We spend time at home, some more than the other and some less than the other. How we relate to the place we call home can affect our quality of life. Our home is our sanctuary and we must take good care of this sanctuary.
Last week, I discuss what it means to have a home sweet home with the members of the K Mummies and I gathered from them that what makes a home sweet home is when we create a home that is filled with peace, love and warmth. If you are a parent, you create a home where the older children, especially teenagers do not feel forced to do things with you if they didn’t want to, for example, watch TV with you. In other words, the children are free to decide for themselves as to how they would want to spend their time. I can totally relate to this because I have two teenagers and they have developed their own interests and habits. Thankfully my older son is a studious boy, initially, I would force him to stop and spend time with me, over time I realise that my boy is no longer the cuddly boy I used to know. He’s becoming a teenager and he’s outgrown kisses and cuddles. A tough reality I needed to accept, it is part and parcel of our children’s developmental phase and as parents sometimes, we tend to have a fixed view of how we want to view our children and what amazes me is that it is pretty common, at least within my family that parents are still treating their adult children as a small child such as not allowing room for their adult children to make their decisions. It is time to let our children navigate life without much spoon-feeding.
Another mummy shared that a home sweet home is free from physical violence and it is a place when you feel at peace, loved and secure. A home that has all the necessities and is pleasant to the eyes would create a comfortable ambience to be in a restful state.
I cannot agree more with what these mummies have shared so far. Let me share basic proven ways as to how you can create a home sweet home that can support your personal growth and wellbeing:
Declutter
Throw away unused items, spoiled or broken items, worn-out items, empty packaging, duplicated items and items that no longer bring joy. If you can’t throw some items, set them aside for sale or charity and give yourself a timeframe to sell or clear them.
Decluttering makes it easier for you to wipe down surfaces from dust and prevents you from experiencing sensory overload. What we see with our eyes could take us away from focusing on what matters in life, the brain would be using up a lot of energy to process what it is seeing and especially when your house is filled with clutter and hazards. Clearing out unwanted belongings can also allow energy to flow into the house. The more clear your house is the more light goes into the house and your house would not look and feel gloomy. Lightsource from the sun gives out energy that can support your wellbeing and personal growth. Sun gives us energy in so many ways. That is why those who know better would typically buy a house at a premium where they can enjoy more sunlight into their house.
Categorise
When you arrange your belongings according to their categories, it would make it easier for you and other family members to find things around the house. It saves you from being annoyed and agitated when you cannot find the things you want to use right away and a bonus for me is that my family members now seldom asks me about where things are because all of us know where we can find things around the house when it is arranged and organised by categories. You may need to allocate time within a week to categorise start with at least one category at a time. Over time, you would see gradual progress. This process requires patience.
Maintain Positive Energetic Vibrations
It is a lot simpler to do this than you think, simply keep the house clean especially the shower or toilet area and keep the doors shut at all times. Clear out the trash at the end of the day and be sure to clean all the dishes and try your very best to not leave them overnight. Trust me, when you wake up in the morning with a clean home, it makes you more productive, focused and energised.
The tasks may be icky and daunting. Find ways to make this a routine and find practical tools to make cleaning a breeze on a daily basis. For example, I would get a brush with a long pole so I do not have to bend and squat each time I brush the floor tiles of my bathroom and as for the toilet bowl, I would always get a not scrub formula so that I don’t have to dig my hands into the toilet bowl. Simply apply the cleaning agent, wait for two minutes and flush.
Allow Room for Self-Expression
Who says that family members should all behave uniformly? Sure we can set mutual family values, other than that we must not ignore the fact that each member of the family operates differently and each of the members have unique life experiences and this allows us to learn from one another. Allow family members to express themselves, for example, if one loves art, encourage them to share and provide them with the resources to share their interest. If one loves reading and do not like watching TV, respect that and if one loves to hang out with friends, create a home where friends would love to come and hang out at home for example. I know a guy friend who is a father of six children and he would create a gaming and study room for his son’s friends to come and hang out and they would also cook savoury meals for them each time they come to hang out. He said that he prefers that his children are at home under his close watch while at the same time respecting their needs to socialise. It is a win-win arrangement.
Before I conclude this blog, I would like to invite you to try out the following homework to kickstart a conversation about the home sweet home with your family members:
Ask one another the following questions:
Q1: What does home sweet home mean to you?
Q2: How would you want the family to treat you?
Q3: What can you do on your part to achieve this goal?
Conclusion
Home is where our heart is and it does require work and effort. You may not see results overnight but when you set your mind to visualise what a home sweet home is for you and you take basic steps to create a conducive home environment for yourself and with your family members, you are one step closer to your dream home.
Want to learn how to communicate and express yourself safely with people that you love? Why not participate in my upcoming K Communication Mastery Webinar? Click the link below to find out more.
K Communication Mastery – Al-Busyro Learning Development (albusyro.sg)
