Livening Up the Wintry Indoors

Winter can seem like it’s lasting forever and if your house or apartment isn’t a safe healthy abode both in body and spirit it can be a very depressing cold season. The lack of daylight and sometimes overbearing chilly weather can make life miserable and stir a deep sense of isolation.

That’s why when it comes to our well being it’s important our living spaces serve our needs.

The following are a few ideas aimed at soothing the wintry nesting period by transforming the home into a nurturing setting so we can enter spring strong and full of life!

• Add plants: Plants can provide a lot of life to a home and are generally easy to maintain. They add vibrant shades of green and brown and hopefully will blossom on occasion. Try placing them in interior locations where you spend a lot of time like the dining room, home office, or bedroom as opposed to simply using them for décor in hallways or staircases. Depending on your tastes choose those that have a scent or those that don’t. Either way the point is for them to be an additional presence, a separate life force in your home that you can feel and be comfortable with.

• De-clutter: The goal should be to do whatever we can to breathe as easily indoors during the winter as we do outside during the spring and summer. However when windows are shut tight in the dead of winter and our homes are sealed like a package dust particles, which are mainly organic matter, have the power to do a lot of harm. They taint indoor air and make breathing a heavy experience. One of the ways to minimize dust is simply keeping up with regular chores. Another is taking advantage of being indoors and getting rid of a lot clutter and unnecessary belongings. Doing so helps lighten our load and relieves some of the unhealthy winter claustrophobia that can creep in. Aside from keeping up with basic cleanliness this is one of the most practical exercises we can set into motion.

• Utilize the sun: The sun is a powerful tool when it comes to improving our moods in the winter. Although there’s sometimes very little blue sky for it to shine strong there are ways to utilize the natural light we’re given each day. First, it’s important to open the shades so it can actually enter. Second, if the windows seem grimy wash them on both sides because dirty panes of glass filter out light. If necessary purchase an extension rod to scrub and squeegee the exterior when it’s too far to reach.

• Invite guests: Plants and even pets are one thing but a great way to bring life into the home is by having guests, even if they are people you just met. It could be for breakfast or to watch a game but the purpose experience the company of others. Now, this may not be for everybody because many of us actually like the peace and quiet. However, if you find yourself treading between feeling a little down and being a little lonely call up an old friend or go out and make a new one and invite them over.

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind there are lots of things which can be done to improve our lives in the winter months and these are just a few that don’t require much skill, extra tools, or money.

What’s needed is patience and most of all a willingness to make the home a healthier more holistic dwelling to thrive in. The key is yearning for positive change in the here and now. Once the desire is there the rest will simply flow.