Our home is an extension of us: what we do and see inside our home will affect our mood, our productivity, and our happiness. Several motivators advise that an efficient way to increase our happiness is by making small changes in our day to day. And that big changes will come organically after these small adjustments. Therefore, since our home is a big part of our daily life -and our happiness: we have brought you some tips to make your home happier!
Tips to Make Your Home Happier
1. Make your bed… every day!
This may sound like our mom who always told us that “we had to make the bed” before going to school but: there is a lot of truth behind this habit.
They call it a “keystone habit”. What several studies explain is that when you make your bed in the morning this action triggers a series of actions that will lead to being more productive and / or happier during the day. Writer Gretchen Rubins, author of the New York Times best-selling “The Happiness Project” explains in her book that this 3-minute or less habit truly has a positive impact on our day.
2. It’s hard to make a difference, when you can’t find your keys!
An orderly home allows you to have peace of mind in many aspects. We do not expect you to have house perfectly tidy and clean at all times. Because we understand that in the hustle of daily life it gets dirty and messy and that is normal. Instead, what you can do to be happier at home is to keep important things in order. Like putting a tray and an entry table so you always know where your keys will be! This at the time of leaving the house can save you a lot of stress, and therefore make you happier!
3. Display Things with Sentimental Value
As we mentioned before our house has a lot of influence on our mood. So it is important that what we see can bring us feelings of joy and comfort. Sounds simple right? So a good idea, which is not difficult to do, is to decorate the house with things that have sentimental value. For example, a photo of a family vacation, a shelf of all your favorite books, a drawing your children have made of you, and much more. There are even plenty of craft ideas you can make yourself at home, whether it’s from sentimental scraps or creating something of value from scratch. This can even be an activity with the people who live in your house that can contribute to your relationships with them. It’s a win-win!
4. Invest in Experiences, not things
Hand in hand with the previous point, we want to advise you that from time to time it is a good idea to invest in material things that generate experiences as a family, or in the group of people who live in your home. As an adult living alone, I understand the thrill of buying new cushions for the couch – boring as that may sound! But sometimes it would be a good idea to buy a table game, instead of a new set of dishes. Because through this purchase you will be able to cultivate moments with the other people who live in your house and this is why this is part of the tips to make your home a happier place.
5. Talk to the People you Live With
At NATIVU we believe in the value of turning off your phone, and looking people in the eye. This means that even though we understand that technology is a big part of our daily lives, it will never replace a personal conversation. That is why it is of great importance to emphasize in this separate point. The value of a healthy interpersonal relationships with the other inhabitants of your house.
We can all say that we have been angry with someone in our house, be it our siblings, parents, cousins or aunts. At some point mishaps happen that lead to tension in the house. Which is normal! But if you have cultivated a healthy relationship at other times, and have socialized with this person then fixing this situation is not going to be difficult. And your happiness is not going to be affected despite these normal problems.
6. If you Can’t get Out of it, then Get Into It.
A common coexistence problem is home cleaning: everyone wants it done, but nobody wants to do it. The aforementioned writer Gretchen Rubins, in her book “The Happiness Project” talks about how if you can’t remove these chores or at least delegate them to someone else, you will have to enjoy doing them. And we do not mean that you are going to force yourself to like it, but what we want to advise you is to find the way you like it. If you don’t like washing dishes, but it’s your turn today, you can put an episode of your recent obsession series on your cell phone and watch / listen to it while you wash. Or put on a playlist of your favorite childhood songs and dance happily in the kitchen!
Besides, at NATIVU we think that you live happily – and invest wisely: and this means more than money, but your energy too. This is why we want you to be able to make your home a happier place, since we know the weight that it carries in the process of happiness! And that happiness is a decision, and it is not a destination: but a process.
