Having a gratitude practice is one of my big tools in helping to manage my mental health. Studies show that the benefits of having a daily gratitude practice include:
- improve sleep quality.
- improve emotional regulation.
- increase feelings of happiness and positive mood.
- foster hope for the future.
- reduce stress, burnout, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- increase resilience.
Today I thought I’d share my top five things I’m grateful for about my home. Enjoy the read, and if you feel like sharing why not pop what some of yours are in the comments.
- The people I share it with. Yes, this might sound a little cheesy but it is the truth – and I hope it’s the truth for you too! Also, feel free to substitute people for pets 😉 It is the energy that we bring, the connections that we have, the celebrating, relating, laughter and tears that make our houses home. Whether it is my family who live here, or friends that visit, having other beings in our house is the number one thing that makes our house feel like home.
- Her character. I wrote a bit here about the beautiful old lady that is our home. Built in the early 1930’s she is filled with character – high ceilings, native timber floors, inbuilt furnishings, window seats and some original leadlight window features. When we first came to view her we entered through the newer extension that had been built on the front. Not feeling very inspired we continued through to the rest of the house and into the room we now call ‘The Parlour’. And we fell in love. It sounds a little woo woo but in that moment she stopped being just a house and started being a personality (I now think of her as a member of our family). I love that as well as all the stunning physical features she holds nearly 100 years of stories. It gives me goosebumps to think about everything that has happened within these walls, and I feel honoured to now be a part of that history.
- Heating. I grew up in Canada where houses are heated with the touch of a button. Moving to New Zealand at the age of 14, one thing I have never been able to wrap my head around is a cold home. I spent my teenage years shivering in the Waikato where the cold soaks into your bones, and then the following few years in Christchurch where as students we would sit on the couch wrapped in our duvets and literally burn furniture to heat our flats. I never wanted to be cold in my home again. We installed ducted heating after our first winter here and it was the best money I have EVER spent!
- Colour and pattern. As we work our way through creating a home that is a reflection of who we truly are, we are intentionally choosing to go big with pattern and colour. There is no holding back, we are 100% committed to decorating for our own joy. By choosing colours of similar intensities we are able to make bold choices while ensuring that the colours we choose speak to each other rather than compete with each other. The result is a space that is colourful and bright and filled with personality without being jarring or overwhelming.
- The possibilities. Being an old home there has been a lot of maintenance required and love poured in to get her up to scratch. While at times this has been frustrating (who wants really to spend their dollars on roof and flooring) it is also reassuring to know that we are creating a solid foundation on which we can now start to create the space of our dreams. This has also meant that since we’ve lived here we have been able to really think about how we live, how we want to live, and what is important to us. The possibilities are endless and as a family of two creatives we have had so many ideas. While I’m excited to see these ideas eventually come into fruition I love, love, love living in a space where I’m able to plan and dream to my hearts content.
Can you relate to any of these? Or are yours completely different? I’d love to hear your thoughts.