7 Little Ways To Turn Your House Into A Home

Be good to your home and it'll be good to you, too.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I like to apply the golden rule to my apartment: I treat it the way I want to be treated.

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Your home is the place where you eat, sleep, and probably spend a fair amount of your life! So it's worthwhile to do some small things to make it an important, special location where you are actually happy to be.

If you don’t like where you live, taking these little steps might give you a little more respect for it. And if you do love your home, these tips will help it bring you even more joy than it already does.

1. Turn a corner of your home into your relaxation zone.

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Chances are, your entire house isn't a center for calm and peace. But that's ok! What's important is to visit a favorite corner, window, or chair when you just need a break from it all (even if "it all" is just your messy bedroom). Better yet, start spending five or 10 minutes a day in that special spot — making a routine out of going to your happy zone will make you feel chilled out AF, and get your mind in the habit of loving your abode.

2. Keep something (or several things!) you really love on display.

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You don't need to live in a museum to have some kind of little exhibit in your home. If there's something that brings your mind to its Good Place, put it on the table or shelf you look at often. If you're obsessed with flowers, rotate out a fresh arrangement (or even pretty fake ones!) on a regular basis. If you have a whole list of favorite books, take turns showing them off. Love perfume? Do like I do and give each of your most beautiful bottles a moment in the spotlight. The point is that you shouldn't hide the things you love; you should put them in a spot where they can bring you joy even when they aren't in use.

3. And put everything you own in its proper place.

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This is especially good if there are items you always find yourself hunting for, like your keys, your birth certificate, your passport, or your tax forms. A small dish, a designated drawer, a labeled box, or a folder in a fixed location can solve all of those problems, respectively. I recently invested in an accordion folder, and I can't believe how long it took me to do this insanely simple thing. Now, I have less clutter and a foolproof system for finding things I need. Win-win!

4. Try implementing the One-Minute Rule.

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Basically, it helps you do the things you usually avoid or put off, which prevents all those little tasks from piling up. I'm prone to piling up dirty dishes in the sink because I tell myself it'll take too long to do them. But guess what? If I remember that it actually takes a minute (or less!) to wash a cup instead of setting it in the sink, I'm a lot more inclined to just do it right away. It makes for a much cleaner, tidier apartment, and it also encourages me to think of more effective ways to deal with laundry and organization.

5. Take your shoes off before you walk around.

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If you already kick off your shoes before (or as soon as) you walk in the door, then you know how nice it is to have floors and carpets that are untainted by the outside world. Not only do your shoes track in dirt and other gross stuff from the outdoors, but repeatedly walking around on any surface in them wears it down and requires extra cleaning, which is tough for you and the floor.

But taking off your shoes is a helpful way to mark a clear line between *gestures around at gross non-home surroundings* and the sanctity of a home space that you get to create. Even better, it gives you an opportunity to buy some special socks or slippers to wear just around the house. How lovely and fun is that?

6. Shift all of your activity away from your bed, aside from sleeping and having sex.

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It's easy to see your bed as ground zero for all activity, like eating, reading watching TV, and oh yeah, sleeping. But your bed is a place designed specifically for rest and relaxation! Doing other things on it can affect your sleep schedule, and make you neglect other parts of your home, like your couch.

So instead of flinging your body onto your bed the second you get home, try shifting your focus away from your bed until bedtime. Eat at your table, watch TV from a couch or chair, and have a non-bed spot to sit while you scroll through Instagram or send emails. Not only will you start making the most out your home, you can also reward yourself by making your bed the best it can be, like investing in nicer sheets or a good pillow that'll eliminate neck pain.

7. And most important, every time you get home, think of it like you would someone else's house.

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I'm not saying you should be the furniture police and scold yourself every time you put your feet up on the table, but maybe that's not the worst idea! If you walk into your home and view it as, like, your best friend's house, you'll see it with fresh eyes. Maybe you'll appreciate how nice it really is, or get motivated to take care of it a little better. Either way, it'll definitely give you a new appreciation for that place you call home.