De-stress your home and yourself in three easy steps

1. De-Clutter

• At this point that spring clean is more of a summer de-clutter… but it’s never too late to make a start. Thinking about cleaning is more overwhelming than doing it, so start simple by writing a list of spaces that need attention. Then do one a week. Get the kids involved – assign them a room each. Before you know it the whole house will be done and you’ll be wondering what all that stress was about.
• Marie Kondo said it best: “does it spark joy?” When it comes to your clothes, if the answer’s no, move on. If it won’t fit, or won’t come back into fashion, donate your pre-loved clothes and do your bit for the community… and your wardrobe.
• The “spark joy” rule doesn’t just apply to clothes. Space hogs like unused kids’ toys, niche kitchen appliances (have you ever used that ice cream machine?) and old books are better off donated.
• Go paperless! It’s usually easy to switch bills to a digital alternative. And be honest – no one’s ever going to read that old paper mail again – so shred it and recycle it.

2. Let nature in

Nature is a proven stress reliever, so let it in!

• When it’s bright out, open blinds, curtains and windows to let in a fresh breeze and flood your home in light.
• Plants look great and thanks to their air-purifying properties, can make your home feel great too by reducing toxicity in the air.
• Be mindful of the colours you use when decorating – neutral colours tend to be easier on the eye and the mind.
• Air fresheners and candles with natural aromas can help de-stress and lift your mood.  Lavender is an example of a well-studied botanical that has been shown to reduce stress.

3. Little by little

With a little work on your home each day, you can avoid multiple jobs building up to become bigger headaches.

• It only takes minutes – maybe seconds after some practice – but making your bed each morning makes getting back into it at the end of the day feel so much better!
• Before you do get into bed though… spend 10 minutes doing a quick de-clutter.  Toys away; dishes washed, dried and back in the cupboard; books on the bookshelf and devices on charge ready for tomorrow.
• That’s a lot of unread emails… maybe try checking and actioning them every day instead?
• Swap screen time for face-to-face time with your loved ones. Board games, a meal together or just a nice stroll or something more active in the park – there are much better ways to decompress than looking at a screen.