Daily Habits to Create More Calm at Home

Our home is one of our most important creations, and it’s where we set the tone for our day. It is a place that helps us feel safe and secure, as well as protected and nurtured. However, if your home feels like it’s lacking the calm you’re craving I want to share some habits that have helped me over the years, and ideas you might want to consider within your own home and life.

1. Clear clutter

One of the most powerful and effective ways to make your home look and feel better is to clear clutter. Don’t underestimate the impact that this can have on both your mind and your spaces. In fact, as soon as you stop reading this go and put something in the rubbish bin, or put it back in its rightful place.

A couple of quick ways to clear clutter are to carry pieces from one room to another as you walk through them. And if a task takes less than a minute to do, do it. Also, I like to start the day the night before, meaning that after the children have gone to bed I reset the house so we start on a good note. It’s a small job but makes a big difference how our space feels and functions the next day.

2. Tidy as you go

Another way to create more calm at home is to tidy as you go. When my children are at home, I find it much easier to stay on top of mess this way. When I’m cooking, I tidy up during the process not just at the end. And before I move onto any new task, I tidy up the one I’ve just finished. I always say that ‘mess makes mess’. If you don’t clear it away, it’s almost as if you’re giving others a licence to create more!

3. Take responsibility

Before we point the finger at others in our family, it’s important to take a good look at our own actions. You can’t expect others to be tidy, if you aren’t yourself. If you don’t already, make a conscious effort to tidy up after yourself.

Make sure you put the milk away after making a hot drink. Keep your bedside table tidy before you complain about someone else’s. Check that you’ve put your own shoes away… If you have young children, it’s also important to be a good role model for them. You can’t expect them to pack away their toys, if you don’t pack away your own.

4. Work as a team

When you’re living with other people, you need to have the same goals and all take action if you want to get results that you’re all happy with. When everyone helps, more can get done too. The benefits are greater, as well. More free time, more adventures, more of the good stuff in life.

5. Create daily rhythms

Creating rhythms at home also helps create a sense of calm. When there are no boundaries or rules, we are less likely to meet our common goals as a family. It’s easy to lose direction and motivation.

We often think boundaries are restrictive, but research shows that they actually create more freedom, and result in better outcomes. So if you want more calm at home, create rhythms that support this. When you have a consistent rhythm, such as at bedtime, everyone knows what’s expected of them, and it takes away the need to make lots of decisions.  

6. Start the day right 

Morning routines are so important to getting off to a good start for the day. I prefer to wake up before everyone else, go for a walk, start breakfast, and if time allows meditate and write in my journal. (Otherwise, I do this once the children have gone to school or outside to play.)

I am careful not to check my phone until after breakfast and I’ve dressed and made my bed, and ready to start the day. If it’s a work day, sometimes I won’t check it until just before lunchtime so that I can focus on my most important tasks first.

7. Create a sanctuary

While the rest of your home might veer towards chaos at times, make sure your bedroom is always a sanctuary. This is your place to rest and retreat. You want to ensure it feels restorative. Make your bed in the morning, clear away the clutter from your bedside table and consider a neutral palette to create a calm and subdued feeling. 

8. Embrace rituals

Rituals are a way to introduce simple pleasures into your life. They help you connect with what’s important, and can be as easy as creating a small routine around when, where and how you have your morning coffee. You might enjoy having a drink outside on the balcony or deck, or in your bed. Embracing rituals is a way to feel grounded and reclaim some control in your life, when the outside world can feel as if it’s spinning in chaos.

9. Eat well

Food has a huge impact on how I feel and function every day. If I’m not eating well, I feel lethargic and despondent. However, when I’m nourishing my body, and eating responsibly, I have more energy and lust for life. About ten years ago I cut sugar out of my diet, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Drinking plenty of water is important too. 

10. Reduce alcohol consumption

Another simple idea to make you feel better during the day is to cut your alcohol consumption. About five years ago I significantly reduced the amount that I drink, and feel so much better for it. I found that the next day I would often feel cranky with myself, and had a shorter fuse with those that I love. Drinking alcohol is no longer a regular part of my life, and I like myself a lot more for it. 

These are are the ways that I create more calm at home. I hope they help you, too.

Decluttering and organising your home requires clarity, vision and the ability to follow through with the right systems. Without a process to follow, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or lose momentum.

The Decluttering Masterclass can fast-track the process and save you years of living in limbo and not following through on your dreams. I have a solution that works, and I’d love to share it with you.