Your home should be a place you love coming back to – a haven of sorts, where you feel relaxed and happy. If you don’t feel this way when you come home, you may want to explore the reasons why.
What makes a happy home is different for everyone, but there are some tried and true methods that will enhance the feel of any space. Implement some or all the tips below to transform your humble abode into a happier place.
1. Tantalize Your Sense of Smell
Smell is a powerful sense that can impact your overall mood. Bad odors can quickly make you angry, while more pleasant smells can elicit fond memories. Even if they don’t have a memory attached to them, good smells can make you feel better. For example, citrusy scents have been found to make people feel energized.
To create a happy vibe in your home, burn candles, use an essential oil diffuser, or fire up a wax melter to release good scents into the air that will instantly enhance your mood.
2. Only Surround Yourself with Things You Enjoy
As time goes on, your home can become cluttered with many things that don’t bring you joy. We tend to hold onto things – like gifts, hand-me-downs, and product packaging – that just take up space without serving any real purpose in our lives. This collection of stuff can impact how you feel about your environment, so don’t be afraid to purge the things you no longer need, use, or want to create a relaxed, stress-free space.
Don’t feel guilty about it. Donate what you can so someone else may find joy in the things you don’t need. The next time you go shopping, make sure you only purchase items that truly make you happy.
3. Display Sentimental Items
Sentimental things bring joy every time we see them, so resist the temptation to store these items in a closet or drawer. Instead, display your sentimental items where you can look at them and enjoy their positivity every day. If they are valuable, this may mean displaying them in a case that protects them while still allowing them to be seen.
4. Let There Be Light
A bright, sunny environment can make you feel instantly energized and happy. When choosing window coverings for your home, look for ones you can open to allow natural light to shine in. Trim the limbs of the trees surrounding your home so they don’t block the sun.
If you don’t have a lot of windows in your home for natural lighting, be sure to install plenty of artificial lighting to create a bright, motivating space. You can hang mirrors in the rooms as well to bounce the light around and brighten the space.
5. Play Music in Your Home
Music is a great motivator and mood enhancer. Whether through a whole-house sound system or a portable Bluetooth speaker, play music as often as possible to lift your mood and help you relax.
6. Keep Your Home Neat and Organized
A messy space can cause stress and chaos in your life. When your home is disorganized, you can’t concentrate, and you tend to get cranky more often than you otherwise would. If your home is cluttered and you tend to feel better emotionally when you go out, it’s time to whip it into shape and boost your happiness.
Your home should be a haven where you can relax and enjoy life. The things that elicit happiness are different for everyone, but the tried-and-true methods listed above can transform any home into a happier place.