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How to have a happy home

How To (62) Lists (60) Healthy Home (45)

When you think of home, words like peace, safety and warmth hopefully spring to mind. It’s the place where we spend a fair amount of time and where we recharge our physical and mental wellbeing. It makes good sense then to have a home environment that makes you happy. Here's a few thoughts on what you can do to create and maintain a happy ambience at your place.

Image: Pixabay CCO Public Domain

Make a photo wall

Put this somewhere you can see it. Nothing is more happiness-inspiring than visual reminders of good times; put up your favourite pics of loved ones, special events, special moments, the kids, the cat, the dog, anything that makes you smile. After all, having photos on your phone is good but photos on your wall, fridge, corkboard or whatever place you choose is better. It’s a great and constant reminder that life has its beautiful moments.

Image: Pixabay CCO Public Domain

Lighten up

When selling a house, real estate agents always put on all the lights to make the home more attractive. Personally I always want to sit in the lightest room in the house as I find it affects my mood in a good way. So bring a little more light into your home, maybe by changing the window coverings, changing the use of a particular room or even just buying a new lamp to brighten up a dark corner.

Buy something you really want

Whether it’s a sound system, exquisite bed linen, a lovely piece of furniture, a picture, a labour saving device or the latest technology, splurge occasionally on something that you really want to have in your home. Then enjoy it.

Have something you love around

Well, people of course, but also those mementos that are precious. Heirlooms, trophies, treasured items of all descriptions should be displayed and enjoyed. Ok perhaps not the extremely valuable and breakable ones, but otherwise it’s good to have the things you cherish around you.

Smells good

We don’t always think about it but pleasant smells add a lot to a home’s atmosphere. Whatever your preferences in fragrance, add a little to your home via flowers, candles, pot pourri, essential oils or even using nice smelling cleaning products such as those with a eucalyptus base. Better yet make your own cleaning products with whatever fragrance you like.

Image: Pixabay CCO Public Domain

Food and drink

Coming home to an empty fridge is uninspiring and often results in takeaway (delivered or not) or at the very least, eating things that are not a first preference. Keep at least a few things that you like to eat and drink around. Particularly if you work full time this can make home look way more appealing, and save last minute trips to the supermarket and the fast food outlets which are not usually helpful to the household budget.

Chores

If there is anything around the house and garden that you really don’t want to do, but it needs to be done, consider getting some help. If you’d spend $50 going out to dinner but consider a lawnmowing person a waste of money, it might be worth thinking again. If the chore causes conflict in the household or multiple days of thinking “I’ll do that tomorrow”, either do it with good grace or get someone else to.

Sounds good

Perfect quiet might be your ultimate sound or it might be hard rock. There are so many devices available to play any kind of music you could want that your home can be filled at any time with the music of your choice.