#TuesdayTips - bringing mindfulness into your home

Mindfulness is a state achieved by awareness and acceptance of feelings, thoughts and sensations, and is actually something that can be applied to your home too. WhatHouse? spoke with Elizabeth Danon, owner of Elizabeth Danon Interior Therapy (EDIT) to put together some suggestions for bringing mindfulness to your new home.

Complete a contemplation exercise

Close your eyes and think of all the things you want your home to encapsulate, how do you want to feel here, how would you like others to feel when they visit? Then write down a list of these feelings. Once you have your list, write another list of how your home currently makes you feel. Comparing these two lists will help you see what you really want for your home; little by little you can add these missing elements in.

Undertake tasks mindfully

Each and every task you undertake in your new home should be done in a thoughtful way. This may be difficult at first, but after a few tries you’ll find even hanging your laundry is a pleasurable experience. Mindfulness enables you to take pride in absolutely everything you do on a daily basis.

Use your senses

Sometimes it can be easy to race through life due to modern day demands. Have you ever tried stopping yourself as you walk along the street and just gazed up at the tops of buildings? The same can apply to the interior of your home; taking time to appreciate what you have, feeling the soft texture of your blanket, really getting lost in some art, stroking the dust off your plant’s leaves, smelling the freshness of your washed laundry.

Choose your items wisely

Accumulating clutter in your home can happen very gradually without you noticing; before you know it your cupboards are stuffed. Where possible aim to have a proper clear out every season; recycle, sell or donate things that you no longer need. The items in your home say a lot about you, whilst also creating the environment you wish to live in. Something as simple as a gift you’ve graciously received but really don’t like can clutter up your mental space as well as physical. Do what’s best for you in your home, without compromise.