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Create a peaceful space Photo by J. Barnabee
Here are some ideas for making your home a refuge, a place to escape the stress of each day and relish in the joy of living.
1. Keep things neat and uncluttered. This is probably the hardest step but also the most crucial. Get into the habit of keeping a tidy home that leaves the mind worry-free. A great resource is Kathleen Kendall-Tackett's book The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity into Your Life.
2. Set a calming mood with music or the natural sounds of the outdoors. Choose something that suits you and your family.
3. Make tranquil spaces by giving them a central focal point, such as with a flower arrangement, a plant or a candle. Keep it simple. Find ideas on HGTV.com.
4. Get organized; make sure finding what you want and doing what you want can be stress-free. While you might be able to keep a neat space (as in number 1 above), you might not always remember where you put stuff. Focus on establishing a place for everything; the reassurance that something will be there when you need it removes stress. Julie Morgenstern has written a book called Organizing from the Inside Out that offers many tips for dividing your home space into "zones of activity" to make sure what you need will be where you need it.
5. Bring joy. When you enter your home, infuse it with the exuberance of being alive and being with your family. This outlook will be noticed and adopted by those around you. Only by consciously leaving the anxiety of work or school at the door can you truly make your home a refuge. Doing so can be a generous gift you give your family each day. While it may be unseen, subconsciously it does not go unnoticed.
For more info: If you enjoyed this list, check out some other articles on similar topics:
Top 10 things to do instead of watching TV
Getting out of the house can enhance the times within it
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