With all this time spent working from home, it’s been a challenge to strike a good work/life balance for me. But it’s also meant re-assessing and re-investing in my home so that it can be as restful and peaceful a space as I can make it. Here are the 5 really simple things I’m doing right now to cultivate a calm, relaxing home.
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1. 10-Minute Daily Clean-Up
Everyone has that ONE area (or two or three 🙂 ) that is a bit of a daily disaster. Whether it’s your entryway, your family room, or bedroom, it never remains tidy for long.
So rather than trying to keep up with every area of the home all the time, I’ve simply focused on the BIGGEST daily eyesore.
For me, it’s the kitchen island, more often than not. It’s in the center of our Great Room and is the most visible and, therefore, irksome spot to walk past as things collect there – daily.
Each night, I take 10 minutes to put away clean dishes from the dishwasher (if any) and load dirty ones.
Doing this ONE THING in the evening means that I’ll be waking up to a neater and tidier Great Room and kitchen 🙂
2. Decor De-Clutter
Yes, you read that right! As much as I love how decor creates a chic and cozy home, it can also create a chaotic one if I’m not careful.
If you, too, feel anxious in a busy or cluttered space, it’s time to simplify your surroundings.
Try to be as minimalistic as possible and put things out that serve a purpose and then be sparing when it comes to decor. You’ll feel more at ease and less anxious when the area is more open.
How much or how little you leave out is entirely up to you, but see where you need to cut out the ‘visual noise’ and remove it.
That’s been my habit these past few months and I am feeling the better for it.
3. Soothing Sounds & Music (even a cat could love)
Recently, hubby found me listening to the sound of soft rain on YouTube (yes, that exists!) and gave me the look that said “you’re weird” 
But for me, it’s been one of the most RELAXING things I’ve been doing of late.
Soothing sounds from nature – like rain, ocean waves and chirping forest animals – or soothing music – like classical, jazz or worship music – have a proven scientific benefit, helping our mind and body to relax.
Just ask Frite, our cat who looks – somewhat – relaxed 😉
Find genres that YOU like and that bring you comfort and peace. You can create a playlist on Spotify or search for streaming music and/or soothing sounds on YouTube.
Here are just a few of my recent favourites:
There’s even a channel that combines the gentle sound of rain with coffee shop jazz called Calmed By Nature. (You can even hear the occasional spoon stirring in a cup. It’s a must-listen!)
4. Scents that Create a Sense of Calm
Now, when it comes to dispersing scents in my home, I don’t do this often enough, but lately, I’ve needed it.
Whether it’s using my DIY Re-Usable Essential Oils Plug-In, lighting a candle, or simply enjoying the fresh scent of cleaning products, (the Method line of natural, eco-friendly products are some of my favourites) I find these always put me in a better frame of mind.
(For more suggestions on natural, environmentally-friendly cleaning options, see my Facebook Live where I shared “What’s In My Cleaning Caddy?”)
Once you find the scents you love, use them often to remind your brain to rest a while 🙂
5. A Realistic Weekly Cleaning Schedule
Here’s where I get REAL – like REALLY REAL – with y’all:
After being at home for a while, the state of my house started to drive me bonkers. This was, in part, because I had to lay eyes on our space more often than I would have done while I was still going to the office daily.
So I decided to create a simplified “Weekly/Monthly Cleaning Checklist” and broke it down into zones like “Great Room,” “Kitchen,” and “Foyer.”
BUT here’s the thing: I REDUCED my list of tasks SIGNIFICANTLY.
Instead of tackling all of the tasks, all of the time, I decided to cut the list in half so that I could complete the list over a two-week period.
And here’s why.
In trying to maintain all the areas of the home, all of the time, I found myself just giving up.
I felt overwhelmed, exhausted and unmotivated.
But when I gave myself ‘permission’ to tackle half the tasks one week, and half the next, I felt far more motivated.
And, you know what?
Something magical happened.
After about a month of giving myself permission to ‘neglect’ certain areas of the home, I felt so good about completing my weekly checklist that I suddenly felt motivated to go the extra mile!
As a result, I’ve been adding a couple of extra items to my weekly routine, but without making it a ‘must do’ task. This way, if I can’t get to these extra items, I won’t feel badly because I’m still completing my list.
Win-win.
It’s been a strange and gratifying psychological experiment that I would HIGHLY recommend.
Takeaways from Today’s Post:
10-Minute Daily Clean-Up
Decor De-Clutter
Peaceful Sounds & Music
Soothing Scents
Create a REALLY SIMPLE Weekly Cleaning Checklist
Taking a few extra minutes each day to cultivate a peaceful, relaxing home was the best thing I did during this time. While it continues to be a work in progress – no surprise – these 5 simple things I’ve been doing lately have had a really positive impact on me and my household.
Wishing you a calm and restful home.
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