A new year is a fresh start like no other. Whether the year before has been positive, challenging, or anything in between, the start of a new year marks a time to plan ahead and move forward.
It is a great opportunity to assess what changes you would like to make to your life overall, and this is also true of your home and living space. Below, we take a look at some of the quick and simple ways to prepare your home for the New Year.
We all know what a profound effect our living environment can have on our feelings of happiness and wellbeing, and with these easy and enjoyable tips, you can move into the new year feeling fresh, motivated, and more in control!
1. Fix The Little Issues
As with all New Year intentions or resolutions, it is not just the big goals and changes that can make a major impact. Small, achievable improvements can also have a significant benefit.
Many people are bothered by jobs or issues around the home which they don’t usually have the time to deal with, but the new year — or the festive period just before — is a great time to attempt them all at once, whether for just an hour, an afternoon, or even a whole day!
Perhaps there is a door that always squeaks and is in need of oiling, a carpet which needs to be cleaned, or a piece of furniture that would be so much more convenient in another room?
Whatever the tasks to be completed, try batching the little ones together and make the time to do them. Afterwards, you may be stunned by how much smoother and more enjoyable your home feels as a result!
2. Organise Your ‘Office’
More people than ever before are working from home. You may have had to create a work-from-home space abruptly, or in an area that was not fully convenient — but now is the time to adapt it.
Perhaps there is a more suitable room you can work in, or an area that can be specially prepared. Maybe your paperwork has got out of hand, or there is a piece of office equipment or stationery that you can purchase to help you get more organised.
Even if you are not working from home, there is often a place in the home where important papers, documents, and items accumulate. Why not organise this with an attractive filing cabinet, or even just a suitable storage box?
You will feel far more organised and controlled going into the new year if you don’t have extraneous documents or paperwork littering your surfaces.
3. Do A ‘Deep Clean’
A deep and thorough clean of the house is a great way to feel fresh and motivated to start the new year. A ‘deep clean’ can sound intimidating and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. If you do not have a whole day or afternoon to set aside, why not focus instead on ten-minute intensive bursts?
You could set a timer and devote ten minutes to each room or specific section of the house. You could either do this as a one-off if you are short on time, or aim to do it daily for a week or so until you find that you have deep cleaned the whole house!
Many people also consider hiring a professional cleaner for particularly difficult or time-consuming jobs — and especially for an end of year clean.
4. Be More Health-Conscious
Being more health-conscious in the home is often overlooked. We may be trying to exercise, improve our nutrition, and foster better overall wellbeing, but some of the most important work is done in the home.
Consider if any products you are using around the home are aggravating your health — such as through allergenic ingredients for example, or ingredients that are harmful to the environment.
Keeping your products more natural can help the health of the planet and the home, while also ensuring your living space remains clean and sanitary, which is an important factor in enhancing your overall immunity.
5. Add Seasonal Items
Taking down Christmas decorations can seem anticlimactic — but festive decor doesn’t have to be used just once a year!
You can add seasonal touches for each time of year — such as introducing fresh plants and greenery to welcome Spring, ornaments and calendars for the start of the year, photographs of family for birthdays and anniversaries, and gory, ghoulish figurines to celebrate Halloween.
Bringing personality and joy into your home is appropriate all year round!