FINDING YOUR FABULOUS FALL

As the old saying goes -- home is where the heart is, but that doesn’t mean your home environment isn’t causing you stress. It should be a sanctuary where you feel at peace. However, many things can add a tinge of tension in your home. It’s important to take a good look within your walls and see what is heaping unnecessary stress upon your life and take control of it.

Here’s how to make your home environment as stress-free as possible so when you come home, you're met with a peaceful, safe feeling that helps you rejuvenate and relax.

1. Make a happy place

Your home doesn’t need to be big to have an area of happiness in it just for you. If you have a whole room you can use, great! If not, create a cozy nook for reading or unwinding that’s your own space to decompress in.

2. Always make your bed

It might seem silly to make your bed. After all, you’re just going to mess it up later. But even if all else in your life is pure chaos, coming into your home after a long day and seeing a nicely-made bed will leave you feeling more put together than not. Plus, it really only takes a minute to do, so why not?

3. Let in more natural light

Dark rooms make us more brooding. If possible, let those windows open up your home to more light. If you have a room that doesn’t get much sunlight, choose lighter colors and reflective pieces to make it appear more extensive and more open instead of more constricting.

4. Cut the clutter

If you have too much stuff oozing out of every corner, gather it up and get rid of it. Hold a garage sale or donate things you don’t use anymore. It’s liberating and cleansing for the soul to remove the material things that you really don’t need.

5. Create a bedtime ritual

Bedtime rituals aren’t just for kids. Adults need them too. Create a nightly routine that in part contains something that ties up loose ends. This can be something like washing your dishes -- and can also include activities that allow you to relax like a hot bath or shower, or reading a good book. It helps signal to your body that bedtime is coming and it’s time to get ready for it.

6. Add more plants

Having plants indoors is good for your mood and your health. Indoor plants can help purify your air, plus they add pops of fresh color around. Got a brown thumb? Many indoor plants are incredibly low-maintenance, so they can still thrive even with little care.

7. Time your tasks

We all make time for what we want in life. And no one wants to make time for folding that mountain of laundry. So set a timer for tasks you hate and tackle them with a “beat the clock” method. You might not finish it all, but you’ll make a dent it in, and you’ll feel much less stressed.

When you take the stress out of your home life, you’ll find it’s much easier to come home and enjoy being there. Try these 7 tips out and let the stress melt away!

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