Personal happiness is an off-touted, rather trendy topic of late. Everyone wants to be happier, and there are as many ways to achieve happiness as there are books/blog posts/podcasts dedicated to the topic.
Today, though, I’m sharing some easy solutions to cultivate a different, but just as important, type of happiness, your at-home happiness. Because, let’s face it, if home really is where the heart is, than it should be the first place you pay some attention to when you want a happier, more fulfilling, life.
1. Clear the clutter. It’s an obvious step, but one that bears repeating. Mess equals stress. Clear the clutter, even if it’s just tackling one small area at a time, a bookshelf or a junk drawer, for example, and you’ll instantly feel accomplished, lighter and more at peace in your space. I recently organized my pantry to encourage independence in my children. It was a simple project, but one that makes life easier (and therefore, happier) each day. Two great books on this topic include The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Clutter Free.
2. Let the light in. I know I can’t be the only one who feels happier in a bright and light-filled home. Make it a habit to open your curtains each morning, and fill your home with various overhead and task lighting. A good mix of light sources helps your home’s ambiance, and also allows you to complete household tasks (reading, cooking, etc.) with ease.
3. Fill your home with items that you love. It’s hard not to be happy at home when your space is filled with meaningful items. Travel souvenirs, kids’ artwork (I share how I display our kids’ artwork in this post), a childhood stuffed animal or pointe shoes from your brief ballet career…anything that has sentimental value to you can be displayed to make your home, and you, happier.
4. Display your collections. Along the same lines as filling your home with items you love, displaying your collections lends your home purpose, life and a story. Unexpected collections, such as paint-by-numbers paintings, PEZ dispensers or colorful glassware, add a bit of quirk and surprise to a home’s decor that definitely can give you a happiness boost.
5. Add color…and use lots of white. It sounds contradictory, I know, but cultivating happiness at home can be achieved by both using bright, fun colors…and giving your eye a place to rest by using lots of white. Depending on your personality, a bold and colorful room can definitely add to your happiness, as can having a neutral, restful palette that soothes the soul.
6. Fill your home with flowers, plants and other natural elements. As I write this, I’m looking at a ceramic vase filled with grocery store greenery, a boxwood wreath hanging on window panes, and I can count 5 other containers with either faux or real plants around the room.
Plants and flowers add life and soul to a home like almost nothing else can. It doesn’t have to be costly either; walk outside and trim a few branches of something pretty, stick them in a mason jar, and watch your happiness rise.
7. Create a home tailored to your family’s needs. It sounds obvious, but good design should not be at the expense of your family’s needs. Does the idea of an indoor sandbox appeal to you? Or how about a swing set table? It may seem odd to others, but if it works with for your family, I say you should go for it! Your happiness will thank you for it.
Inspired to begin cultivating a happier home? Me too. Gretchen Rubin’s book, Happier at Home, is my favorite book on the topic, and my go-to when I’m looking for a bit of “happy home” inspiration.
Thanks for reading!
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