Intentional Living: 17 Ways To Create A Calm And Peaceful Home
Looking for ways to create a more peaceful home? Here are 17 of the best ways to make a space your sanctuary.
Amidst the chaos of everyday life, creating a peaceful home is a crucial step to living more intentionally.
Your home should be your sanctuary, where you find peace and relax after a long day. But a peaceful home doesn’t just happen; it is created through intentional choices.
By opting for more natural materials, minimizing clutter, being intentional with the items you bring into your home, and creating rituals to promote relaxation, you can transform your home into a peaceful sanctuary.
In this post, we go over 17 ways you can create the ultimate relaxation at home to reduce stress and live a happier, more fulfilled life.
THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT 17 WAYS TO CREATE A PEACEFUL HOME.
1) Reduce Clutter
The number one tip for creating a peaceful home is to minimize clutter. A cluttered environment spikes stress levels and can make your home feel chaotic.
That junk drawer you have been avoiding? Clean it. The garage clean-up that you have been putting off and watching stuff compile? Set a weekend aside to organize it fully.
Use the 50% rule when decluttering your home. Try to reduce the clutter in any space by half.
Remember, everything needs a home or it will turn into unwanted clutter!
Clutter will always pile up, so the best way to combat this issue is by regularly decluttering your spaces.
2) Remove TV From The Bedroom
Television in the bedroom can not only interfere with your sleep but also affect the quality of time spent with your partner.
Make your bedroom into a no electronics zone! By ditching the TV, your brain knows when you hit the sheets, it’s time for sleep. Creating a calming bedroom is key to creating a peaceful home!
READ: 51+ Affirmations For Women To Manifest Health & Prosperity
3) Remove Toxic Candles & Scents
Replace the toxic candles with natural, calming scents. Diffuse essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus and frankincense and choose candles with a coconut, beeswax or soy wax base to improve your health and create a relaxing home.
4) Create A Daily, Weekly & Monthly Cleaning Routine
A clean home is a peaceful home. For many of us with children, pets and a partner, it can feel like you’re always cleaning, but you’re never able to keep up with the mess.
I’ve found it’s the most manageable to break cleaning tasks into three categories: Daily, Weekly & Monthly Tasks.
Here are some examples:
Daily Tasks: Tasks that need to be done daily: Wiping down all surfaces, Taking out the trash, Vacuuming high-traffic areas such as the entryway or kitchen, Making beds, and Doing the dishes.
Weekly Tasks: Tasks that need to be done every week: Changing the sheets, Mopping the floors, Wiping down the kitchen surfaces such as appliances and cabinets, Cleaning the bathrooms, and Vacuuming the couch.
Monthly Tasks: Tasks that need to be done every month: Washing the windows, Cleaning the oven, Dusting, Deep Cleaning the fridge, and Organizing the kids toys.
Breaking up your cleaning tasks into these three categories will help you stay on top of your cleaning to help maintain a clean and peaceful home.
5) Play Relaxing Music
Picture this: you’re cooking dinner, a good jazz playlist is on, and the lights are dimmed – it is such a good feeling! There is something about a good playlist that sets the mood.
Being intentional about your music selection can transform the ambiance in your home.
Genres such as classical, jazz, acoustic, ambiance and lo-fi can promote feelings of relaxation and tranquillity in a space.
6) Dim The Lights
There is a trend on TikTok right now about not using the big light, and it couldn’t be more true! Nothing is calming about having a bright light shine into your eyes when you’re trying to create relaxation at home.
Turn on lamps, light candles, put dimmers on your light switches or hang fairy lights. Having soft, dim light is an important part of creating serene and peaceful home.
7) Decorate With Plants
Not only do plants provide an air quality boost, but studies show that when we look at plants, we feel happier and more relaxed. Placing plants around the home will bring beautiful colour and life to an otherwise dull space.
Pro Tip: If you are anything like me and are prone to killing plants, try a snake plant (Also known as Dracaena trifasciata) They require minimal care and are excellent air purifiers.
8) Open The Windows
In Germany, people regularly follow a practice called Lüften. This involves opening windows to let in fresh air, no matter the season, sometimes even multiple times daily for about 10-15 minutes.
The Germans believe this is essential to maintaining indoor air quality, preventing mould and boosting overall health. Stale, stuffy spaces make you feel claustrophobic and can lower your energy.
When you open the windows, you let in fresh oxygen to your space improving the air quality and overall feelings of happiness.
Aim to open your windows at least once per day to create a fresh and inviting home.
READ: 51+ Affirmations For Women To Manifest Health & Prosperity
9) Keep Sink Empty & Counters Clear
I get it, sometimes with everything you have going on in your life, it’s hard to maintain a clean home. I have two small children, and this can feel IMPOSSIBLE at times.
One habit that will change your life is is to always clean your kitchen counters and empty your sink before bed.
That means that everything is wiped down and all the dishes are done.
Waking up in a messy kitchen can make your home feel chaotic, and seeing the mess right when you wake up can induce stress hormones in your body.
Implementing these two things before you go to bed can instantly make your home into a calm space and set the following day up for success.
10) Turn Off Your Phone Notifications
Your phone can be a powerful tool for your daily life, but it’s anything but relaxing. Creating a peaceful home means getting back to the basics and staying in the present moment.
Your phone can induce stress hormones to be released in your body, inhibiting the release of melatonin (the sleep hormone) and as a result, your body won’t have the means to relax.
Turn off your phone to help relax the mind, especially after a long day of work and responsibilities.
11) Switch To Natural Products
A peaceful home is a low-toxin home. Cleaning products are filled with chemicals that can induce headaches, mess with our hormones and overall health.
Swapping cleaning products with natural alternatives will not only help the health of those in your home but will also create a relaxing and peaceful environment.
12) Ditch Shoes At The Door
I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but PLEASE take off your shoes before entering your home. Just think where they have been all day!
Putting on your shoes triggers your brain to think it’s time for activities such as work, running errands, driving, or whatever your usual routine is.
When you come home, you should immediately take off your shoes to tell your brain it’s time to switch out of busy mode and into relaxation mode!
13) Romanticize Your Life
This is a social media trend I love. We have one life, why not make it beautiful and enjoy every moment.
Use the good dishware, move slowly and with intention, beautify your spaces, and fill your home with things that you love. Finding joy in the mundane moments in your life will help you create a more meaningful and peaceful home.
14) Hang Beautiful Art
Art sets the whole vibe of your home. My favourite, cost-effective way to incorporate beautiful art is to hunt for vintage pieces at the thrift store or estate sales.
Surrounding yourself with beautiful things is an instant mood booster and is essential to creating a peaceful home.
READ: 7 Life-Changing Self Care Ideas For Women
15) Turn Off The News
This is an important one. The news is extremely negative and can instantly change the vibe in your space. If you want to create a peaceful and calm home, turn off the news.
If you are worried about keeping up with the news, subscribe to your favourite news outlet and they will email you the news once per day.
16) Use Neutral Colors
Bright and harsh colors can induce stress. When decorating your home, choose colours that align with nature such as beige, soft blues and greens.
Seeing these colours can promote feelings of relaxation and tranquillity, leading to a more calm and peaceful home.
17) Use Natural Materials
Swap out synthetic materials such as polyester curtains, faux leather furniture, acrylic rugs, plastic bins and decor for more natural and organic alternatives.
Materials like wool, cotton, stone, wood and clay can make us feel more connected with nature, helping to create a peaceful and serene home.
