Your room can be a reflection of who you are
By RUMA POUDELL — arts@theaggie.org
As college students, many of us are frequently moving into new spaces. Whether it be a dorm room, apartment or house, these areas often become reflections of who we are and where our headspace is.
Regardless of your living situation, one piece of advice that can lead to healthier, more successful days is making your bed first thing in the morning. While it’s a simple habit, it holds value. Cleaning up your room and leaving less clutter promotes a clearer mental framework for your conscious to reside in as you physically reside in your room.
If you’re surrounded by mess, it’s most likely going to leave you feeling a bit antsy. This can bleed into other areas of your life, making you less productive or functional. And it goes the other way around too; if your headspace and organizational skills are a bit out of tune, it may manifest into the physical realm as a messier room. So although your mom probably isn’t reminding you to clean your room anymore, she might have been onto something, and it’s a good idea to do so for your own sake.
After cleaning up, decorating can be a fun, affordable way to bring joy to your space and show your style. Nesting your room is an extremely personal and therapeutic process; it is also why each of our rooms is unique, despite being constructed of similar walls and floors.
For example, I love my cousin’s room arrangement. It features green bedding, wooden and gold decorations, a swing and white furniture. Despite how much I like her decorations and set up, I could never see myself living in it because it’s so different from me and my personality. While her decoration is simple and dainty, my room is way moodier. I have dark brown and black furniture, artwork and memorobelia like bus tickets covering my walls, colorful decorations and many plants.
If you don’t know where to start in your decorating, there are lots of existing styles which you can draw inspiration from.
One popular style among Gen-Z is bohemian decoration, more commonly known as “boho.” Associated with free-spirited artistic movements and dating all the way back to the 1800s in France, modern variations of this style includes lots of patterns, greenery and wood accents.
Specific popular decor items that can be found in many younger people’s spaces include LED color-changing strip lights that you can stick to the corners of your walls, expressive tapestries and lots of plants. Candles are also a popular way to add some sensual, pleasant-smelling elements that double as visual stimuli.
Places like Amazon, Target and Ikea, as well as local thrift stores sell a wide variety of decorations at inexpensive prices, and lots of decor can actually be crafted, so decorating your room to your own personal taste is possible to do at a relatively low cost.
In the process of cleaning and decorating your room, you may even find a creative outlet or way to express yourself to visiting guests. Keep your room tidy for your own sake — and have fun with decorations while your’re at it.
Written by: Ruma Poudell — arts@theaggie.org
