What makes a vacation relaxing?
More than getting away from work and slowing life down, a vacation feels relaxing because there are fewer things to manage. A hotel or vacation rental has just what you need, nothing more and nothing less. You bring only what fits in your suitcases.
It is freeing because it is limited.
The word limited may have a negative connotation for you. Most people dislike limitations. They want options for each worst-case scenario, or maybe just to have the fun of variety. That’s why I’m offering a different perspective on limiting your choices in ways that actually free you.
Impossible? Try these ideas to turn your home into a vacation-like sanctuary.
1. Create your very own boutique closet
Even a standard closet can achieve a luxury feeling with a few simple tricks and a mindset shift. First, the mindset shift. Rather than thinking, “How much crappola, I mean, clothing, can I fit into this space?” shift to a boutique mindset, where only your favorite outfits are hung. On vacation, you can clearly see your clothing because it fits comfortably into the closet. It doesn’t feel limiting. Instead, it’s a relief to be able to easily see what you have and know that it fits.
Boutiques have plenty of space to slide clothing on the rod. Trick number one is to make sure you have space to slide the clothes easily. Trick number two involves matching hangers. I like slim hangers covered with velvet to keep shirts from sliding off. These can be relatively inexpensive and a useful solution when space it tight. If you are on a budget, you can use white tube hangers from the dollar store. You will be amazed at how much calmer your closet feels when the hangers match.
2. Curate your kitchen drawers
Unless you enjoy frustration, get rid of all the utensils you don’t use. Keeping the single use utensil that you regret buying means you paid the initial cost of the item plus an ongoing price of stress when you cannot locate what you want with ease.
If you insist on keeping items, but the drawers are still too crowded here are a couple solutions. First, buy a simple canister to hold your most used utensils. This will add space to your primary utensil drawer. A second solution is to move seldom used items, such as cookie cutters only used around holidays, to a more out of the way spot and store them like a kit that’s easy to pull out to use.
Let simplicity rule in other drawers too. Having a kitchen that’s pleasant to use means you cook at home more, saving money and eating more healthfully.
3. Insist on at least one clear surface in each room
Obviously more clear surfaces are better to aid a restful home, but get at least one in each room and build the empty space from there. Imagine walking in your home and having a clear table or kitchen counter greet you. Messes are reminders of everything yet to do. A clear table means you have a space to eat dinner with loved ones or enjoy your solo meal.
Use a timer for a nightly “ten-minute tidy” in the spots that get most cluttered throughout the day. Everyone in the family contributes to the effort to create a clear surface in a room. Maybe you set a timer for two minutes and try to beat the clock for a less cluttered space, like a bathroom countertop. This tidy up method maintains an already organized space. Tidying will turn into shoving if you haven’t organized the space. Organizing it means deciding where things will go, scaling back on how much you keep, and arranging it within its designated area.
Do you want your home to be your sanctuary?
Of course you do! Having a home that’s your sanctuary allows you to experience the benefits of a vacation throughout the year. That vacation-like renewal directly results from having only what you use and love. The bottom line is that the fewer things you own, the less you have to move from one spot to another. Limiting how much stuff you have frees you to have more time to slow down and enjoy life.
What strategy will you try first?
Xoxo,
I can help you transform your home into a sanctuary, even if we live in different places. To find out how, email me at Kate@GreenLightOrganizing.com to schedule your free discovery call.
