On this planet, our first home is our bodies, and our second home is the places in which our bodies live, our houses. I believe both our homes need the same care and affection because they can work together in offering us a balanced and happy life. Making our homes cosy is a process of self-discovery and self-love.
This article will give you some ideas about how you can make your home a cosy and peaceful sanctuary. We always return home to rest and recharge, so why not create a place where we can spend lots of time without feeling uncomfortable. I believe investing our time and effort in crafting a peaceful home is an investment in our well being — a kind of respect we want to offer ourselves.
One of the most important aspects of having a cosy home is cleaning. Living in a clean house is crucial for our mental health, happiness and fulfilment. A study led by associate professor NiCole R. Keith, a research scientist and professor at Indiana University, found that people with clean houses are healthier and happier.
Living in a calmer environment can significantly impact our day-by-day life, our state of mind, and all those around us. Here are some of the things I do that makes my home and my life balanced and peaceful.
See
Fresh flowers
Oh, flowers, one of my big loves. I dream of having fields of flowers, of walking among them every day and be mesmerised by their beauty and fragrance.
I like to have flowers in my home. They bring grace and beauty to every room they enter. One of the places I like to display them is at the front door. I read in a book that having flowers at the entrance makes a home welcoming.
I wanted to see if this was real, so I experimented and bought a bouquet of sunflowers and placed it in the hall at our apartment entrance. For two weeks, the first thing I saw when I was entering the house were those flowers. I have to say that every single day they brought a smile to my face and a feeling of peace.
I encourage you to do this experiment and see what emotions you experience.
Light
Adjust the light in your home for every situation. During the day, let natural light enter inside as much as possible. The light of the day has superpowers. It helps you have a clear mind, be more productive and happier.
When night comes, opt for a soft, diffused light that works best in creating a cosy and warm atmosphere. Globe lamps are best to cast a diffused light in your space.
Using little lights all around your home to help you move around, instead of the brighter ones, will maintain melatonin’s natural production. Melatonin is a hormone primarily released by the pineal gland at night and has long been associated with sleep-wake cycle control.
I use LED candles from Ikea that start at the same time every night and close after 6 hours. The candles give a cosy flickering light like a real candle and are a safe alternative for homes with children.
Art and a cosy home
I love art. I believe that art is one of the most beautiful gifts of this life. Art has the power to bring us to tears or to lift us in places in which we never even imagined being. When I say art, I mean everything that has the power to awaken something in you.
A piece of art is something that you look at, which can stimulate emotions like joy, calmness, peace, sadness, rage, love, etc. I prefer to be surrounded by objects that awake my feelings, that vibrate at higher energy, although I also appreciate works that arouse oppressive emotions.
In my home, I have some objects that instil a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. If you have an item that sparks in you this kind of feelings, I encourage you to give that object a place of honour. It will bring you more joy, and there is every chance that everyone who will see it will feel the same.
Candles
All my life, I have been captivated by the warm and diffused light of candles. There is something in that light that invites meditation and calm almost in every circumstance. Arun and I made a habit of lighting 1-2 candles every night before bed, after turning off the lights. Our house instantly enters another state, and we, with it. We become calmer and slower in gestures and movements, and this is really nice.
I also light up a candle in the morning when I set my intentions for the day. This ritual makes me more present, aware and grounds my intentions.
Nowadays you can find varieties of candles, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are good. Some may have different toxic ingredients, like paraffin or maybe petroleum-derived. So I encourage you to use products that are 100% naturally made of soy wax or beeswax and are phthalate-free.
I like the candles from Brandt Kaarsen. Their candles are made of soy wax, premium oils and are 100% natural.
Hear
Nature sounds
The best sounds are those you can find in nature. Nothing compares with the power, the deepness and the frequencies made by nature. Birds, ocean, rain, frogs and many other sounds alike are the best music for our ears.
This is the music that always awakens our senses, brings us peace and instils the feeling of cosiness and grounding (a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth). A cosy home is perfectly blended with and in nature. Check out my article Grounding, When Was The Last Time You Walked Barefoot? if you are interested to know more about this practice.
Music
We don’t always have the opportunity to be surrounded by natural sounds. But we are fortunate enough to have great composers who have written incredible musical works that have the power to stimulate our senses.
In our home, we listen to music all day long. We listen to nearly any genre, but we have an affinity for jazz and classical music when it comes to a cosy atmosphere.
