Turn your home into a calming sanctuary
Relax and unwind as soon as you step through the front door with ANNA BARNES's tips for making your house a more peaceful place.
1. Mini Makeover
Redecorate your home. This doesn't mean you need to tear out your kitchen and bathroom, or even buy new furniture. Just look at your surroundings with new eyes.
When you come home do you feel refreshed, happy and safe? Or do you feel cramped and cluttered?
You should be able to relax once you step through your front door. If you don't, you need to change your home into an environment you can enjoy and where you feel more peaceful.
Try clearing out all your clutter and placing a vase of fresh flowers in a focal spot.
Next, make your spaces practical, organised and energising. Paint walls or furniture using bright, clear colours and pastels, and welcome light into your home.
2. Play games
Play a board game or video game with friends.
Your mind will enjoy focusing on challenges that bring instant rewards, and spending quality time sharing a new activity means you'll come away refreshed.
3. Affirmations
Write down some empowering affirmations or your favourite positive quotes and stick them up around your home in places you're likely to look at often, such as the bathroom mirror or the fridge door.
Repeat the words to yourself every time you see them or whenever you feel your mind racing, so that you can bring your thoughts back to calmer more positive subjects.
Try picking out some of your favourite lines from novels you have enjoyed reading.
4. Put your feet up
Find somewhere quiet when you get home where you can lie on the floor and place your legs up against a wall for 10-15 minutes.
This is particularly helpful if you spend all day sitting down.
Let your body relax and allow the increased blood flow to your brain refresh you after a long day.
5. Make light work of chores
It's easy to get into a panic about household chores when you start thinking about all the things that need doing.
Why not take small steps every day rather than letting it all build up? This means it's never one huge, daunting task.
For instance, keep a bottle of antibacterial spray and a couple of clean cloths in the bathroom and wipe down surfaces every couple of days.
Then the prospect of cleaning the bathroom won't seem so bad because you've already done part of the work.
6. Enjoy alone time
Learn to love being by yourself and try not to fill every waking moment distracting yourself from your own company.
Spend some time alone regularly - make yourself a delicious dinner, watch your favourite film or spend an evening enjoying nature in your garden.
You'll come to realise that you're great company if you'll just give yourself a chance.
7. Have a relaxing bath
Take the time to spoil yourself next time you're in the tub.
Light a few scented candles or dim the lighting and play relaxing music.
Use a bath bomb or special shower gel and a face mask.
Take your time, appreciating the warmth of the water on your skin.
Let your muscles soak and relax and reconnect with your body once again.
8. Notice small successes
The little things we do every day that help make life easier often go unnoticed.
Start taking note of and praising yourself for all the tasks you complete every day, from making the bed or preparing a healthy lunch to taking time for yourself.
You'll be feeling capable and productive in no time.
9. Create a sleep sanctuary
Take a few moments to consider your usual bedtime routine. What time do you normally go to bed? How do you feel when you're in your bedroom and what else do you do in there? Make sure you're heading to bed at a sensible time as getting enough sleep can work wonders.
If you struggle to fall asleep at night, it could be because you associate your bedroom with other activities. Try leaving all your electronics in another room, having an alarm clock instead of relying on your phone to wake you up and starting a night-time routine to get yourself anticipating sleep.
Your bedroom should have you feeling relaxed and calm the moment you set foot in it.
Make your bedroom a sleep-only area, cleanse it of all other influences and redirect them to other parts of your home.
10. Savour mealtimes
Take your time when it comes to meals. Don't rush them as they are very important times of the day.
Treat each meal as a ritual, where you give yourself time to relax and enjoy your food.
Take a meditative approach where you eat slowly, savouring the flavours of each mouthful.
Extracted by Hannah Britt from How To Quieten Your Mind by Anna Barnes (£9.99, Vie)
To order a copy call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562 310 or visit expressbookshop.co.uk