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New Normal and The many changes to make life at home happy

Change is not easy and it seems like we have been picked up one day and thrown into a sea of change the other. And yet, change alone is the only constant we will ever face in our life and adapt to current times is what we must all do. But the good thing is, we adapt. We adapt, we evolve, we change and we settle to our changing surroundings and if there is one thing we must actively seek for now, it is to make life at home happy.

Since the lockdown we have been trying to incorporate a few things at home that makes seeping in to the new normal easy and I hope it helps you too as you try to take change in your stride.

Normally, I would digress and talk about a thing or two because I love getting chatty in over here but today. Today I cannot think of anything else but to put it all here in hope that someone will benefit from it; someone’s life will get easier, better and maybe someone who is chained in the depths of darkness- alone, and of whom we have no idea of- will find some light to break the shackles and swim ashore to happiness. Because I have been in those black waters myself- albeit for a few weeks before I figured in a jolt of a moment that I need help- and often that jolt doesn’t come. So, here’s wishing, whatever way I can, that the jolt, like Gryffindor’s sword come to you when you need the most and help you cope with all this, with a little less hopelessness and a little more grace.

Practice gratitude and mindfulness

That you are safe, have a roof over your head, food in your plate and love in your heart is enough to be grateful for. When you wake up, no matter how cranky you feel, take 5 minutes to practice gratitude. The news and around us teaches us to be forever at unrest whether though instilling competition or fear and we often get into that vicious zone of what is my purpose, why am I here, what will happen tomorrow. That you are alive, you are here, you are safe is all that matters. The past is history and tomorrow never quite comes. Because frankly when you start to think about the bads, there is no end to it. Focus on the good, do what’s necessary and when time comes, be helpful and useful.

Make little spots in and around your home for you to relax

Whether a little balcony table or a few chairs by the window, relaxing spots around the house can help you unwind. Most importantly, when you get up from your study and sit in the balcony, you instantly have a change of scenery and that helps. It also helps you to focus better when you are back at work.

Our balcony is the closest to an outdoor anything we have been in months and it helps that there is a small place to sit and unwind.

Working together? Bring in a few changes to make life simpler

For example? Well, while it’s true it’s your bedroom but it’s also true for our times that most likely that’s our cubicle too. See what comes in your zoom call’s frame and clear that place up of all your towels, clothes or lingerie. It’s time to shift them to either in your bath or on the side of your cupboard that stays closed. Sometimes behind the door strategy wont work because you will put the AC on and close the door and the pile you have been hiding will be hey! Pop! Or worse, you will step in in a towel while important board meetings are on and I cannot imagine the horror.

So dedicate a place prior to that accident and don’t let it happen. If you have a washing area, you can very well turn that to your dresser too as an extension of your bath. Just add curtains to the area! Shift your routine essentials like creams and hair dryers to a shelf in your bath. Swap the small mirror with a large mirror to get stuff done.

Honestly, I find it particularly easy to have my essentials to the bath area because I, by no means, want to slather cream on my face with 100 people looking at me.

A change of sheets and cushions

Countering a big change with many little changes is all! Make your home keep looking new with a bit of refresh every 2 weeks. Change a cushion cover, swap the rugs, change the sheets and fluff the pillows. A little refresh makes life at home better

A soothing colour palette for your home

It’s really difficult to stay cooped up in a place that you have used for “just sleeping” all this while. Unfortunately, this is where you are gonna be for months to come so get over the whole, “I just come here to sleep” and turn your home into a place you’ll love to stay in, all day. Choose a good, relaxing and yet cheerful colour palette for your home because colours do affect your mood. Imagine staying in a home that’s shabby and all over the place all day every day of the week? I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to stay.

And while you are at it, shift from those really weird prints to solids and checkered in cool and warm hues for home fabric. Add in a bit of white or beige to pull it altogether. Choose drapes that are of the same family of colours and ideally solids.

Soft, organic fabric

This is the time to hug that cushion and feel a bit more secure in your own home. And I’d suggest a shift to soft, organic fabric like linen or cotton. I changed all my soft furnishings to linen in mid march and the best part about linen is, with each wash it keeps getting softer. It lends a fabulous texture to your home, I love the feel of it and natural linen is all kinds of hygge. All my linen are from PureFineFabrics and yuou can find the shades I used here.

Grow a thing or two

From sourdough to wine, from microgreens to rose bushes- the rewarding feeling of growing something makes life very beautiful. The rise and fall of sourdough yeast, that tiny first green leaf, the crunch of microgreens in your home made salad- it all adds up to elevate our everyday life by adding value to it. I have my own sourdough that I mantain. I have rosebushes that I tend to, microgreens that I grow and will look into getting a scoby for Kombucha.

Organize

Small space or big, if your things are organized you will save yourself tremendous hassle. Label your spices, keep your pots and pan hanging and at hand level, group cups and saucers, keep kitchen towels together.

Keep all your sanitizing essentials either neither the main door or in an area where you normally keep your things when you get in. That’ll save you a lot of contact areas to sanitize.

Keep your rainy day essentials in place and your bathroom storage clean and stocked. It’s a bit of a work but its worth it.

Good smell is good mood

Candles, dhoop, aroma oils- are all great ways to make your home smell nice and cheerful. Staying at home all the time can get a little taxing so depending on days, add in some good smell to stay at home routine. My favourites are bergamot and thyme for weekdays and lavender on weekends. I have also added my favourite brands here and how to take care of your mental health during these times.

But then again, a nice chocolate cake baking in your oven is just as good as good smell gets plus you get to eat a slice! So get that oven cranking.

Stay safe. Stay happy

Rukmini XO

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