8 Unexpected Ways to Increase Your Energy at Home

8 Unexpected Ways to Increase Your Energy at Home

As much as you look forward to coming home at the end of a long day, your abode might not be your happy place. Instead, we subconsciously find some of our house’s features to be draining — and some of our at-home habits can do the same. If it feels like your dwelling is dragging you down, try these eight steps to boost your energy while you’re there.

1. Stay Hydrated

Even with a fridge full of beverages, you should choose to drink water most of the time — eight eight-ounce glasses per day should do the trick. Drinking enough water keeps us hydrated and, therefore, energized. If you have trouble sticking to the eight-glasses-a-day regimen, you can make some changes to your home so that it’s easier. Refilling a pitcher or tank of filtered water in your fridge, for instance, will make it easier to pour and drink a glass. You could also install a filtered tap at your sink or upgrade your fridge to one with a built-in water dispenser.

2. Don’t Hit Snooze

You love your bed — we all love our beds. But staying cuddled up for extra time after your alarm goes off will affect your energy level for the rest of the day. Experts say that snoozing on and off like that makes you feel groggy, which will change both your professional life and the life you lead at home. It’s not worth it, so jump out of bed and feel your energy levels rise.

3. Re-Paint Your Walls

Dull colors do little to energize you. If you’re feeling uninspired by the colors in your home, whether they’re painted on the walls or incorporated into your decor, change them. You can choose from your favorite shades — they’ll be sure to put a smile on your face — or rely on tones that science says will make you happier. A study by the University of Amsterdam showed that those colors would be green or yellow.

4. Light It Right

The wrong lightbulb can illuminate your home in the least flattering light possible. The grayish, color-draining quality of a fluorescent bulb, for example, will do little to make you happy about the way your home looks or feels — or how you feel within it. Swap it out for something brighter and warmer.

You can get creative with this task, too, opening curtains and blinds during the day and relying on the right combination of floor and overhead lamps at night. And, if you want to feel extra-good about your redecoration, use eco-friendly bulbs that use very little energy — you can even retrofit your old lamps to make them run budget and earth consciously, too.

5. Make It Personal

A blank canvas can be inspiring for an artist, but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing look for your home. As such, you won’t feel as inspired or energized by your home if it doesn’t feel like you. We mentioned painting already, but you can personalize your decor to make it feel like yours. You might also want to hang up some personal photos to remind you of your favorite people and moments in your life.

6. Keep It Clean

A cluttered house won’t ease your mind. You probably know this if you have one — walking in and seeing a mess sparks a bit of stress within you. Researchers have studied this phenomenon, too, and they’ve found evidence that an unclean home drags you down. Those with organized, sparkling spaces were more likely to be healthy and active than their cluttered counterparts. Having a spruced-up space improved mental health, too, to the point that researchers concluded that cleanliness could be more critical to a person’s well-being than their chosen neighborhood’s walkability.

7. Start an Indoor Garden

Okay, so you don’t have to start a garden necessarily, but cultivating a bit of indoor greenery can work wonders. For one thing, plants have been shown to have a calming effect in both work and home environments. A few potted greens will instantly impart those good vibes. Plus, you can find plenty of plants that are easy for you to take care of, whether you have a green or black thumb. And, if that’s not incentive enough, your plants can even purify the air inside of your home, making it a happier, healthier and more energized place to live.

8. Play Music

Finally, you can set a cheerful mood within your home with the touch of a button. Create a home playlist full of your favorite songs, so long as they’re happy and upbeat. Play them while you get ready in the morning or while you cook dinner at night and wait for the good vibes to roll in — one study found that music helped increase participants’ happiness in just 14 days.

Home Is Where the Happy Is

Your house doesn’t have to be perfect, but you should still feel good while you’re there. These eight tips will only enhance your mood and boost your energy while you’re in your abode — and you’ll find that those are some of the best feelings in the world.

Bookmark and Share

Leave a Reply