The Serene Home Project - Creating a Calm & Relaxing Home Base

If the home is where the heart is, then I want a home that causes my heart to beat a little slower when I walk through my front door.

I dream of a tranquil space that encourages calm, a place where it is possible to both relax and grow.

This dream is not going to be achieved solely via a 'cleaning montage' (though let's not underestimate the power of a montage), no matter how motivational the background music is!

After all, a calm home is a state of mind as much as it is the feel of a space.

I am taking a staged approach in my quest for household serenity, 'reinventing' my space in affordable (read mostly free!) and doable ways - with the goal always being to achieve maximum IMPACT for effort. If I am going to do something, I want to smile serenely at the end of my task, knowing that I am a visible step closer to my tranquil home.

In this post, I want to talk about stage one, which I have called... (drum roll please)

'Defusing the Clutter Bomb'.

As much as I am nervous about using the word 'bomb' in any title, I think in this case it fits. When I walk around my home, even when it has been freshly 'cleaned' there are always little clutter bombs waiting to detonate my serenity.

Pockets of miscellaneous 'things' that have gathered in quiet corners for no discernible reason, lurking with the intent to disturb.

It has been said that clutter is a physical manifestation of a 'messy mind'. Now, while I think that is a bit on the harsh side, I am not saying it is wrong either! If true - my house can be truly a terrifying insight into my brain!

My first step then, was easy and impactful,  taking on board the 'Marie Kondo ethic' (check out my Marie Kondo review here),  I walked around my house with the goal of really seeing it. Looking into the dark and forgotten corners, eyeballing my stuff and asking myself some telling questions:

What I have SEEN in my house has amazed me. I have eyeballed shelves filled with letters unread and drawers overflowing with half-filled containers of broken knick-knacks and paper clips. I have stared down bookshelves with more headless Lego men than books and glared resentfully at the random piles of miscellaneous crap that have accumulated and thrived, camouflaging their existence amongst the useful and beautiful items in my home.

I have come to the realisation that my house is a minefield of anxiety-inducing vignettes. Disturbing my calm with their visible evidence of work yet to be done (and therefore work still to do).
Is it no wonder I can't relax unless I am in a hotel room surrounded by things that are not my own.

How sad.

The good news is, this situation is one of the easiest to resolve. Ten minutes, in any given room with a garbage bag, a ruthless mindset and a willingness to rehome items to where they belong and most of the 'clutter bombs' can be successfully defused.

What is the impact though? Can a highly focused activity like this one really have deep serenity-inducing results?
You bet it can - and for this simple reason. Clutter, even sneaky semi-hidden clutter, represents a jobs list that will hover in your subconscious, sending ripples of unease through your mind until dealt with.

My new goal then, step two of stage one, is to be alert to these little areas of mess, to not let them accumulate. To deal with these small jobs as they arise.
To treat my flat surfaces with the respect they deserve.
To treat my anxious mind with the respect it deserves.
For today at least, my bedroom reminds me of a hotel, and that my friend, is increasing my serenity.