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Family Matters==>Misc. Family Tips
Keep Your Home Happier
Written by: Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach
Web Site: RealLifeCoach.com
It turns out your mother was right after all -- Happiness really
does begin at home, with the things and the people you are
surrounded by. Your vision is one of the first messengers to
send signals to your brain as to how it feels. Therefore, it
follows that keeping your home happier will have a direct impact
on how you feel.
What do you see in your home --Clutter? Chaos? Angry faces?
What do you hear -- Loud voices; bad music?
What do you feel when you look around your home? Stress?
Unhappiness? Frustration? UGGGGG!
What if instead you could feel and “see” opportunity and
optimism? Energy and enthusiasm? Ok, maybe that’s going a
little too far, after all it IS just the living room.
Try these ways to let your environment help make you happier.
1. Subtract the Ugg factor
Chances are if you’re like most people these days, you are
fighting tooth and nail just trying to keep up with your life.
Getting organized will help you win the fight. Look for the ugg
factors in each of your spaces (desk, office, living room,
bedroom, garage). Start with the White Elephant, the first thing
that makes you go UGG when you walk into the space. Fix it,
clean it, organize it, get rid of it. Whatever.
2. Up the color factor
Color is the accessory to our lives. Without it, while
functional, it can be pretty plain. And scientists have long
knows the effects that color can have on moods. Red and Yellows
and Oranges inspire and stimulate. Blues and Greens are calming
and restorative. Colors can also elicit memories, like “hospital
green”, or “college purple”. In my family, we had a color called
“Dad’s blue shirt”. Look at the colors around you. If paint is
not an option check your accessories. Glue some inexpensive
colorful beads or buttons to terra cotta pots to use as bright
catch-alls for the bathroom, the desk, the kitchen table. Buy
colorful frames for pictures. Wear a colorful top. When I wear
red, I smile all day.
3. Don’t forget the smile factor
The smile factor is truly personal. I have a screensaver of my 2
puppies in a funny position. I grin every time I see it, no
matter how stressed, no matter how irritated I am at my internet
cable provider. Take inventory of your space, one piece at a
time. Ask yourself, is it useful? Is it beautiful to me? Does
it make me smile? Or does it make me remember how much my
mother-in-law criticizes me?
4. Function is always a factor!
Check the function of your space. Take a look around -- is your
home functioning in a way that supports what you want and how you
want to feel? If the room is for working and reading, low lights
will make you uncomfortable and unhappy. Functionality is
increased when a multi-purpose -- or multi person -- room is
divided into zones so that more than one purpose or person can
use it effectively. Use your creativity. Even the ubiquitous
storage must-haves can be more than merely functional. With a
little planning and thought, they can add visual interest and
style to a room.
The steps to happiness begin with what you are surrounded by most
of the time. Use positive psychology, positive messages, and
positive images to feed your brain positive feelings. If you put
these ideas to work, your home really can help keep you happy.
Kathy Gates is a Professional Life Coach in Scottsdale AZ. If
you liked this article, you’ll love her “7 SECRETS To A Great
Life” program. Get more information at her website
Real Life Coach
and sign up for
the newsletter.
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