Depending on what you read, where you get your information, and who you believe; the world is either growing or shrinking; more dangerous or safer; and somehow slower and faster paced, all at once. We suffer from air pollution, noise pollution and mind pollution, and it’s pretty impossible to find a quiet moment, let alone space.
All of this means one thing; you need your home to be a relaxing enviroment. A place to rejuvenate, take stock and fully relax. Your home should be the space that you can reconnect with your inner self and unwind, so here are 5 IDEAL tips on making your home a haven.
GO NATURAL
Outside your door, new buildings are going up each and every day, and your view out of the window is worsening in tandem. Time then, to introduce more natural elements to the inside of your home as a counterpoint. Houseplants bring a natural calmness to your space; not only purifying the air that we breathe by removing the toxins that linger in houses, but also – as research has shown – making us happy too.
Take this back to nature ethos a step further and review the knick-knacks and accessories that you have in your home; the things that you display should be aesthetically pleasing and also give you tactile pleasure too – your haven should appeal to all of your senses. Choose a stone vase or wooden bowls that are functional and made from natural materials that satisfy our primitive needs. Pay attention to scents, too; a real dealbreaker between haven and have not.
SET DEVICE RULES AND BOUNDARIES
Yes, you may feel that rules are the antithesis of promoting relaxation and wellbeing but setting a few household boundaries is definitely the way forward. Set a limit as to where and when you can use your smartphone or mobile devices. There should be no devices in the bedroom, for example, and none used during mealtimes. Ban them when time is spent shared; there is nothing quite as disheartening as sitting down to watch a film only to realise that halfway through, half of the viewers have spent half of the time looking at the wrong screen.
GET ORGANISED AND DECLUTTER
We all have the tendency to keep hold of things just in case we need them in the future, but the reality is that all this does is clutter our house, and in turn, our minds. A disorganised, chaotic home is not conducive to relaxation; make no mistake. Instead, make an effort to declutter the detritus that blights your cupboards and drawers and make way for a clearer space – you will find that once your home is organised and clutter free, your headspace will feel the same.
KEEP IT CLEAN
A clutter-free home is one thing, but a messy home is another household beast all together. According to some psychologists, the way we keep our environment reflects our state of mind and has a huge bearing on our mood, productivity and mental well-being. Indeed, the level of cleanliness around the home is a key dictator of our mood. It’s felt by most that mess leads to unproductiveness, or worse still, feeling unhappy. And it’s a vicious cycle; mess breeds mess, as we are less likely to find the motivation to clean. So if you want to make your home a haven, keep it clean.To take the hassle out of cleaning little and often should be your mantra; or you could always hire a home cleaning service. Simple.
BREAK FREE FROM ROUTINE
Spontaneity and surprise may seem counterintuitive to r’n’r, but the only ‘r’ achieved with routine is a rut – as in, ‘stuck in one’. The idea of home haven needn’t equate to slipping into your pyjamas at 8pm every evening with a post-dinner cuppa and re-runs of Dinner Date. No, it could take the form of making time each evening to spoil yourself, to go out, to host, to socialise and to self-improve. Variety is the spice of life, after all, and life’s best moments originate at home.
