How to be happy at home
When I was about to move into my current home earlier this year, my friend and mentor J reminded me a couple of times to stock up on coffee beans and not to forget my coffeemaker. According to him, brewing coffee in a new place makes one feel home faster as the scent reminds one of homey mornings.
He was right.
And because of that, I cannot stand the taste of 3 in 1 coffee (not that there’s anything wrong with it) but I’ve been so accustomed to brewed coffee first thing in the morning now that I can’t afford to be lazy and settle for 3 in 1.
The truth is, it is going to suck at some point. Being alone without relatives nearby or a trusty househelp is going to make one feel somber when one wakes up in the morning needing to fetch laundry, vacuum, wash the dishes, make her own breakfast and wash the pots, too. But if you’re like me, you most probably moved on your own for good for the reason that you want to truly experience what it’s like to be truly independent.
It was an article that my good friend Shenny shared some days ago and with some of my own, I’m sharing the best ones that proved to be helpful to me. Hope they will be to you as well.
It's an effort to fix this bed but I love coming home to plop down on it in the evenings!
- Get up and strategically place your favorite photos around your home. My biggest mistake was that it took me forever to put up my gallery wall (and as of this writing, still haven’t) for fear of making mistakes in putting up the frames. I love my white walls --- that much I know. But the comfort lies not in the white walls but the familiarity a space brings. Go ahead and take those dusty frames out to remind you of home and old memories.
- Bring in the familiar scents. I didn’t have any idea that I loved the scent of my own fabric conditioner until I had to send my laundry to the laundry shop, which of course, used another brand. It doesn’t feel the same way so I’m praying they switch to my brand. crosses fingers Until then, I’m burning scented oils every night to remind me of my old room in Quezon City.
- Watch old films. My fondest memories of my old house were laughing alone at really funny films I’ve watched before. If I am looking to making new memories at where I am, I need to induce emotions to the things I’m doing everyday, starting with watching Legally Blonde.
- Cheer yourself up. This has become an inside joke --- Shen and I always cheer each other with “Hell to the yeah!” referring to cheering ourselves up while doing the dishes. One has to do it (no doubt, you) so might as well do it greatly by cheering yourself up.
- Devote a space for relaxation. I got my current place on the basis of the huge, floor to ceiling windows, knowing it was going to inspire me to work. And work, I have done. It was much later when I finally dedicated a small portion of it to scented candles, spa items, relaxing books and magazines that I truly appreciated the place. It is home after all.
What's your pick me upper at home?
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xx