What To Do When Your Home Causes Stress

You know that moment when you walk into your house and truly want to relax, but you can’t because it’s stressful? You instantly feel your shoulders rise rather than fall, and everything’s a big chaotic mess in front of you. That’s not good and chaos is creeping in. 

The fact is we all hit that point from time to time – life gets busy, things pile up (literally and metaphorically). Before you know it, your home, the place that’s supposed to be your sanctuary, starts feeling like a never-ending to-do list. But don’t worry. Chaos is fixable. And it doesn’t mean you have to do everything all at once. In fact, with that in mind, here are some ways to bring the calm back. 

Start With One Room

Trying to fix the whole house all at once isn’t a great plan. It’ll just make you more tired and stressed. It’s far better to pick one space, ideally the one that stresses you the most, and focus there first. The kitchen, the bedroom, the hallway, it doesn’t matter – what’s the biggest problem? That’s where you need to start. 

The key is only to deal with whatever area it is you’ve chosen and not to get distracted by anything or anywhere else, no matter what needs to be done. If you can stick with the one job you’re doing, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel. See how much work you can get done, and how much chaos you can rein in. Don’t aim for perfection; just try to make it better than it was. That’s enough of a start. 

Declutter Properly

Most of us have loads of stuff in our homes we hardly notice anymore. It’s probably stuff we don’t actually need or, in some cases, don’t even actually want or like. When things feel messy, it’s not always about actual dirt – it’s about what you might call ‘visual noise’ or ‘stuff’ in other words. And decluttering is the fastest way to deal with it all and calm it down so you feel better. The fact that your home will look better as well is definitely a bonus. Check out my post, Create Space By De-Cluttering, and download the free printable, De-Clutter Checklist.

You don’t have to go all out and become a minimalist unless that’s something you know you’re going to like. It is good to let go of things that aren’t helping you feel comfortable in your home anymore. Remember you don’t have to throw everything out and start fresh (again, unless that’s particularly what you want). You should do it calmly and thoughtfully; that way you end up with the things you want. It’s also easier then to keep it tidy. 

Reclaim Some Surfaces 

Cluttered spaces are something that definitely make an environment feel totally chaotic quickly. Kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, bedside tables, you know the spaces we’re talking about. Those areas just attract junk, and clearing them can change the feeling of an entire room. 

You don’t have to overthink this job. Find things that don’t belong and put them back where they should be or throw them away. That action will give you some much-needed breathing space. It’s a little win that’s going to make you feel so much better and leave your home feeling more manageable. 

Reset Your Drop Zones 

Following on from the idea above, there are areas in the house where people just leave things, the drop zones. A drop zone could be a kitchen island or a hallway table. These areas tend to make a home feel really chaotic even if the rest of the space is pretty neat and tidy. 

Since that might be the case, it makes sense to try resetting them once a day – even a quick five-minute tidy might do it. It’s not about keeping your home looking perfect, like a showroom, because people do live in it, after all, but it is about creating enough order that it’s a nice place to live, and a few minutes here and there, ideally when everyone in the house pitches in, can do just that. 

Fix The Stuff You’ve Been Ignoring

Sometimes the chaos isn’t just about the mess; it’s about the things that aren’t working. Drawers that stick, taps that leak, lightbulbs that flicker, floorboards that squeak are small things that can mean a lot when it comes to stress in your home. The fact is that these little annoyances build up, and you’re going to feel stress constantly.

So make a list of these little issues and needs; start tackling them one by one. You don’t have to do them all at once, just start with the ones that will give you the most relief. And if it’s something that your DIY skills can’t manage, it’s perfectly fine to call experts for help. A proper garage door service is a perfect example because it’s a job that needs to be done right for safety and security. And of course, sometimes you’ll feel a lot better when you let someone else do a job for you. 

Create One Spot That’s Always Calm

When your home feels chaotic, it’s really helpful to have one place that’s your personal calm zone. Then you’ve always got somewhere to go when you need to. It might be a chair by the window so you can enjoy the view, or perhaps it’s a reading nook you’ve created for yourself, or it could simply be your bedroom, for example. What it needs to be is not full of junk and things you need to do This will give you a quiet space to relax in peace. 

If you’ve got a space like this then even if the rest of your home is still chaotic, you’ll be able to step away from all that and it’ll make a big difference – plus, you’ll know that order is possible and you can use that as motivation to keep going.

I hope I’ve inspired you to re-evaluate the problems in your home that stress you. I’m wishing you a quiet space of your own.

Get exclusive free printables & all the news straight to your mailbox – Just hit the subscribe button!

Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.