“Your home should rise up and greet you! And at the end of a long day, it should ground you in a sense of peace.” – Nate Berkus
I’ve always believed that an organized, happy and thoughtful living space is a key component to a happy life. If you haven’t read Nate Berkus’ book, The Things That Matter, you should! It’s WAY more than a design book, it’s a LIFE book. Nate says:
Ah! Isn’t that just amazing. His words move me. As I write this post … I’ve never been more happy to be HOME myself! I just moved into a new place and was not even in my apartment for 48 hours before I had to pack my bags again for a week on the road. I am exhausted and on top of it, I got a pretty sweet dose of the Flu somewhere along the way. So as I sit down to write this post for you, I’m still feeling a little “woozy” … however (and more importantly) I’ve never more grateful than right now to be at home, in a space I love, surrounded by all the things I love. Right now I am at peace. So it made me think. About my space. About the space of others. And about Nate’s book. I thought I would share with you 10 ways I bring some “Feng Shui” into my life at home every day:“I believe your home should tell the story of who you are. What you love most collected and assembled in one space. All your objects, finds, hand-me-downs . . . spelling out who you are to the world. Fact is, there isn’t a single item in my own home that doesn’t have a story behind it. This book celebrates the philosophy that things do matter. They have to. They’re what we live with and touch every single day. They welcome us home at night and greet us each morning on our bedside table. They represent where we’ve been, who we’ve loved, and where we hope to go. They make us happy, and I can’t think of a more beautiful way to live than that.”
- Surround yourself with things that move you – Art, pictures of friends and family, things from your travels. Let your space reflect who YOU are. Your space should inspire you every day.
- Clear clutter – It really is true that good energy does not thrive in a messy home. Clutter is negative and it can cause boggled thinking and confusion.
- Get organized – Order creates calm. If you are scattered all over the place looking for things, then confusion reigns. This wastes time and brews bad energy. Find a place for things. Create order.
- Use Candles for relaxation – I am obsessed with candles. The scent of them. The burn of them. I immediately feel calm when a candle is lit in my work or home space. You can also bring aromatherapy into the mix by burning scents that calm, relax or energize.
- Create a view – Open windows and let light in. Seeing out and far away is restful to our spirits.
- No TV in the bedroom – I believe that when it’s time for bed, you have made the decision to be done with the days distractions. TV is one of them. Bedtime is the time to decompress the day with meditation, your thoughts, a book or a journal.
- Control the lighting – Find lighting that is more obtuse. Angle laps or use track lighting so they showcase certain areas. Use windows for more natural lighting. Install dimmers. You will use different lighting for different times of the day. Keeping a handle on this can improve mood, energy and help you steer clear of headaches.
- Keep work / living spaces separate – if you work from home like I do, it’s critical you do this. Even if you have limited space, there are ways to get creative. Make sure you have a desk and a dedicated office space. This will improve productivity and concentration.
- Buy flowers – keep some live, fresh cut flowers around. They will remind you of natures beauty, make you smile and create good energy in your space.
- Don’t buy flimsy furniture – Furniture that is cheap or wobbles will not keep peace and creates an atmosphere that is unstable and insecure.
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