Cultivating a Peaceful Place
When each item in your home has a purpose, whether it be for its utility & usefulness, or for its beauty, it can lead to a more serene space. Here are 10 ways to bring a balanced and peaceful feeling into your home.
- Keep Surfaces Clear Daily
Visual clutter can be distracting. Seeing stacks of papers, tangled jewelry, or piles of laundry can occupy a small part of your mind with thoughts of dealing with these items. To create a calmer experience at home, make it a routine to clear all surfaces in your house daily. Clear surfaces help you stay focused on the present moment.
- Declutter and Get Organized
Clearing surfaces is one thing, but completely decluttering your home is another. When you take the time to go through every closet, drawer, and cupboard and keep only the belongings you truly need or love, a weight lifts. Daily tasks become streamlined, lost items are more easily found, and important dates are no longer missed.
- Seek Help If You Need It
Admitting you need help and letting the professionals do their job can be the best approach. Hire a professional organizer to declutter, a decorator to help you find your style, or an architect to redesign your space, or simply a designer to rearrange spaces for a new and updated look.
- Incorporate the Five Elements
To embrace nature in your home, ensure that all five elements are represented: water (images of water, a fountain, flowers in a bowl of water), earth (stones, plants), fire (candles, incense, fireplace), metal (furniture, tools), and wood (furniture, beams).
- Keep Items off of the Floor
Like keeping surfaces clear, maintaining clean, clear floors can streamline your life and keep your attention on the present. If piles of things tend to accumulate on your floors, designate a specific spot for these items. Keep your floors clean and dust-free for a more pleasant space and better indoor air quality.
- Use Fewer, Meaningful Decorations
Reduce your decor items to include only those you truly love and hold meaning for you instead of buying cheap decorations in bulk. A few beautiful objects displayed carefully can be inspiring.
- Soften Your Lighting
Appreciate natural light and use it more often. Consider lighting candles instead of turning on overhead lights in the evening. Switch out regular light switches for dimmers to control the glow.
- Be Mindful of Texture
When decluttering or purchasing new items, consider how objects feel in your hand. Natural materials, such as rough jute, nubby linen, cracked old leather, pure silk, and raw wood, have some of the best textures.
- Opt for Natural Scents
Fragrances can have a significant impact on how you feel. Choose natural scents, such as those from beeswax candles, essential oils, natural cleaning products, and fresh garden flowers, instead of artificial fragrances, to create a purifying, calming atmosphere in your home.
- Set Daily Habits
Create a list of things you do frequently and use them as reminders to be present. Whenever you find yourself about to do one of these activities, take a moment to stop, breathe, and be present. This could be anything from adjusting the window shades to checking your email.