5 Tips to Refresh Your Home in the New Year

Each new year gives you the chance to reset and start new routines. When you’re considering new approaches to healthy living – whether eliminating or adding habits to improve your daily life – beginning with your home is an optimal choice.

Your living environment has a strong influence on your life, and it’s worth evaluating how you can make updates that create a positive space for you and all that the new year will bring. Consider these ideas to refresh your home and simplify your house cleaning routine so you can spend more time focusing on your goals this year.

Start by Decluttering.

It’s practically impossible to get excited about a fresh f start when you’re surrounded by last year’s junk. Make decluttering and purging unnecessary items a top priority for your refresh. Clear counters and tables to create more inviting surfaces and force yourself to assess which items are worth keeping. Get rid of items you don’t need by donating, selling or disposing of them. Tackle piles of things you’ve carelessly tossed aside and find (or create) purposeful places for them to belong.

Simplify Your Laundry Routine.

Whether it’s the frustration of having no clean laundry or never-ending baskets filled with clothes that need folding, laundry is an area where nearly every home can use a refresh. Start with the basics to make laundry easy and quick. A streamlined laundry system starts with the right tools for the job, such as single-dose detergent pods that release while inside your machine, so you can simply toss one in and start the load.

Create a Fitness Space.

One way to stay committed to a new workout regimen is to create a place where you enjoy spending time. Even if you don’t have a room to dedicate to fitness, you can make a fitness corner feel more intentional and less like an afterthought with some simple changes. If possible, locate your fitness area near a window so you can soak up the energy of natural light. Clear away unnecessary items and make room for the equipment or floor space you need. Add inspiring posters or make frames to hold your current workout guide. Add storage for hand weights, resistance bands and other small equipment to create your own home gym.

Reconfigure Your Furniture.

A full-fledged renovation may not be in the cards (or budget), but you can give your living space a quick facelift by simply rearranging the furniture. Beyond simple aesthetic changes, think about how you can make better use of natural light and improve traffic patterns. You might also eliminate extra pieces if the space feels overcrowded or consider borrowing functional items that add storage or seating from other rooms in the house.

Add Greenery.

The middle of winter may not seem like an ideal time to hone your green thumb, but adding a few plants can make your home feel more inviting and chase away the cold-weather blues. Plants can also help serve as a natural air purifying system; they absorb carbon dioxide to help stimulate their growth and are believed to absorb a host of other airborne pollutants.