Where do you spend most of your time? Your living room? The kitchen? Under the covers?
These spaces make up your environment. They are a part of our daily view and affect us more than we think.
As they say, you are a product of your environment. This includes who you hang out with, where you work, etc. But where you go to relax, be productive, or simply cook dinner, is just as important.
Your environment is everything. We’re not talking about climate change here. We’re talking about where you wake up in the morning and what you walk into at the end of a long day.
Some mornings, I sit on my couch that I don’t love, and get lost in “one day”. I think about getting cozy on my dream sofa, sipping coffee and admiring my ideal home.
One day I’ll do this and that. I’ll hang plants up there. I’ll put a rug over here.
This future-focused mindset doesn’t do the present moment any good. If we want a gorgeous mindset today, the time is now.
Your brain is sensitive and selective. It picks up on what feels good and sticks it’s nose up at what it doesn’t care for. A cluttered coffee table? Probably not sparking much joy.
Bloom where you’re planted. Change your environment by tailoring it to your needs with the four tips below. You’ll sigh in relief every time you walk in the door.
Cultivate an Aesthetic
What is your vision? This is your home. Let’s make it look like it.
We tend to focus more on maintaining our living space and keeping it clean, rather than curating it.
Everyone has a mental vision board (or a virtual one—thank you Pinterest), but how often do we act on it?
Stop daydreaming and follow-through at a finance-friendly pace.
Do something once a week that brings you closer to your vision. Whether it’s buying a new piece of wall art or rearranging the furniture.
At the end of the year, that’s 52 intentional steps toward a personalized aesthetic that feels like you.
Need Inspiration? See My Fav Boho Living Room Decor…
Set The Mood
Lighting affects the way we take in the world. A small change in lighting, can change your environment drastically.
Natural light encourages openness and movement—increasing productive energy. Opt for sheer curtains to let more light in. If you don’t have many windows, strategically place mirrors opposite of the windows you do have for light to bounce off of.
Even when the sun goes down, you can still manipulate the vibe. String lights, fairy lights, whatever you call them—are key to ambiance. And ambiance is the key to relaxation.
Candles and dimly-lit lamps—anything but fluorescent overhead lights—will soothe your brain from the constant go-go-go.
Tweak the Temps
Our indoor environment affects us just as much as the weather outside. Except for that inside, we have control.
If that was the case for outside… I’d make it fall year-round. Just sayin’.
If working from home, the best temperature for productivity is between 70 to 75, with an ideal temp of 71.
Just got home and wanna kick your feet up? Wind-down temps range between 60 to 67—optimal for triggering your circadian rhythm and alerting the body that its bedtime is near.
This trick may help your kids wind down after dinner as well.
Talk about the ultimate dream home: where your little ones can’t hide their yawns and willingly change into their PJs on a school night.
Keep it Clean
Whether its toys scattered across the living room or an overflowing kitchen sink—our brains pick up on the chaos. You’re subconsciously stressed out every time you lay eyes on dish mountain.
First step: purge the unnecessary. The less you have, the less power your stuff has to take over.
Second, maintain a clean environment so you don’t need to aside a “chore day” ever again. Place reminders where things usually pile up.
For example, in the kitchen: “Rinse out your dish now, so you don’t have to later.”
Or, in the closet: “Hang up that shirt—it takes 2 seconds!”
Eventually, when rinsing out your dish becomes second-nature, take the signs down.
If you want to change your environment, you have to invest in creating a home you can thrive in. Our surroundings make all the difference in our day. So, why not make them beautiful?
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