New Year’s resolution – noun: a promise to do something differently in the new year
Dennis Buttimer, M.Ed., CEAP, RYT, a facilitator at Thomas F. Chapman Family
Cancer Wellness at Piedmont says, “The New Year offers a blank slate — an
opportunity to get things right. When we set New Year’s resolutions, we are utilizing
a very important concept called self-efficacy, which means that by virtue of aspiring
to a goal and following through on it, I have a sense of control over what’s happening in my life.”
We all know the classics, eat healthy, exercise more, watch TV less etc. While these
are all great, maybe we should change it up this year and base our resolutions off
something other than ourselves. Your home deserves a healthier lifestyle, too. Your
home, after all, is one of your biggest assets and the place where so many treasured
memories are made.
BENEFITS OF A CLEAN, ORGANIZED HOME:
Experts agree that tidy, organized spaces can improve mental health. Shira Gill,
organizing expert and author of Minimalista, says that a well-edited home can create
“a whole cascade of mental health benefits,” which can include a sense of clarity and
control, an improved quality of life, a boosted sense of confidence, an increase in
productivity, and a more tranquil atmosphere.
This doesn’t just include the interior though. Use this time of the year to create a
checklist for yourself of things that often go overlooked in and around your house
(changing batteries in smoke detectors, cleaning out the gutters, cleaning the dryer
vents). This checklist should be something reasonable that you can keep up with.
They are new year’s resolutions after all. We want to make sure we can keep up with
them.
THINGS YOU CAN STAY ON TOP OF IN 2023 (HOME EDITION):
JUNK DRAWER
You know, that drawer where you left that thing that disappeared months ago
next to all the other things that serve no purpose. Let’s clean that out in 2023. Take
some time to go through those “things” and throw away anything you haven’t used
in a while. Try to compartmentalize anything that is left into their own spaces.
CURB APPEAL
Maybe your house needs a little facelift? The outside of your home is the first thing
everyone sees before stepping inside. Make a good first impression. Paint
the mailbox, plant some flowers, and get new outdoor furniture. Anything to give your
home a more personalized touch.
DECREASE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
One huge resolution you can make this year is to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. A
few ways you can do that in your home include, composting food, drying your
clothes on a line, and replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lights. The list for this
one goes on and on.
Pick something you and your home can stick to and make 2023 the year you
accomplish your resolutions!