Make your home a little bit happier with these simple hacks.
A huge and wonderful part of my work is figuring out how women can be happier in their homes. I love this part SO MUCH!!! In most sessions we discover the very personal and unique elements of my clients life that need a bit of tweaking to help her permanently improve her happiness levels in her home.
There are also a few simple things anyone can do, that make a massive difference to the general happiness level in a home. The impact they have on the dynamics of family interaction cannot be underestimated!
Train your kids to pick up after themselves.
Start young. The older they are the less likely they are to be trained in the really fun game of Putting Stuff Away. However, older kids and partners are more likely to understand when you explain WHY you need them to pick up after themselves. They need the info to work this new task into their list of priorities like messaging their friends, sleeping and shooting zombies. And that’s just the husbands.
After all, this is just what your family does, because you’re a team right?
Does everyone know where things belong?
There’s a hell of lot less clutter in a home (and sighing and yelling) if everything has a place and everyone knows where that place is. Then there’s no excuse! Everyone can put a thing back in its Thing Place after using it. The more specific a Thing Place is, the easier it is for people with Thing Blindness to find stuff.
It’s a good idea to label Thing Places too, it just makes it a wee bit easier for the users of the Things. Eventually you might not even need the labels.
Create a place that you can retreat to.
Mums (and dads) will be in a much better mood if they have a space where they can do the things that make them happy. (Yes privacy is a wonderful thing…) You are allowed a lock on your bedroom door AND on the toilet door. Your room or office is NOT extra toy storage or a dumping zone for the entire household. It is your space for your grown up things.
People (kids) who are invited to be in the room or use the space must treat it and you with respect. And so must you.
Reduce… everything!
If you have 14+ bags piled up by the door (5 were freebies, 3 were gifts, 1 was REALLY expensive, some are might-come-in-handy shoe bags and 5 were bought on purpose for tramping, school and weekend getaways) they’re probably taking up way too much space, get in the way, make you feel stressed and they smell funny. For example.
Most families need a variety of Useful Things to make life easier but not if they’re in massive pile and everyone gets stressed because they can’t find the thing they need. Also it’s surprising how often approx 3 bags can do the job of 7. Multi-Use items are the declutterers friend!
See what I did there? More sneakiness… Slipping in the Getting Organised Bit and Decluttering (my favourite!).
But honestly, these simple changes will make a big difference to your stress levels when you’re all just living your day-to-day lives in your house. Plus, you’re helping your kids (and partner) learn how to be organised, functional family members. Bonus!
X
Liz.
PS: If you’re saying to yourself… IMPOSSIBLE LIZ! (Ok, you’re saying it to me but I can’t hear you, because my mind reading skills are dialled right down to the folks in my immediate vicinity rn) Maybe you should give me a call, because nothing is impossible when two women put their heads together.
