One of the trickiest parts of feeling like you have a happy home would have to be stress. It’s not easy to feel calm and happy at home when you feel like there’s a massive to-do list of things that must get done and it never seems to get any shorter. It might seem simple enough to say “well I’ll just choose to feel less stressed at home this week” but it’s not always that simple. Sometimes we have to consciously work at it and do some practical things to help us feel less stressed out.
So to continue our series on embracing imperfection to create our happy homes, I thought I’d share 10 things you can do this week that will make your home feel happier and a bit lighter. Note: You don’t have to do all of them, these are just a few that could work well for you
10 things to try this week:
- Do a quick 10 minute tidy and organise for the next day before bed – so that things are ready to go for the morning and you don’t feel rushed
- Ask the people you live with about their day and stop, listen and engage with their answers – things can feel so rushed or exhausting that we don’t always make time to really listen to one another and make each other feel cared about. Asking about their day or giving a non-rushed hug can make you feel happier with each other
- Pick a room (Kitchen, Bathroom or Bedroom) with items that have expiry dates & clean out all items past their expiry date – grab an empty box and just pick a shelf or two to start with and remove anything that’s expired. You’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something and you won’t accidentally use something that’s past it’s expiry. here’s a how to
- Schedule a surprise treat/movie night – if home isn’t feeling like a fun place to be, then break out of the routine and surprise everyone with a movie or treat night. Order in a meal and make it as lighthearted as possible
- Drop something off your list that doesn’t really matter – there’s always something that’s not as urgent as we might think. Let some things slide so you don’t feel like you have so much on your plate
- Write a Thank You note or a ‘Just Because’ note and send it to someone – A handwritten note is a rare and special thing these days and it’s just as wonderful to receive amongst all the bills as it is to write one. Surprise someone who might need it.
- Take a silly photo with your family or friends – nothing makes you start to feel more lighthearted and happier than a competition to see who can pull the silliest face or make someone else giggle. Capture it on camera for those days you need another quick laugh
- Get a notepad and pen for the kitchen – having one in the kitchen lets you start a shopping list whenever you realise that something is running low. Keep it in the pantry or near the fridge so you can jot things down as you realise they are running out
- Allocate 10-30 minutes to tidying the one area of your home that’s annoying you the most – there’s probably one spot that makes you sigh when you see it’s untidy when you get home. Give yourself some allocated time to tackle it so that it’s not continuing to bother you. It might get messy again, but you’ll feel better for it being tidy – if only for a little while
- Take some ‘me’ time – even if it’s really tricky to fit in, allow yourself to watch a TV show you love or sneak in a snack you love or even some time to sit and read (or even get out for some exercise). If you really can’t have time alone, try to meet up with a friend for coffee and have a little routine break
It’s so important that we make an effort to make our homes feel happier. Once we take a moment to realise that if we want things to feel happier and for our routines to start to feel more lighthearted and easier, then we have to put in a little extra effort at the beginning so that they do just become part of our lives. Things aren’t always going to feel perfect and sometimes it won’t even feel like it’s making a difference, but it’s worth it to give it a try.
Maybe they’ll take a few tries before they start to feel like it’s helping and sometimes it will feel awesome that it just clicked. It doesn’t have to be perfect for it to work. You might need some time to see what works best for you. You don’t have to do everything every single day, but pick one and see how it goes.
Which one will you try first?
Note: The Embracing Imperfection series is a fortnightly blog post series, every second Thursday, where I talk about creating a great, happy home for you and for me. One where we not only talk about embracing imperfection, but where we make steps to do it. One where we focus more on the memories we are making and less of how picture perfect it might look from the outside. And one where we start where we are and stop waiting for things to be ‘just right’ before beginning.