The outside world can be overwhelming and chaotic, but your home should be a sanctuary where you can find peace and happiness. Whether you live alone or with family, it’s important to create a space where you can let down your guard, drop your baggage at the door, and go to sleep with a happy heart and mind. This doesn’t have to be a utopian idea. A happier home is possible for everyone– even those who are living in unconventional environments.

To create happiness in your home, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. In fact, it’s completely free! 

Here are five tips to help you invite happiness into your home:

1. Safeguard Your Sanctuary from Uninvited Disruptions

Uninterrupted time means the “pause button” has been hit and there is commitment to getting off the squirrel wheel. There is intentional effort made to eliminate distractions by emails, dust bunnies under the couch, or the pile of bills in the corner.

The focus is on your relationships and connecting with those you interact with once you’re at your home, or positive reflection and inviting feelings if you live alone. 

The mind is not designed to be constantly bombarded with electronic stimulation from devices and thoughts about what must be done. We are hard-wired for connection. In fact, human interaction and self-awareness are necessary for happiness.

Take a break from electronics for a bit tonight and be rewarded with enhanced happiness from a different power source.

2. Little Rituals Bring Big Smiles and Happy Rewards

Rituals aren’t just for holidays; they can help make every day a celebration. Most people love rituals because of the happy thoughts and memories they evoke. Being able to find ways to bring this type of feeling into the home more than just during holiday times can be quite magical.

What you do at bedtime, the little things you ask during the day, and even making up your own family holidays are excellent ways to create excitement and anticipation for building happy family memories.

Try a daily routine of telling a joke-a-day just to give that moment of laughter, which is a great dose of medicine.

3. Unity in the Kitchen

Schedules are busy and it’s hard to align them so everyone is together, especially as kids get older and career demands escalate. One of the best ways to create a happier home is to gather in the kitchen to cook a meal together.

Everyone can pitch in and talk, which makes it a great way to stay connected. Even the smallest members of the family can usually do something.

Cooking together nurtures hearts, minds, and bodies. When we work together as a family and community we create a safe haven at home that builds stronger bonds and positive memory-making. 

4. Routine Housekeeping Builds a Happier Home

Constant chaos and disruption are not good foundations for lasting happiness. Happiness shouldn’t be sporadic in life, although it often feels as if it is. Having a steady routine helps greatly, as it rewards us with the ability to relax more. Structure with the flexibility to adapt is a hallmark of the emotionally fit. 

When everyone knows what’s expected of us at home, we are more likely to do it without resistance, whether it’s the morning or evening. There is no rule that says we cannot make the drudgery of cleaning joyful.

Dance while cleaning, sing while showering, and laugh while making those lunches. If you have to do it, do it with intention and with a smile!

5. The Gifts of Good Conversation

During stressful times the last thing we may feel like doing is talking. However, engaging in prosocial behaviors like talking to the people in our home has great benefits. Spending quality time with family does not need to be complex. In fact, it can be as simple as having a conversation.

When we take the time to slow down, show up and listen to one another, we demonstrate authentic care and connection that cannot be topped by the distractions of any electronics.

We also open up the potential to solve problems before they escalate, have heartfelt communication that helps us to gain better understanding, and strengthen our relationships just by talking. At a very primal level, when we feel seen, heard, and understood—we feel loved.

When we can sit back and listen to what someone else has to share we receive the gifts of presence and connectivity with those who matter most to us. And, we are likely to get some laughs as a bonus.

A house is made of material, but a home is made of heart and happiness that comes from connection to one another.

Everyone should be able to walk into their home and relax, knowing they are accepted for who they are, flaws and all. 

All these little tips create good energy and offer the opportunity for a happier home for everyone.

Check this episode from the Harvesting Happiness Podcast about the home.