We could all benefit from living a simpler life. Simplifying your life doesn’t need to be complicated. Sometimes all we need is to take a step away from our busy lives and enjoy what is most important—quality time with friends and family in a cosy, welcoming place.
You need a place to be able to relax and not worry about work, bills, social life, shopping, or anything else that might cause stress.
That is where your home comes in. By making a few changes in your home, not only will you improve your living space, you’ll also make it easier to live a life of simplicity and contentment.
Make some alterations to your home and soon, you’ll transform your relationship with where you live and lead a simpler life.
Declutter
When you talk about a simple life, the first thing you probably think of is getting rid of some of your stuff. Although often the thought can be tiring and overwhelming.
Unfortunately, this is a necessary step to simplifying your house and life. If you have things scattered on your dining table and desk, in closets and cupboards, and everywhere else clutter can invade. Trust me, if you want to reduce your stress, you don’t want lots of things littered around your living room or kitchen.
There are many good reasons to declutter. You could save money, make it easier to pack and move house, develop a happier outlook, and create a more relaxing atmosphere.
Take a good look at your items and think about the last time you used each one. If it has been more than a year that you used it, let alone glanced at it, then it’s time to get rid of it. Be strict! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you might need some items in the future—if you haven’t read those magazines in months, what are the chances you will now?
● Express Gratitude
As part of the decluttering process, take a page from Marie Kondo’s book and determine which objects bring you joy. If they currently do bring you happiness, then by all means keep them. But if these items, such as equipment for a hobby, are neglected, don’t feel guilty.
Instead of feeling guilt about not pursuing these hobbies, it is better to feel grateful for the present. By getting rid of these old objects, you’ll open up space in your home and free yourself of that guilt.
After you’ve discarded or sold the items you don’t need, you’ll have a new understanding of what you truly “need.” Hopefully, by decluttering and expressing gratitude for your current items, as well as the older objects, you’ll enjoy a new sense of abundance.
● Rearrange Your Living Space
Now that you’ve reduced the number of items taking up space in your home, you’ll now have a much more open, spacious living space. This is the time to get experimental and rearrange the layout of your rooms.
For example, transform your living room into a space that fosters conversations, reading, or listening to music rather than having your eyes glued to the television. Rearrange your kitchen to make using it easier—keep things organised in a logical manner. Tidy up your bedroom so you can relax and fall into a deep sleep easily.
For those who love a bit of interior design, this is a fun activity as it can be refreshing to have a new look. Also, moving to a new home is a fantastic opportunity to rethink the layout since it is like a blank canvas.
Arrange chairs so that walking around the room is not obstructed. Also, try to have your chairs and sofas facing each other. Move the television to a side wall so that it is not the focal point of the room. And don’t be afraid to show off your collection of books or music!
● Embrace Lagom
There are so many Swedish interior design ideas and trends floating around. And with the Swedish interior aesthetic remaining popular, there are many concepts to draw inspiration from. One of these is lagom.
Lagom is all about finding the right balance. Although there is no English equivalent, it can mean “just the right amount, adequate, or enough.” This idea of moderation can be seen in Scandinavian design—functional but not overly decorated.
Embrace this concept and you’ll find the middle ground between stark minimalism and overly adorned decoration. For your home, lagom can mean less is more. However, it can also spill over to other aspects of your life. Practicing moderation and sustainability, while avoiding the unnecessary, can all mean lagom.
It is about avoiding the extremes and finding what works for you. This is an intriguing idea to keep in mind when looking to simplify both your home and life.
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