Our homes are an extension of who we are. One of the best ways to start cultivating a happy life is to take care of our living environments and to create a home that allows us to feel happy. With the investment of a little creativity and attention your home can become a haven that you can retreat to every day for relaxation and restoration.

Many people feel anxious and unsatisfied with their current home. And it is true that living in a place that makes us feel sad, anxious and unhappy is reducing our quality of life, but most people don’t have a bad housing condition, they have a bad attitude. Some people do live in really hard conditions but we are not talking here about them. That is another story to be told, but here we tackle the issue of those living in nice houses and still feeling dissatisfied. It is not the quality of the house and the furniture that is unsatisfying but the quality of the thoughts. So a happy home starts with you.

Creating a home that promotes daily satisfaction and moments of joy is key for pursuing a happy life. The tricky part is that only those can create joyful little corners, decorate with happy photos and lovely colors who posses these qualities themselves. You can move in your dreamhouse that is large, spacious, full of light, cozy , elegant .. you name it, and after a day or two you will start to feel that familiar little discontent creeping in. Why? It is because it is not the house that makes you feel happy. It is your attention, thoughts and attitudes that ensure your wellbeing and joy, and if these don’t change it doesn’t matter where you live, you will not be able to create the happy home you dream about.

+1 A happy home starts with working on your attitude first and on your home next. Many times we can get fixated on what is missing and forget all that is working well. It is a good idea to take a pen and a paper and look around you and start writing a gratitude list. Isn’t it nice that you have tap water, refrigerator, beds, windows, etc.? Aren’t things that are ideal? Yes, of course there is room for improvement, but it benefits you greatly to look on the improvement part only after you have established yourself in a positive attitude. Otherwise all that is lacking can hijack your attention and make you forget how much is already working well in and around your house.

Happiness doesn’t come from the size of the house or the quality of furniture inside it. It comes from the people living there. Happiness is something that is created daily so creating the right habits and routines can support your stability and wellbeing. Sometimes it is hard, I know, to move out of the discontent and feel better right where you are, but there are some practical steps we can all take to make our present home feel better, while we are creating the improvements we desire.

Here are a couple of easy things you can do to create a good feeling atmosphere in your home:

1. Keep your home clean and organized
2. Declutter and ensure plenty of storage for the things you need
3. Let the sunshine in and create the perfect level of lighting for each space
4. Optimize your spaces and create your cozy corner
5. Choose the colors well
6. Fill your home with fresh air and fragrance
7. Decorate with photos, art and add your personality to the spaces
8. Add fresh flowers and natural elements

8 Simple ways to make your home a happier place

1.Keep your home clean and organized

Start small and appreciate when it is clean enough. Doing only some occasional deep cleaning days won’t yield the results that you dream of. The trick is in the details, in starting small and sticking with some easy to do habits. Keeping your home clean is less about the time it takes and more about the regular, right habits. Some simple to follow guidelines are : make your bed every morning, don’t let dishes pile up, don’t let used clothes pile up. A dirty house has an impact on your mood. Focus on the high traffic areas, tables and the countertops. Clean these areas daily. A good time for it is in the evening when the activities are mostly finished. It usually takes just 5 minutes and has a big difference on your mood when you wake up to a clean house the next morning.

Besides the daily small tasks it is good to introduce a weekly cleaning day. All the family can know that let’s say Thursday is the cleaning day, so they know when to do their tasks and responsibilities. Telling them to “Take out the garbage” is less productive then instructing them that their task is to take out the garbage every Thursday. On this day you can focus a little more on cleaning your environment, on projects like cleaning the pantry etc. It doesn’t take much time 20-50 minutes if the daily routines are working well.

2. Declutter and ensure plenty of storage for the things you need

Keep things simple. You home is not a garage. It is not a place to showcase and store all your memories and favorite purchases. Clutter means chaos. You emotions are affected by the amount of data around them . Every item is a piece of data so it is no wonder that a home filled with lots of things feels emotionally overwhelming. It is too much emotionally. Basically it is too much mentally not just emotionally. Our mind is made in such a way that it wants to understand, categorize the data in our surroundings. So if it is too much data, spread around in a disorganized way your mind will end up producing a stress reaction. That’s why you start to feel frustrated, anxious in chaotic spaces, mainly if those spaces are dark and small.

So it is a good idea to keep your home and surroundings clutter free to allow a general good flow of attention inside your home. This doesn’t mean that you have to throw out all your things or donate your furniture. No, decluttering means in many cases reorganizing your things and creating harmony, flow and connection between the rooms and your items. The first and most important rule however, is to get rid of what you don’t use, what is permanently damaged and what gives you a bad feeling. When you get rid of what doesn’t serve you anymore, you can move on to focus on storage and organization. Do you have enough storage, what you can do to have more? What are the problem areas and what would I need to organize those items?

One of the designer tricks to keep a home clutter free is decor rotation. We all have all kinds of decorations because sometimes we felt like buying the elegant lamp and sometimes we just wanted more fun items in the house. So the idea is to keep them separated and don’t showcase all of them all at once. It is helpful to organize your decorations in seasonal piles and showcase only those items that match the actual season and mood. This is true for photos and textiles around the house too. Just like you rotate decorations you can rotate clothes seasonally. Even in the smallest house you can use your shelf space for the clothes that you actually use and keep the warm winter jackets in a box or bag, under the bed during the warm summer days.

