Have you noticed how beauty and organization energize your home? They especially play a role in how you feel, eat, exercise and sleep. And your home even affects the health of your immune system. Three Keys to Prioritizing Your Home and Health



Studies have shown this, but I also know it firsthand because my homes have been my foundation and respite through the birth of a son, to the building of multiple businesses, to the loss of a beloved spouse. They have been major sources of energy, creativity, comfort and joy. They’ve provided shelter certainly, but they’ve also given me emotional security when I needed it the most.

In the coming years, consumers will gain more insights to this as the medical industry begins to officially connect the dots on the physiological connection between our home and health. They are already aware of it, but right now the connection is still somewhat esoteric.

 

 

Bringing Nature into Your Home Increases Feelings of Wellbeing

Remember the importance of nature in your home. Bring nature indoors by expanding window sizes and by decorating with plenty of well-placed plants and flowers. Live plants help clean the air in your home. Open your windows during the milder hours of the day year-round. I do this daily year-round except on the most inclement days. Other ways to bring nature indoors is by using natural, non-toxic building materials such as hardwood, bamboo, stone, and metals like copper, nickel and iron.

 

 

 

The Power of Color in Your Home and on Your Health

Color is a powerful design tool and one of the easiest ways to engender feelings of wellbeing in your home. But reaction to color is highly subjective and each color comes with its own attributes and/or stigmas attached. For instance, yellow can feel sunny and cheerful for some people and signify cowardice for others. Orange stimulates appetite and signifies autumn. Pink is a pretty, feminine color that some love and other’s find cloying. White is clean and crisp to one person, while sterile and harsh to another.

When you create spaces with health and well-being in mind, colors like cool blues; soft lavenders; pale blue- greens; the palest blushes; and crisp, clean neutrals are key. These colors are cooling, restful and ‘receding’, meaning they create the appearance of spaciousness. 

 

 

How Organization Elevates Your Lifestyle and Improves Wellness

A cluttered home causes anxiety and contributes to arguments; missed workouts; poor eating habits; lost items; missed deadlines and more. A cluttered home even contributes to… more clutter! 

Think about how smoothly your life runs when you can easily find things, or how pleasant chores and tasks feel when you have high quality tools to work with. And how balanced you feel when your home is in order. These are powerful, joyful standards to live by every day of the year! 

In her book, Martha Stewart’s Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home and Routines Martha says, “An orderly and organized life calls for creating and then sticking to clear rules, preset schedules, and to-do lists that are dictated by your own lifestyle.” She says, “This deliberate approach will save you from disorganization and leave you free to spend less time on chores, and more time for the activities that prove meaningful to you.”  And the best impetus I know of next to reading her book is to start by finding attractive baskets, tubs, bins, drawer inserts, totes on hooks, labels and Lazy Susan’s that exactly fit your needs. However, before you make the actual purchases you have to figure out what needs organizing.

With the room of your choice, start by emptying completely the closets and drawers; sorting and keeping only the things you need; and getting an assessment of the sizes and types of storage items you want. Allow a few days to do this and go at your leisure.

I recommend beginning with the kitchen and pantry; then the laundry room, then the garage with bedrooms, bathrooms, hobby rooms and living room/family rooms last. 

Opening your windows on a daily basis, even if for just thirty minutes improves air quality and smells fantastic. That’s it for today! lifestyle!

Free Workbook Download

Deciding the Size, Scale and Budget of Your Kitchen Project

 

 

If a kitchen remodel is in your future, start preparing early with my Kitchen Budget Design and Remodel Starter Kit  to help you manage your remodeling budget with clarity and confidence.

Simple, effective budgeting formulas for your kitchen remodel or makeover. In this complimentary download, you’ll get:

• My good, better, best sample budgets to help you know what to expect in advance.
• The Classic 50/30/20 Formula to help you determine how much of your own household income to dedicate to home improvements.
• Product and materials price ranges.
• 2 timelines, one for budgeting and one for your projects.
• And a premier that I’m super excited to share to help you design, plan and implement your own kitchen projects!

Grab the Kitchen Budget Starter Kit here.

Thank you for dropping by Joy of Nesting.

Shiree’ xo

PS – Don’t forget to check out my other kitchen articles like the 30-Day Game Plan for Your Next Kitchen Remodel too!