space from the rest of your life. That could mean putting your laptop in a drawer once you’re done studying, or even putting a modesty screen in place to hide your desk.

Whatever you do, don’t study in bed! Keep your bed as your ultimate sanctuary spot – don’t let it be associated with stress and deadlines.

Declutter

Less is more.

If you find that your bedroom resembles a bombsite strewn with food packaging, dirty laundry, and tons of study books, it’s probably not an atmosphere conducive to either rest or productivity.

We know it can be hard to fit everything you own into one bedroom, but if you’re smart about storage, anything is possible!

Start by organising your wardrobe – give away any clothes that you never wear. Whittle down your clothes collection to the essentials and consider setting up a capsule wardrobe. This is essentially a wardrobe that consists of key items that can be mixed and matched in various combinations, without the need for excessive amounts of clothing.

Use storage boxes and under-bed storage (don’t just shove everything under there!)

Keep your desk clean and tidy, and try to avoid piling up books and mugs around your bedside table.

Maximising storage space and keeping everything neat will open up floor space in your room and give you a sense of calm and control, even when deadlines are flying at you!

Switch off

These days we’re all guilty of being connected to electronic devices 24/7. 

Whether it be studying using the Internet, binge-watching your favourite series, or aimlessly scrolling through TikToks for hours on end, it can be hard to switch off.

You’ve probably already heard that looking at electronic devices at night can seriously disrupt your sleep pattern, as the blue light keeps us awake and overstimulated for far longer than is natural.

If you truly want to make your uni room a place to relax, you need to learn how to step away from your mobile, at least when it comes to bedtime.

As difficult as it can be, there are tricks you can use to wean yourself off your mobile while you’re resting. You could use a blue light filter and set your phone to go into sleep mode between certain hours. Or you could download restrictive apps to monitor how much you’re using certain social media platforms. 

Or even simpler, leave your phone on charge at the other end of the room when you go to bed – that way you won’t be tempted to scroll AND you’ll have to get up out of bed to switch your morning alarms off! Win-win!

As for bedtime, try reading a book – you’ll be asleep in the blink of an eye, and will probably find that the quality of your sleep has improved. Even if it doesn’t help you sleep, reading something interesting by a bestselling author, like J.D. Barker, can help you switch off and relax.

Go for mood lighting

We all know that you can contribute to the atmosphere of a room with lighting, and that’s true of university bedrooms too. 

To create a relaxing sanctuary vibe, you need to let the room flood with as much natural light and fresh air during the day as possible. Natural light increases your body’s level of serotonin, which is a powerful mood-lifter and will set you up for productive study sessions and all-round good days.

When the sun goes down, opt for softer lighting. You can choose from overhead, table, and wall lighting, but try to avoid harsh lights or light bulbs that give off feeble dim glows (a recipe for eye strain!) Aim for a warm, cosy light that makes you feel relaxed.

For extra ambience, light a few candles (if your uni residence permits them). Candles can have a very soothing effect – just don’t forget to blow them out!

Get creative with colours and textures

In a similar way to lighting, our moods and emotions are heavily influenced by the colours we surround ourselves with.

Though you probably won’t be able to paint the walls of your university bedroom, you can have control over your bedding and general decor.

For a calming space, choose light pastel colours such as soft pinks, sky blues or sage green for your bedding. Or for a more cool Scandinavian vibe, go for crisp whites, creams and elegant greys. You don’t want your room to feel bland and cold, so try to inject some warm tones like a neutral beige in as well if you’re going for a chic look.

Textures can also offer a lot of comfort if they are used well. Just by adding in some chunky knit woollen throws or velvet covers for your cushions, you can feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury. For a simpler back-to-nature feel, stick to cotton, linen and rattan.

The goal is to feel cosy and safe.

Introduce greenery

Adding plants into the mix can really transform your student bedroom from a functional space into a homely haven.

Not only are plants easy on the eye, but they are actually good for our mental health and wellbeing! 

Houseplants have been proven to help purify the air while you sleep. According to the NASA Clean Air Study, English Ivy and Peace Lily plants can reduce levels of harmful pollutants in the air such as benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde.

So you can even detox while you’re sleeping!

Aromatherapy

For a nice finishing touch, use aroma diffusers to introduce some delicious smells and fragrances into your student room.

We often undervalue the power of smell, but it can play a huge role in triggering memories. Pleasant smells can have a calming effect, particularly if we associate them with happy memories. 

So choose a scent that makes you happy, and let that be what greets you every time you open your bedroom door.

Happy haven-building!

Hopefully, these 7 tips have inspired you to build your own student sanctuary and will help you to get the most out of your uni bedroom.

They serve as a starting point, but we’re sure you’ll come up with your own ideas to make your room your favourite place to chill out after a long day at uni.