How does your home make you feel? Does it seem warm and inviting or does it seem to be crying out for some serious de-cluttering? Does it fill you with energy or does it sap it all out of you? Here are a few quick and easy tips to transform your home into your peaceful, personal sanctuary.
1. Leave No Room
It may be that dusty attic. Or the messy closet in the kid’s bedroom. Even a little bit of clutter that’s on your to-do list will weigh heavily on your mind. It’s better to have it over and done with rather than procrastinating and leaving it for that free window of time you’ll never get. Create harmony throughout your home by giving attention to every nook and corner. Even the ones hidden away.
2. De-Clutter
Clutter weighs heavily on the mind. And clutter at home is capable of chasing you all the way across town to your desk at work. Have a plan in place to tame that beast inside your closet and another to deal with the mounting pile of papers on the bedside table. You may want all your prized possessions on display in the living room. But having everything out, gives a sense of clutter. Less is more sometimes. Put out a few carefully chosen things and stow the rest away to be brought out in the next season.
3. Add Some Color
Colors around the house don’t just help in sprucing the place up, they also impact us at many levels. Scientific studies have shown that colors affect us on emotional, psychological and physical levels. Colors are also known to affect our appetite and moods. Choose colors of your home depending on the mood that you would like to generate. Vibrant colors, for instance can energize us and increase our appetite. If your aim is relaxation, you will need to select neutral hues.
4. Erase Bad Memories
Things that adorn our walls and decorate our mantels are usually experiences that we’ve had and memories that we’ve made. There are stories behind each such item of decoration that we have around us. Reminders of negative experiences that we’ve had can drain us and weigh us down. Being aware of items that bring with them bad memories and weeding them out of our living space can go a long way in creating a space that energizes us and fills us with joy.
5. Add Good Vibes
Surround yourself with things that bring a smile to your face. Add items from family holidays and fun trips that you may have taken. These will act as reminders of the good times you’ve had and uplifting people that you’ve met. These will inspire and nurture your soul, as you live surrounded by reminders of happy experiences and times.
6. A Daily Reminder
You can add character to a living space by displaying a quote that you believe in or live by. It can also act as a reminder during times when you need your spirits lifted. It needs to be placed in a spot where it can serve as a daily reminder that can help us stay focused on what we really want out of life.
7. Add Natural Elements
Incorporating natural elements into our living space adds a sense of harmony and peace to the setting. We are drawn to natural beauty by design and seeing natural elements around us gives us an inner sense of peace and calm. Natural grain in the wooden coffee table, pine cones and acorns ornately arranged, all feed the deep yearnings in our heart to be surrounded by nature.
8. Go Green
Plants are a great addition towards creating an elegant and peaceful living space. Not only do they add to the aesthetics, they bring you closer to nature and help clean and oxygenate the air indoors. Punctuating your living space with plants also helps reduce some of the toxic gases and fumes that are emitted by all the artificial products that we surround ourselves with.
9. Open Those Windows
The air that we breathe when we are indoors, is way more toxic than the air outside. Opening windows everyday helps circulate the air inside replacing it with the fresh air from the outdoors.
10. Cordon Off The Gadgets
Having different spaces for different activities can help us move from one activity to another gracefully. Create the layout of your home in such a way that you are able to designate a different space for each activity. This will help create balance and harmony in the house. Carving out a separate space for technology and gadgets for instance, will be a cue to your subconscious mind that it’s time for a specific activity.
11. Take Baby Steps
De-cluttering and organizing your entire home all at once can seem like a daunting task. Taking small steps each day and targeting just one item or area at a time will give you a sense of accomplishment, take you closer to your desired vision of a calm and peaceful home and at the same time, not seem overwhelming.
Good luck with the organizing!
