Small Home Changes That Bring Happiness

Whenever you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, your first thought is probably to go home. Indeed, the idea of home has connotations of safety, peace and calmness.

However, not all homes are created equally. Some properties make us feel uneasy and just generally unhappy.

This is becoming more and more common now that working from home is now a norm. The boundaries between work and play are getting blurred and it’s affecting our well-being in our very own space. Of course, other things can contribute to this. Temperature control, cleanliness and even just the colours of your walls have some sort of influence on your mood.

In this blog, we’re going to talk about ways to make yourself happier at home.

Declutter Your Living Space

A study from the University of New Mexico suggests that your environment, especially your home environment, has a considerable influence on your mood. This means that if your space is cluttered, claustrophobic and just generally unkempt, it’s going to have an adverse effect on your emotional and mental well-being. Your surroundings can affect the way you study, the way you work and even how you interact with your family and housemates.

The theory is that many people closely identify with their environments. Therefore, their experiences are heavily influenced by the state of their surrounding space.

Because of this, it’s important to keep your home organised and decluttered. If your space is looking really chaotic, you need to have a structured way of decluttering your home. You can do it room by room or you can start with things out in the open and then move on to things in the drawers and cabinets.

Once you start the process, you can sort your items into five categories:

• Misplaced items
  These are the items that you’re planning to keep but have been placed in the wrong room, the wrong drawer and so on.
• Repair
  If certain items need repair, they will need to be put aside for mending before they’re put back into storage.
• Recycle
  It’s important to separate recyclables from the general waste. Common recyclable items include cardboard, paper, metal cans and glass bottles.
• Bin
  These are items that are going to be thrown out along with general household items. It’s important to understand what can and can’t go into a regular waste bin. If you don’t adhere to the local laws regarding waste disposal, you can get a fine and/or cause damage to the natural environment.
• Donate or sell
  If you have items that you don’t want anymore, you can simply donate them, give them to friends or sell them. These are usually items that are still in good condition and cannot be thrown away as of yet.

Consider Minor Renovations

The small, mundane things in our daily routines are what makes up most of our lives. If the small things are always bothering you, then you’re always going to be unhappy and unsatisfied.

Think about some of the seemingly trivial issues that bother you every single day. Do you hate how the drawers in your kitchen aren’t closing properly? Is there not enough storage space in your bathrooms? Well, you don’t actually have to endure these little nuisances for years and years and years.

All these things can be remedied through home renovations. The best part about renovations is that they can be focussed on a particular area. So, if you just want a kitchen renovation, you can do so. You don’t have to worry about spending a significant amount of money on rebuilding your entire house.

By fixing these ‘little’ problems, you can make your daily routine much easier. This will then put you in a much better mood throughout the day.

Bring in Nature to Your Home

Putting plants into your home space can enhance the air quality in your home. They can reduce air pollutants, absorb toxins, produce oxidants and regulate the humidity in your home. This, in turn, uplifts your mood, boosts your productivity, and increases creativity.

In addition, having plants in your home will force you to take care of them. Having a relaxing task to do on a daily basis can help you get your mind off of work, school or other life worries. Gardening or even just watering house plants can act as an emotional anchor whenever you’re feeling off-centre or out of balance.

Have a Proper HVAC System

Temperature control is necessary if you want your home to be as comfortable as possible. But it’s also a necessity if you want your cognition and emotional management skills to be in good shape. Studies have shown that cold exposure can affect several cognitive domains and that extreme heat can cause increased anger and frustration.

So, if you want to feel happier and more productive at home, you need to invest in a good HVAC system. Ideally, you’d want one that effectively heats or cools down your home without using too much energy. If you get an energy-inefficient HVAC unit, not only will your home be less comfortable, your electricity bills will increase as well.

You should also think about energy-saving features that you can install in your home. This could be wall insulation, double-glazed windows, and so on.

Make Your Home Your Own

Finally, it’s important to fill your personal space with things that you enjoy.

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of always trying to impress other people. Many of us make decisions based on how we think other people will view us rather than how we feel. As a result of this, we make a lot of decisions that make us unhappy.

So, if you don’t like that modern coffee table or that abstract piece of art, then don’t have it in your home. If you’d rather display a signed sports jersey on your wall or a cheesy 90’s video game poster, then do it. It’s your safe place after all. When it comes to your home, there’s always room for improvement. Don’t be afraid to make changes that you feel can improvise your experience within your own living space. Since you’re going to be spending the majority of your time within your property, it’s only right that you make it the best experience possible.