During the holiday season and beyond, your home should be your refuge and place to recharge after the chaos of work, activities, volunteering and running errands. However, a home can often have an unintended opposite effect if you’re surrounded by unfinished projects, clutter, and never-ending to-do lists. A few simple changes can help you feel nurtured and relaxed in your home instead of feeling stressed and behind. Below are a few tweaks to make throughout your home so you can cultivate a calming space that leaves you feeling calm, recharged and relaxed.
Remove Clutter
If there are items in your home that don’t serve you, you should remove them immediately. Whether it’s piles of papers, miscellaneous clutter, trinkets, or too many decor items on the shelves, conduct an honest assessment and remove the things that don’t bring you true peace and happiness. First, have a designated spot to place papers, mail and miscellaneous items that inevitably come into your home. Then, clear out this space once a week by throwing out items or placing them in their necessary spots.
Organize First, Style Later
Styling vignettes throughout your space can be tempting, but resist styling until you clear the area and establish an organization system. Then, you can determine the accessories to bring in and how these items will have the most significant functional and visual impact.
Choose a Calming Color Palette
A calming-to-you color palette will help your eye and mind rest, ultimately resulting in true relaxation. For some, this may mean light, soft colors, such as pale blues, greens, creams and grays. For others, this may be rich, dark colors for a cozy, enveloped feel. Complementing the color palette with luxe textures, such as cashmere, wool, faux fur, or velvet, will create an overall nurturing feeling.
Be Strategic With Lighting
The first source of lighting should be natural, so rethink how the light is entering your home. Whether it’s removing heavy drapery, rearranging furniture to allow more light to shine through, or rethinking how different rooms function can maximize the amount of light that shines through. Ensure all interior lighting sources have dimming features, so the lighting isn’t too harsh in the evening. Automating your lighting will allow you to walk into a perfectly dimly lit house as you arrive home from a long day.
Set the Soundtrack
Curate a playlist with songs that make you happy, help you relax, or a mix of both. Having a go-to playlist or station will signal your brain that it’s time to relax, and you’re in a calm, nurturing space.
Establish Daily Rituals
Identifying the rituals or tasks that bring you a sense of calm can help shift how you feel at home. Whether that means waking up earlier to meditate or journal, or completing daily tasks before you start the day, such as making the bed or starting the laundry, these daily rituals may make your mind feel more relaxed before the day even begins.
