Credit: pinterest
At a time when many are working from home in their pyjamas and juggling the work-life balance, the need for tranquillity is real. With your home turned upside down, you may be searching for guidance on how to organize and restore balance.
In order to achieve ultimate zen, like the organizational mastermind Marie Kondo, we’ve collected the best tips to get your space in order. Read on to discover eight ways to make your home more relaxed.
#1 Open Your Windows
Bringing a breath of fresh air into your home is easier in the springtime when summer is peeking around the corner. By welcoming a spring breeze into your home, you refresh the air that is circulating through it. Opening your windows can also help remove any germs or humidity that may be floating around the home. Moreover, science shows that this can help cleanse your lungs and help reinforce your immune system.
Besides, Maison Ito founder's Emilie Celine highly recommends using an aroma diffuser as she feels “they help provide a sense of zen and a feeling of cleanliness.” Some uplifting aromatic blends she suggests for this time of year are geranium bourbon, mandarin, petitgrain or bergamot.
#2 Add Plants to Your Space
Credit: home-designing.com
Plants provide a natural landscape and earthy quality to any space they’re in. Regardless of whether you have a green thumb or not, there are easy plants to care for that you can sprinkle into your space for a relaxing effect. Including plants in your decor will help bring zen into your home and even promote wellness. Scientific studies show that humans actually need plants as being around greenery can help keep stress and anxiety at bay. On top of that, plants have been proven to boost cognitive function, improve air quality, and facilitate healing.
#3 Incorporate Earthy Tones
Credit: Architetturaxtutti (1), Pia Ulin (2), Interiordesign.net (3), bubbelsoda (4)
Colors can affect us both emotionally and psychologically. To promote mental wellness, we suggest choosing soft and earthy tones for your home. Shades of white, beige, brown, green or grey remind us of nature and have a calming effect on the mind. You can use linen fabrics, rugs, paints or flooring to incorporate these colors and their soothing effect into your home. Should you choose to pursue a monochrome effect, be sure to choose some accent pieces that will add texture and volume to the room.
Bonus tip: For a helping hand in designing your new zen space, look no further than this popular mobile application.
#4 Create an Entryway
First impressions count and the same principle is true for homes. Entryways are the first and last thing you see when entering or leaving a home. Improve your home's impression by organizing your entrance hall to include hooks for keys, shelves for important documents or outgoing mail, and space to hang outerwear. You can also design a space for storing shoes to minimize the dirt you track into your home from the outside world. A well-organized entryway will and help you keep calm knowing that everything is in its designated place.
#5 Reevaluate Organization
Marie Kondo taught the world that you can spark joy with organization and millions of people agree with her. Cultivate zen and serenity in your house with tidying up. Because space in our homes is finite, it’s necessary to sort through possessions and choose to recycle, donate or get rid of anything that is broken, hasn’t been used in ages or we simply don’t need. Take on a minimalist outlook and remind yourself that you only need to keep essentials.
Bonus tip: For parents, Marie Kondo suggests getting kids involved in the KonMari organizational process to make tidying up a positive and playful activity they'll maintain throughout their lives.
#6 Keep Your Decoration Simple
Over the years, our walls, shelves, and minds tend to get clogged up with things. Although there’s nothing wrong with nostalgia, going the minimalist route when it comes to decoration can help you maintain a calm and zen home. Avoid huge collections of photographs or paintings and instead, choose to pair down your wall hangings. Handmade decorations —check out Artha Switzerland — crafted from nature’s bounty such as wool rugs or woven baskets can add simple, yet everlasting beauty to your space. Even a small vase with flowers can help beautify without dominating the decor.
Bonus tips: Swiss florists Bloem and Tom Flowers both offer subscriptions, which will make it simple to have flowers all year round.
#7 Adjust the Lighting
The most important feature of any room is lighting because it attracts the eye and sets the mood. Bright, harsh lighting not only pains us, but it can put us in a negative frame of mind. Strive for soft lighting that promotes a sense of tranquillity by using curtains or blinds during the day. At night, lighting your home with candles can help prepare your mind and body for relaxation. Small lamps are a good alternative for anyone who has children or doesn’t feel comfortable using only candles to light their sweet home.
#8 Learn to Accept Some Mess
Stress can influence our minds, bodies, and overall wellness if it bubbles up often enough. To minimize stress at home, it's necessary to learn to accept that some areas will always be messy, especially if you have children or pets. That’s why we propose that you welcome ideas such as Wabi-sabi, the Japanese belief that views imperfection as a kind of beauty. Although we’d all like for everything in our homes to be impeccable, that’s simply not always possible. Rather than stressing ourselves out about it, it’s healthier to learn to love those messy areas because they’re a part of the human experience.
Bonus tip: Watch this incredible story about wabi-sabi and lesson that keep inspiring Maison Ito's Facialist.
Credit: Tedx Talks
While many of us are spending more time at home these days, that doesn’t mean we have to put our wellness on pause. If you’re looking for ways to improve your wellness skills from home, why not schedule an Online Personal Coaching session with Maison Ito? In these one-to-one sessions, Emilie will teach you how to use massage to naturally beautify your skin, as well as share useful wellness tips. Choose the session that best fits your schedule with options of 30, 40, and 60-minute coaching sessions. Schedule your appointment today!
BY EMILIE CELINE
Comments