7 tips for creating a happy home!

Want to create a happy home???

Our home environment is a pillar for the good life. Our homes are reflective of ourselves and our overall satisfaction with life. If we’re content with our lives, we’re more likely to put effort into making our homes cozy and welcoming. And vice versa: the happier we are in our homes, the happier we are in life generally. It’s a feedback loop. How happy we are with our homes also proves to be much more critical to our overall happiness than our income, whether we are employed, retired, single, married, or many other life conditions that we consider highly important to our well-being. Research also shows that general happiness with our home is closely linked to so many other components of our lives, such as feeling at ease at home, feeling safe, feeling connected with ourselves, and feeling in control.

Decorating for a happy and stylish home In Scandinavian style
Decorating for a happy and stylish home Scandinavian style

But why does where we live have such a significant impact on how we feel and and how we feel about ourselves? 

Well, for starters, our homes are expressions of ourselves. They’re a physical representation of who we are and what we’re about. Walking into a neatly decorated home with interesting decor and Labrador Retrievers running around tells us a lot about the person who lives there. We get a sense of their taste, personality, and interests. 

My dog is happy at home for sure
Happy home, happy pet?

 

 

Home identity

This is the feeling that our home is a place that is an integral part of ourselves. Home represents who we are and how we would like to world to see us. We express our personality through our homes and through our choices regarding its style.

We need our homes to be personal, decorated in ways that reflect who we are, what we love and what inspires us. And when we identify strongly with our home, we also feel proud of how and where we live. Our homes help us remember who we are and where and with whom we feel we belong.

If our home is cozy and warm, if it has been furnished and decorated with care, it signals that we are content and resourceful – or simply happy. But if our home is messy and decorated carelessly (if at all) with few pictures on the walls, it may signal that we are going through a tough time. When my son can’t get started on a school assignment, I will ask him to start out by tidying up his room (something that’s frequently needed). Cluttered room, cluttered mind!

Create a happy home and happy memories Create happy memories in a happy home´

7 tips to create a happy home

The next time you feel down in the dumps, look around your home. Is it everything you want it to be? If not, it may be time to make some changes. After all, your home should be your happy place, and you can only create that happy home by truly making it yours!

Fortunately, there are simple ways to do this. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Align space to  needs

It’s a myth that the larger our home, the happier we become. How we organize and subsequently perceive the space in our home turns out to be much more important than the actual size or number of rooms. You’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel in an aligned, purposeful and well-organized space. Our homes serves many purposes: they must be our retreats for relaxation while also being our productive workspaces; they must be inspirational spots for creativity, homework, and exercise as well as enable calm and quiet at the end of the day. Balancing all of this starts with living only with what you need. In this way, with room to breathe and space to think, we can live a more meaningful life

2. Add YOUR personality

Personally, I love to be surrounded by the things that carry a meaning for me. I make my space my own by adding personally meaningful objects, artwork, books, and favorite mementos. These items will make me feel happy and comfortable in my skin every time i see them. The items you choose to surround yourself with say a lot about who you are.

3. Green home, happy home

I have stressed this before: Not only do plants add life to a room, but they also have numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that plants can improve air quality, boost mood, reduce stress, and even help you focus. Introducing houseplants to every room in the home will bring a freshness into your living space. So bring in some greenery and let it do its job!

Happy home with natural light
Natural light and lots of greenery here

4. Fix the light

Often overlooked but highly important for a happy home and welbeing is how you design and set up lighting in your home. First priority is to let in as much natural light as possible. And my next tips for good lighting in the home is to look at how many light sources there are in the different rooms. Sometimes it is the lighting of a room or part of it causing us to avoid it. Check if your lamps are giving you what you need. Also, look at the bulbs in the lamps – sometimes it is not new lamps, but simply a replacement of the light bulb itself that is needed. Trust me; it can make a difference!

5. Get rid of negative energy

If certain areas of your home make you feel stressed or anxious, fix them! Replace items that bring you down with items that make you feel happy and uplifted. This could be anything from getting rid of an old piece of furniture or changing the color of your walls. Just do whatever feels right for you!  Get rid of broken things, unloved things, things for later use etc. These are the things that are clutter.

Natural materials, Sophisticated yet warm nordic interior
Natural materials, Sophisticated yet warm nordic interior

6. Create a cozy atmosphere

Make your home a place you want to spend time in by creating a cozy atmosphere. This could mean adding comfy throw blankets and pillows to your living room or ensuring your bedroom is peaceful. Whatever makes you feel most relaxed, go for it! 

Read on about the Danish concept of Hygge.

7. Think of your happy home as place to shape habits  

Finally, one of the best ways to create a happy home is to consider your home as a place where you can develop your personal style as well as  yourself.  Think of your home as a place where you can even nudge yourself a bit. Take some time to arrange your home in ways that facilitate good habits, – for your self and for your family. Shaping good everyday habits are key to a happy life and it starts where you spend most of your time!

Conclusion

If we want to be happy in life, we need to create a happy home.  By aligning our space to needs, adding personality, bringing in some plants, getting rid of negative energy, creating a cozy atmosphere ‘, and shaping good everyday habits  , we can create homes that make us happier people! In,  fact your are your own best happy home designer! 

Source: The Good Home report:  Meik Wiking 2019

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