7 Ways to Be Happier in Your Home ...

I'm going to sound like your parent but find the time to make your bed! This three minute task is one of the simplest ways to be happier in your home. Believe it or not, making your bed (and other feel-good tasks like exercising and cooking) is something called a keystone habit. Keystone habits are those routines that, if you can identify them, spill over to other habits. Plus, seeing that your bed is nicely made may inspire you to clean the rest of your room. You know the saying, "a clean room is a happy room," which in turn will make a happier you!

Anything that will remind you of happy memories should be on display in your home. Maybe it's pictures of you and your siblings when you were kids, or a picture of a pet who died. Anything that reminds you of how great your life has been so far! Create a collage of all your concert and movie ticket stubs to put on the wall or have a memento you kept from your wedding framed.

Mow the lawn for your husband, or take the trash out for your roommate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. We've all said things like, "No! It's YOUR turn to clean up the dog poop!" But instead of keeping tally of who does more, just do what you can, when you can, without expecting some kind of reward. It's a well-known fact that when you do good, you feel good! Plus hopefully doing small favors for your house mates will cause them to do it for you too.

Instead of aiming to buy material items for yourself, save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night. Something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain! Plan a summer barbecue with the family or get an awesome new Wii U game that you can invite your friends over to play together. You will find yourself being much happier when you plan group activities rather then sitting by yourself in your room playing with your new iPad alone.

You know the cliche saying "stop and smell the roses"? Well sometimes you just need to stop and smell your candles, flowers, or potpourri! A particular scent can bring back happy memories with an intensity matched by few other triggers. Take a trip to the candle store and see which smells make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Or visit your garden or local flower shop to get some beautiful flowers or sweet smelling potpourri. It's amazing how much better a simple smell in your home can make you feel!

Stop resenting what your home isn't and start appreciating what it is! There is always something more you can have, but there is always something to be thankful for. Your home may not be the biggest, or the fanciest, but it is your home. Don't aspire to model every room after a picture in a catalog. You want your house to have character that fits your personality, not a picture perfect layout that tons of other people have.

The dishes aren't going to clean themselves, and even though you may not particularly want to do them, you're going to have to. So why not get into doing it instead of moping about it? Blast your favorite music or set up your iPad to play your favorite TV Show. If you need to put clothes away in your room, dance around! Anything that can make your chores more fun will keep you happy and make your home a cleaner and nicer place all at once!

You should never dread going home, it should be your oasis from the world. When you can, find time to do other relaxing activities in your home like taking a bubble bath or reading a book in a quiet room. You should always associate your home with relaxation and happiness. What about your home always makes you happy?

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