Basic Steps to Transform Your Home Environment
Invest in Yourself - Invest in Your Home
We often hear the advice of 'invest in yourself' in order to improve your life - your health, your wealth, your career, your relationships. There are several articles out there giving us tips and advice on what the best and top ways are to invest in ourselves. And lots of people are more than keen on investing and spending huge amount of money on these, not to mention spending money on other 'stuff' just to make themselves feel better and enjoy life better.
But how about investing in your everyday environment, in your home where you spend a significant amount of time day after day?
Surely, buying your own home is still considered to be a great type of investment - you can even look at it as 'investing in yourself' - but mostly from financial perspective.
When it comes to the home many people become sort of mean to themselves and somehow see investing in their home as some sort of luxury spending that they cannot and do not want to afford.
I believe this is the wrong mindset.
Your home is the basis of your general wellbeing, the ultimate foundation of your health, wealth and happiness. Living somewhere is a necessity - it is in the bottom category of the Maslow Pyramid, the so called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - the basic human needs of sleep, shelter, warmth and safety.
In my opinion your home is a kind of extension of you - it is a reflection of who and what you are and want to become. It is like a mirror telling a lot about you, how you think, how you live, how you see the world and yourself and others in it, what is important to you, what you value.
It is a two-way interaction: what goes on inside you is reflected in the looks and the state of your home and the way your home looks and feels impacts your mood, your energy level, your thoughts, your self-esteem, your level of comfort, your general wellbeing, your relationship - everything.
So why not to look at your home - let it be your own or just rented - as a very personal investment that is a key to an all-round better and healthier life, an 'entity' that will help, support and serve you in all of your needs and treat it accordingly?
When I say invest in your home I do not mean 'big things', like renovating the whole property, getting new paints, floors or wallpapers, buying expensive furniture, installing air purifying system or security system. I actually mean the 'little things', the ones we oftentimes tend to overlook even though they can significantly improve not only the looks but the feel of a space.
Here are some basic simple tips on how you can easily transform your home into a better space to improve the quality of your life.
Tackle Clutter
This is the starting point. The fact is most of the people do not need more space, a bigger home but actually less stuff. In our daily life it is easy to accumulate all sorts of items - they seem to just appear out of nowhere until one day you realise that your home as well as your life are flooded by 'things' and there is no room left - literally and metaphorically. Clearing out unused, unnecessary and unwanted items can be empowering and deliberating. If you have ever done decluttering you know that it is not only the space that looks bigger, more airy and lighter, but you too feel lighter and more energetic. Make your habit to go back to the essentials from time to time, discarding everything that has no more use and purpose in your home and your life and to redesign and revitalise it with a new look and with fresh, positive energy.
Give your home regular TLC
We all need kindness, love and attention. So does our home. This can be anything from a very small thing, such as buying a nice bunch of flowers or hanging up a home-made art work to some bigger improvements, like repainting your entrance door or getting your carpets cleaned. The point is that it does not cost a fortune and it does not need much time investment and effort yet it can notably improve your space. Treat your home as you treat yourself. You take a relaxing bath to refresh yourself - refresh your home by keeping it clean and tidy. You go to the dentist if you are having an aching tooth - call the plumber if the kitchen sink is leaking and do not wait until the problem grows bigger. Your home will thank you the care in the long run.
Personalise your space
Your home - your story. Your home has to be a place that represents you, your journey, your current state in life and your vision for your future self and future life. It should mirror your personality, your tastes, your likes and needs so you can fully enjoy the place where you live. Surround yourself with items that truly describe and personify you and your story, the ones you love and care about and remove those ones you keep only through obligation. Things that do not belong to and do not represent you have no place in your home.
This is actually also a way of giving your home that love and attention as you will only keep things in your home that make you feel joyous nurturing a positive connection between you and your home. Also it will help you keep your space clutter-free as you will only have your most beloved and valued treasures.
Light and lightning
How a space is lit has a profound effect on our mood and energy level. Thus good lightning is crucial when it comes to a healthy home that has a positive and warm vibe. The best if a place gets lots of natural light flowing trough the windows as it works with alignment with our body and our circadian rhythm. How bright or dark a space is influences our cognitive abilities and productivity as well. The mind is sharper and it is easier to concentrate in a well-lit space.
Natural light throughout the house is definitely encouraged in a home that promotes health and happiness. So is a well-thought and well-planned lightning system. In general the two most important facts to consider when planning your artificial lightning are the facts that humans feel more comfortable in spaces with certain distributions of light, and that our bodies are designed to respond to light and darkness as cues for being awake and asleep. So when planning the lightning of a given room you need to think of what kind of activities will be carried out in that room. Also, if possible, purchase the full spectrum lights which provide the equivalent light of the sun in stark contrast to the non-full spectrum rights.
Room layout and furniture positioning
The layout and furniture arrangement are crucial to a room's comfort and function as, if it is done thoughtfully, it can make wonders to a room. First of all in terms of maximising the space in a room - it will look, feel and be more spacious so you can move around more easily in the room, can access to everything you need to. Then it can make a space look aesthetically more pleasant and stylish. With a few small decor items, such as some new cushions, a throw it can look like a complete new room as if you had bought new furniture. Also, it can refresh the space energetically as the change will stir up fresh energy breathing new life into the room. Just repositioning or swapping around a few pieces can make the trick to give a whole new looks and feel to a space.
When planning the furniture arrangement of a room you need to work in accordance of the function of the room taking into consideration both of the natural and artificial light sources as well.
Bring nature inside
It cannot be stressed enough how positively nature impacts us in general. It helps you realign your energy fields, destress you, lower your blood pressure, lift your mood and boost your level of physical and mental energy. By bringing the natural world into your home you can utilise this impact within your space as well. This is especially important if your home does not have any outdoor area. Plants and flowers, water features or even pictures of nature are great ways to make your space feel more connected to nature.
Improve the air quality
Oxygen, clean air is vital for the survival and the health of humans. We cannot exist without it. We live in an era where air pollution is a severe problem. We, as individuals, cannot do too much on the global scale as it is mostly out of our direct influence and control but we still can do our own bits on the personal level in helping to improve the air we breathe in. There are lot os different ways we can do to make a difference to our air quality. The best and actually the most important place to start paying attention to this is our home.
If you only apply the previous point - bringing nature inside your home - you have already done a lot. There are specific plants that are especially good for air purification as they are very effective in removing airborne toxins and chemicals.
Regularly airing your rooms is also important to get rid of stale air and toxic energy - unless you live in an area where you actually let more pollution in then out when opening up your windows. Air your spaces three times a day: in the morning and in the evening, especially in your bedroom to get fresh air, and around early afternoon to 'refresh' the indoor oxygen level.
Try to avoid air-conditioning as much as possible. If it is not viable then make sure the filters are replaced for clean ones on a regular basis.
Also try to avoid artificial air-fresheners - they actually add more toxin to your space. Apply instead aromatherapy - several essential oils are great for air purification. And they come with the 'secondary benefit' is making you space smell pleasantly.
If you apply these point you can lay down the foundation of a happy and healthy home that will make you healthy and happy too.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Or have a look at here to see how I can help you.
And by all means download your beautiful gift, the Home Harmony Starter Kit, that will help you become more aware of your space and build a stronger connection with it.
Or you can just book a free 15 minute-long Discovery Call with me to explore your options and how I can help you.
