Over the last few years we have been spending a lot more time in our house and I have really realized how much I love our home. The pandemic has given me the realization of just how important our home is, beyond providing the basic needs of shelter and a place to sleep. It is a place of refuge from a changing world, where our family has grown closer, where we expand our minds, discovering new hobbies and interests. Now more than ever our home has become our sanctuary, a place to rest, recharge and find our equilibrium. It has taken on many new roles, acting as a gym, an office and even a school. As what we need from our home has changed we’ve been given the opportunity to get to know our space in a different way and realize what works and what doesn’t.

Some have discovered that their home just doesn’t serve them or their family any longer. Moving to a home that better fits your needs is a great option, but often there is a multitude of reasons why this is not a viable choice for many. This is an opportunity to put some thought into what you really need from your home, more often than not you can tweak your home to be a much better fit for your life. If space for an office is now a necessity, maybe the formal dining room that you often don’t use can be converted to your new work space, or a playroom can be better organized to now lend room for a homework area. Imagine the satisfaction of looking around your current home and seeing areas used to their full potential with useful zones of space that serve your lifestyle.

Often times it isn’t our space that is the problem at all, it’s the stuff in our space. As we move through life we accumulate belongings that at one time may have served us, or items that have been handed down or given to us that perhaps have never been of use. It is a slow trickle of things coming into our homes that seem necessary to keep at the time but amount to overwhelming clutter that makes our home less functional before we even realize it. Editing, rearranging and organizing our stuff can go a long way to making the areas of our home more useful.

Our homes are also a very large contributing factor to our mental health. Picture yourself looking at that shelf holding only the things you love, not stacks of paper you have to go through, or grandmas old figurines that don’t “spark joy” but you feel too guilty to let go of. Purging your home to only keep things that put a smile on your face and are of use to you can foster a sense of wellbeing and bring feelings of calmness and happiness. Just being in a space in which the items have been intentionally and carefully curated can give a feeling of ease, a breath of fresh air and inspiration, rather than the heavy burden of overwhelm.

Lets take a moment to honor and thank our homes, to love and nurture them and truly appreciate what they provide us. This feeling of gratitude towards our safe haven, our sanctuary, can spark a renewed appreciation for the home we are in. When we give it the love and care it deserves and put some thoughtful care and attention to the stuff we keep in it, we can help our space better serve our needs. A shift in perspective and a little purging, organizing and redecorating can be all that is needed to once again love the home that you’re in.

Thanks for reading! – Brigitte

^{The Harmonious Home, Professional Organizer and Interior Decorator in St.Albert, AB, Canada}