CREST NICHOLSON has been working with leading wellness expert, Jacqueline Harvey, to provide advice on how people across Sussex can improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Wellness continues to be a hot topic at the moment with IKEA launching its new sustainable Wellness and Yoga Collection this week, to help people across the UK to escape from the stresses of modern day life and relax in their own environment.

Crest Nicholson is experiencing a trend of buyers moving away from big cities to smaller rural towns and villages such as Hove, Faygate and Storrington to reconnect with nature. However, regardless of location, there are many simple things people can do to improve their wellbeing at home.

Here are Jacqueline Harvey’s top tips:

Carefully considered interiors

Homes that feature open plan living layouts and large expanses of glass like Crest Nicholson’s Artisan can stimulate a sense of calm in the home, providing you with a flexible landscape to create your own personal space that you can immediately relax in. A flexible layout also allows for the practice of yoga and meditation. De-clutter your home, decorate with a soothing colour palate, and use soft furnishings to enhance this positive mindset even further. Having abstract art on walls can also inspire creativity, and spark imagination.

Grow your own produce

When living in a city, there is a tendency to consume too much processed or chilled foods that can be eaten on the go or quickly prepared after a busy day. To improve your wellbeing you should change your diet to make it as fresh and clean as possible, sticking to simple, locally-sourced products. Outside of the big cities, people tend to have more time to cook meals from scratch, which forms the basis of a healthy diet.

If you have the space, I recommend growing your own local produce in your back garden. Rural locations are better suited to this, whereas in cities properties are predominantly flats or apartments lacking access to outside space or a garden. However, if you only have a small garden or limited space, growing herbs in your kitchen or tomatoes on your balcony can be really rewarding too. Gardening and cultivating your own produce has been proven to lower stress, keep you physically strong, and give you the satisfaction of creating something for yourself.

Practice mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are two important processes for calming the body and relieving stress. If you have the time, set aside ten minutes each morning to meditate. This enables you to focus and remove yourself from external pressures, which has a hugely soothing influence on the body and is immensely beneficial to your mental wellbeing.

Digital detox

Take a break from phones and the internet to calm your mind, and use it as a chance to reconnect with your environment. We are becoming increasingly cut off from nature and dependent on technology, and living in a world that is almost a virtual reality. Take a digital detox by setting aside time in the evenings and at weekends with no ‘screen time’ to concentrate on spending time with your loved ones and prevent yourself from being contactable 24 hours of every day. This will also stimulate your creativity to flow more freely, as you can transfer your energy spent scrolling, liking and sharing into something imaginative, original, and tangible.

Get involved

Moving to the countryside can be a daunting experience, particularly if you’re moving away from an urban area you’ve grown accustomed to. Some of my clients have praised the benefit of moving into a new-build property such as the ones on offer at Artisan and Kilnwood Vale. New build homes come as a blank canvas, and unlike many period homes, do not need any time-consuming renovations. This means residents are able to get out and enjoy their new community straight away.

When relocating to a new area, it is important to venture out to the local community as soon as you can, to immerse yourself in your new neighbourhood and get to know people in the surrounding areas. In Hove, there are lots of community groups local residents can join like the Brighton and Hove Debating Society and the Hove Hornets Running Club.

For example, when I moved to the countryside in the past, I joined the local knitting group – we meet once a month in the local café, and I’ve found it has been a great way to meet new friends in the area whilst learning a brand-new skill. Getting involved in a new community and engaging with local residents is fantastic for mental wellbeing, as it fosters a sense of belonging and builds a rapport with your new neighbours.