3. Let the sunshine in

Light is very important to our mood. Unless you build or renovate your home, you don’t have much control over the amount of natural light that comes in, but it is a good idea to keep in mind to let the natural light enter your rooms as much as possible. There are some easy fixes that you can do to lighten your home without breaking the bank. When your windows and rooms are smaller than you want them to be and you feel that it is a little too dark inside you can : opt for light beige, white and gray curtains.

Clean the windows regularly. You will be surprised how much your rooms and your mood can brighten up when your windows are shiny. Opt for doors that have windows for even a door with a frosted window will let plenty of light through to brighten up a dark hallway. Adding wide light window trims are also creating optical illusions and making your windows look bigger and brighter. Make sure that your ceilings are white and simple. White ceilings make the room look taller which will help it look a little less dark. 

You can place mirrors strategically near windows and light sources. A big size wall mirror near a window can really amplify natural lighting. Placing a floor lamp next to the mirror can also have a similar effect. Floor lamps, fairy lamps can add extra light and also create a good ambience in the rooms. During the evening hours don’t rely solely on general overhead central lighting. Add table lamps, candles and other ambient light sources. Not only will they offer just the right touch of brightness, but also add a little lovely charm to brighten your soul.

4. Create your cozy space

We can all benefit from a corner, a room a designated space for unwinding. This is especially important if you are living with other people, but a zen space is something that you can create also when you are living by yourself. Creating your own sense of calm at home in a space dedicated to you functions like a little safe nest surrounded by your good energies. Decorate your space with cozy items that make you happy, like pillows, photos and candles. This can be your go to place for journaling and emotional unwinding.

Set aside time every day to go to your private corner and meditate, practice yoga or read. These moments will help you cope with the daily stress and start your days on a positive note. Your zen corner can be a space where you spend time quietly reconnecting with your thoughts, where you set your intentions, or focus on doing inner work. Creating a physical space that reminds you of your balance, calmness and good times can influence you to set aside time more often for this very important aspect of your life.

5. Choose the right color palette

Changing the colors of your house is relatively cost effective and can have a major effect on how the house looks and feels. Selecting the right palette is often a challenge. Color is not only about the walls. Color is about the color of the floors, the rugs and the furniture. You want to be sure that the colors of your walls, your floors and the large furniture pieces are matching in color.

How we perceive colors is very subjective so there is no right or wrong way to color your home. The idea is to choose the colors in a way that they feel matching and good to you. When the colors are not in harmony in your home they can make it look dark an uninviting, so the idea is to focus on creating harmony between the colors you choose and use.

It is generally a good idea to keep the walls as light as possible. White walls brighten up the rooms and add neutral background but they can feel sometimes too much like lacking personality. If the Scandinavian color palette is too boring for your taste you can always add color with accessories, furniture, rugs. So how to add personality and warmth without creating a color chaos in the house? The general rule is to choose one statement color that will appear throughout the house. Use vibrant refreshing accents in hallways, kitchen and living rooms where you want to feel vibrant and energized. Apply the soothing hues in bedrooms, bathrooms, and other spaces that serve as a personal retreat.

6. Fill your home with fresh air and fragrance

It is essential to have fresh air inn your home regardless of the season. Even in winter it is important to open the windows and air your house out. There are several physical benefits to it but fresh air also support you mental and emotional wellbeing. Fresh air can enhance concentration levels, enhance sleep quality and reduce fatigue and depression.

We need oxygen in order to function properly and to feel good and joyful. The stale air in the house is basically “used air” and breathing that in  can reduce your body’s oxygen supply. letting the sun and the air in is a good therapy for you and for your house. Ventilating keeps you healthier, because it reduces the risk of dust and mold building up.  The simplest way to ensure a healthy flow of air in the house is to open all windows and doors for a while, allowing a draft.

Fragrances are also an undervalued but important part of feeling good at home. When your house smells bad it is normal that you don’t feel joyful, relaxed and happy there. Bad smells are a source of stress and discomfort so take care of all the possible sources. Candles are a simple and nice addition to your home, that can add a light and gentle fragrance to the house.

7 Add plants, fresh flowers and natural elements

Plants make us feel better. House plants have been proven to reduce stress, reduce toxins in the air, boost your mood and improve productivity. Greenery adds life to the rooms and makes us feel more connected. It reminds us of the nature and it is livening up the house. Some plants are not only beautiful but they are acting as natural air purifiers. Try incorporating plants like aloe vera, peace lilies and snake plants in your bedroom for better sleep!

8. Add personality to your home

Without personality a house will be only a house, it won’t become a home. It is the uniqueness that adds personality to the spaces. it isn’t the furniture, the expensive décor and accessories. It can be something simple taht reflects who you are and what you stand for. Whether it’s paintings of mountains or the color orange, placing things around your house that reflect your personality will make you happier to live in the space.

Photo walls are a nice way to create a good feeling around the house. just don’t overdo it. A few photos can act like a gentle reminder of good times, good feeling things in your life but huge amount of photos can be jsut the opposite. Identify and select the memories that make you happy and display them on your wall. When you walk by those photos, you’ll remember how happy that moment was and it will surely brighten your day.

Sources and Further Readings : 15 daily tips for a happier home;

Credits: Featured image-PicsbyFran