The walls have been stripped down to the studs, the kitchen is an explosion of pipes and wires, and let’s not even get started with the bathrooms!
The words “remodeling your home” and “stress” seem to go hand-in-hand.
Remodeling is certainly a big commitment, both in time and finances. Plus you never quite know what to expect when you strip your house to the bones. There could be mold, insects, dry rot, etc.
However, managing your remodeling stress is not much different than other kinds of stress. Only this time you have sledgehammers!
1. Feel Free to Smash a Wall
If you are doing a lot of demo work then smashing a wall or two with the sledgehammer can certainly be a stress reliever. It helps to focus all of your attention and energy into the swing and feel contact with the drywall.
There is something symbolic about tearing down the old to replace with the new. Plus, it’s just fun to smash things with heavy tools!
2. Get Some Exercise
The next best thing to smashing up your old drywall is to exercise. You get the benefit of the endorphin release as well as a helpful distraction. During your workout, your attention shrinks to what you are currently doing. Meaning, you’re not worrying about the budget or the timetable. Instead, you are more present in the here-and-now.
3. Spend a Night in a Hotel
It can be hard to live in your home during the remodel. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be. Plus, there is dust, dirt, tools, plastic sheeting, and everything else associated with construction. This can be really overwhelming.
A temporary solution is to spend the night in a hotel. It helps to create some space between you and the project. Also, you get some much-needed alone time.
4. Spend an Evening with Friends
Don’t want to overnight in a hotel but still need to get out of the house? Why not spend an evening with a friend?
You could go out to eat dinner or cook a meal in their kitchen. Cooking a meal together has the extra benefit of spending quality time doing something rewarding with another person. Afterward, you can wind up the evening with a board game or cards, which can help keep your mind off the remodel.
5. Clean Up Daily
Before wrapping things up for day spend a few minutes cleaning up the work area. For example:
Put tools and equipment away.
Sweep up debris.
Take the trash out to the dumpster.
Once you are done, consider yourself off-the-clock for the evening. Don’t let yourself be constantly thinking about the project. Even if you are not doing the actual work yourself and have hired a contractor, obsessing about the remodel won’t help move things along faster. It helps to detach yourself and focus on yourself.
6. Talk to a Therapist
If you are struggling with remodeling stress, then consider seeing a therapist. The problem with holding onto your stress is that it will come out eventually.
It’s not unheard of to have a remodel “meltdown” during the course of a project. The trigger could even be small and inconsequential. However, the result is that you still feel angry and frustrated.
Yet, now though you may have damaged the relationship you have with the contractor, or anyone else present at the time. Instead, when you talk to a therapist you can let loose all of these emotions on someone who understands and knows how to handle them.
Taking on a remodel project for your home is a very big commitment. It makes sense that you would be feeling a lot of stress. After all, there’s a lot riding on this project.
By finding creative ways to relieve your stress, you can be more present and make better decisions about the remodeling endeavor.
Please, reach out to us today for more ways about how we can help.
