Create a Happy Haven: Simple Solutions for a Happier Home

Step 1: Are there cracks in your foundation?

Haven- (noun) a sheltered place: a place sought for rest, shelter, or protection – Encarta Dictionary

Do you look forward to being home? Do you feel relaxed, comforted, and safe? Or is the opposite? Does your home make you feel overwhelmed, consumed, and lost?

Before you try to make changes, you need to figure out what actually needs to be changed. Sit down and write up a list of all that brings you discontentment at home. What causes you stress at the end of the day? Make sure you get to the root of the problem. Try and come up with solutions that are realistic. Often times what we think is the stress in our lives is actually the symptom or result of the true area of discontentment. I often hear women say that they wish they had a housekeeping service. This may be true, but often the reality of the situation is that it is not the dusting and sweeping that is overwhelming them but rather their families’ inability to work as a team to help around the house (clean up after themselves, chores, control clutter, etc.)

What if the area that is causing you so much stress is something that is out of your control? Accept it… and focus on those areas that you CAN control. Just keep in mind that often times we say that we don’t have the power over certain situations because it is simply easier than making difficult decisions.

The following 5 steps can help in creating a happy home. Throughout the next few weeks we will be examining each of these in more detail:

1. Prioritize and create a family goal statement – What do your children really need from you? What do you really need from your family?

2. Determine the time and money drains – Be honest with yourself and figure out why you don’t have enough time in the day and why you don’t have enough money to pay the bills.

3. Get rid of the clutter – few things in life can give the satisfaction as cleaning out a space of clutter.

4. Find a sweet spot – get a hobby – who were you before you had children. What did you enjoy to do? Chances are, once you get rid of the time and money drains you will be able to get some of this back

5. Balance work and home

Spend this week focusing on your home like a house inspector checking out a house. Take a close look at the foundation. Are there cracks in your communication? Does your family know what you need and do you know what they need? Spend some time investigating what the root of your discontentment is. If you don’t know what is wrong, you will be unable to get the tools to fix it!

Next week we will focus on priorities and creating a family goal statement!

It’s going to be a great year!
Betsy