We believe that everything is more beautiful when you have the right kind of music that plays in the background. Check out this wonderful piece of art I absolutely adore Vivaldi Recomposed By Max Richter Spring.
Taste
Homemade cakes
Nothing compares to a homemade healthy, and delicious dessert. Vegan or baked doesn’t matter. The process of making it with your own hands brings salt and pepper to the idea of cosiness.
Making a dessert with your hands is like the essence of balance. On one hand, you have a rough process. You mix, you blend, you chop. And on the other hand, we have the beauty of the final product, the cake and the pleasure of tasting it. Don’t you believe that a slice of homemade dessert made with love and care can be a definition of cosiness?
If you want something to inspire you, check out my Carrot Cake loaf recipe. It is healthy, beautiful and easy to make. It will only take you about one hour.
Smell
A well-ventilated room brings out the life in any home, clears the space and refreshes us. This is the best smell a home can have, the smell of clean and fresh.
I also believe that incense and oils can have tremendously beneficial properties, from cleaning the space to giving an extra graceful touch. In our home, we use Palo Santo and Sage for spiritual purification and energy cleansings. Once the wood sticks are burned, the smoke is believed to clear negative energy and restore calm emotions.
Besides Palo Santo and Sage, we also use natural oils from Doterra and natural candles from Brandt Kaarsen, as I mentioned above. I encourage you to check them out. These brands are very nice.
Touch
Soft slippers. When your feet are warm and every step you take feels like walking on marshmallows, life is more beautiful. Nothing compares with soft slippers. You might want to invest in some quality slippers that can bring you joy every time you walk around the house.
Blankets are the ultimate way to crank up the cosy factor in your home. I often sit barefoot under the blanket, and the feeling of a soft blanket on my feet relaxes me and brings me a sense of peace and gratitude. I like the blankets from Wool and the Gang because they are made from natural materials are eco-friendly, and made with care.
Energies
Crystals
Semi-Precious stones have been used for protection, beauty or rituals for many, many years. In Feng Shui (an ancient Chinese practice covering 3,500+ years before the invention of the magnetic compass 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), crystals are widely used for their specific energy vibrations.
Since I started connecting with crystals, I can say that my home is more grounded, balanced and positive. I adore having these remarkable beings around me. I feel I have a more cosy home thanks to them. If you don’t know how to work with semi-precious stones, see What Crystals To Have In Your Home And Where To Place Them.
Animals
Animals have their energy that influences the space around them. To give an example, dogs are the kind of animals that provide energy. They are joyful, energetic and playful. On the opposite side, cats take the energy, low energy to be more precise. Cats are more grounded and peaceful and can absorb and transform static energies. In any case, I believe animals have the power to make us more loving and empathetic just by being near us.
My best friend from the Animal Kingdom is Luna, a white, extremely beautiful and intelligent cat. I was lucky enough to be chosen as her human life partner. Between us was love at first sight, almost four years ago when I adopted her.
But I can’t say the same about the relationship between Christian and her. Christian never liked cats, and he was always more of a dog lover. Yet, I don’t know how this happened, but I look at them now, three years later, and they have such a beautiful relationship. He cares for her, buys her the best food, pets her, and they have many moments of affection. When I see them, my heart fills every time with happiness.
Plants
Besides bringing natural beauty to our homes, plants create balance and texture while also offering comfort and peace. Plants can clean the air we breathe by absorbing toxins in our homes and offering us a clean oxygen source. Furthermore, research shows that our heart rate gets lower just by gazing at plants, and our stress reduces.
Some of the best plants to have in our homes are Peace Lily, Snake Plant, Aloe Vera, Philodendron, Bamboo Palm because they can clean the air and absorb toxins like formaldehyde, benzene or trichloroethylene.
Wrap It Up
Little things are the ones that make the difference and help you have a cosy home. Paying attention to details like sound, smell or touch creates sensory imprintings that can give us a feeling of cosiness, joy and peace.
Everything that comes from nature: stones, plants, animals have the power to ground your space and make it look alive and naturally beautiful. We have inspiration everywhere around us, and we really don’t need significant amounts of money to make our homes welcoming. We just need a bit of inspiration and imagination. Having a cosy home is a self-love statement we send into the universe and an invitation for peace, abundance and happiness.
I hope all this information will serve you in making your home cosier and more welcoming. I would love to know how it went, so please share your results or thoughts in the comment box below.
Thank you, and remember to love yourself
Thank you! ❤🌿
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