4 Easy Things to do to Make Your Home a Happier Place

When your entire life is happening inside your home, especially these days, it matters how that space feels and functions. Your space should feel like an oasis — a refuge from all the not-so-good things happening in our lives. In fact, there are simple tweaks you can do to get your happy on at home.

Here are some tips to make your home a happier place during and post-pandemic:

1. Keep it neat. Clutter is chaos. It’s a suffocating presence that robs us of peace and joy. When your environment is clean you feel happy, motivated and healthy. Your home should be the antidote to stress, not the cause of it. Throw out, sell or give away the things that you don’t need, schedule clean up time and you’ll be on your way to more peace of mind.

2. Add decor that will calm your space. Studies show that people are happier if they surround themselves with furnishings that are emotionally satisfying. Bring elements in your home that spark inspiration. Focus on decorating your rooms with items that connect with good memories like hanging images of loved ones, displaying souvenirs from vacations, etc. Put away things that bring on emotional dissatisfaction such as unwanted gifts, or things that remind you of bad memories from the past. You can also consider incorporating feng shui elements that are said to bring harmony into a space.

3. Change the light. The Scandinavians, who rank consistently on top as the world’s happiest people, swear that lighting contributes to a more harmonious living. Look for bulbs that closely mimic natural light, like a warm white led bulb. Also, consider simply using candles when you want to cozy up with a book, meditate, or dine. Candles create a sense of safety, which is conducive to a happier mood.

4. Reevaluate the colors in your home. In general, nature-based colors are known to lift the spirits and create calm. Add more pale greens, deep browns, and sky blues in your color scheme. You can do a drastic repaint of rooms, but adding elements like fresh plants or powder blue pillowcases can make your space feel more like a sanctuary in a snap. But it’s completely up to you on what colors resonate with you most. You can refer to this chart for the meanings and impact of color on our emotions.