Kelly's Healthy Home

I recently posted a poll on my instagram page (@KellysHealthyHome):

“As a homeowner or tenant, what is most important to; 1. Having low utility bills 2. Living with minimal toxins 3. Creating a happy and cozy atmosphere”

The the winner was- Creating a happy and cozy atmosphere. Which to be honest, surprised me a little. The runner up was Living with minimal toxins, but it was a solid runner up. I thought the winner would have been to have lower bills, especially given the current state of economy. But I guess, who wouldn’t want their home to feel happy and cozy, right?

There are many ways to achieve a happy and cozy home. I find the most important thing is to have items in your home that bring positive emotions- aka get rid of clutter! Removing clutter is one of the quickest ways to change the flow of energy in your home and life. When you walk into a room, you want to feel calm, not stress over all the junk laying around. So take a few minutes to sit in a room, such as your family room. When you sit down, what feels out of balance? What areas of the room increase your stress level? Clutter goes beyond ‘junk.’ It’s too much furniture, toys, knick knacks and just ‘stuff.’ Start removing items one by one, walk around the room to get a sense of the flow and be sure to only keep things that have a purpose or an emotional attachment. Keep in mind that the things you have bring energy, both good and bad.

Another free and simple (well, maybe not too simple at times) is a good deep clean. This will increase the cozy feel and as a result bring happiness! Dirt, grime, and dust can bring germs and negativity to a home. I’d start in your kitchen. A clean kitchen promotes good health and is also where we spend a lot of time. Throw out expired foods, organize your cabinets when you’re cleaning them out and make sure you’re cleaning away all the grease stains. You’ll feel a sense of calm and joy from a sparkling countertop, trust me.

Lastly, the lighting in rooms are super important to promote happiness. According to studies, light is important for visual performance and safety, and also plays a vital role in regulating human physiological functions. Natural light is ideal. So be sure your windows are clean, inside and out to allow the light to shine in. If some rooms are not blessed with a ton of natural light, bring light in with lamps and fixtures. If there’s a dark corner in a room, plug in a lamp to improve the balance. In your home office or study you definitely want to have proper lighting as function, but also to keep your energy up.

I find the changing of the seasons is a great time to assess rooms and make any big or small tweaks. If you need help to get started, I’m here to help. Just ask!