Author: Julie Morris

Your home should be your sanctuary. It’s the place you go to unwind and relax, and it should also be the healthiest place in your life. Below, Culture Society shares six ways to revamp your home to keep it a happy and healthy place and increase your property’s value in the process. 1. Promote Wellness in Your Home Wellness isn’t always an easy concept to define — but it’s not something you can ignore, either. When you think about wellness, don’t just limit yourself to your physical health: think about stress levels, how you eat, how well you sleep, and your overall happiness. Do some deep thinking about how all these aspects of your life interact with each other. Everyday Health points out that knowing what sparks joy for you is a good place to start when planning out your home’s wellness strategy. 2. Hire Professional Cleaners Be honest — cleaning may not be your thing. This is where house cleaners come in. They can help you keep everything sparkling, sanitized, and clean so you don’t have to worry about it. Some home cleaning services will even throw in extra tasks, such as laundry or food prep, while they do their thing. Hiring a house cleaner is one of those things that might seem frivolous but could boost your happiness levels substantially by simply making life easier. 3. Add Color to the Walls for Happy Vibes Paint your home’s interior a color that evokes pleasant feelings. It will do wonders for your state of mind. Perhaps an inviting shade of red or soft yellow. If you need some guidance on what color schemes work best in which spaces, find an online resource that pairs together complementary colors. These sites will help you to see what works well together, so you can put together a relaxing color-driven space in your home.  4. Renovate to Boost Your Property’s Value There are many ways you can renovate your property to add to its overall value. Right now, dedicated home offices are incredibly popular. Or you can set up a wellness room where you can exercise and practice yoga. If you’re interested in joining a yoga class, Cultural Society offers a weekly class. It’s a great way to practice your technique and get to know other people in your community. But there’s a simple option that you may have overlooked: installing ceiling fans. It’s a relatively inexpensive upgrade that makes a big difference in the comfort and aesthetic aspects of a room. Although you can install one yourself, I’d suggest hiring someone with experience as it can be a cumbersome project. Plus, you are dealing with electricity, which can be dangerous. Find a good review site online and look through the comments to find a contractor you can trust. If you’re looking for a much larger renovation, adding an apartment to your home will increase your overall property value and bring in extra cash from renters. Not only does adding an apartment increase livable space, but it also adds rental income that can be used for mortgage payments. A pool house could be a great investment, too. Take before and after photos and keep receipts documenting everything you spend. 5. Add to or Update Your Home’s Decor A key part of having a home you’re happy in is decorating it with furniture, artwork, and items of utility to make your space calming and aesthetically pleasing to you. The process of decorating each room and figuring out how to make it just right can also be a lot of fun. Look for pieces that inspire you or remind you of your culture. And bring in things that make you feel happy and at peace. It’s your space, so make it reflect you. 6. Declutter to Refresh Your Home Getting and keeping your home decluttered is a great first step to reducing stress in your life. Start by taking time to go through your belongings. Decide what you want to keep, then try to donate or sell everything else. Fewer things taking up space means lower stress. Happier and Healthier The hectic pace of modern-day living can stress you out and make you unhappy. Fortunately, there are some easy ways, from cleaning and decluttering to decorating, that you can make your home a happier and healthier place. You can even do a few upgrades – large or small – to help you enjoy your space now and make your home more appealing to potential buyers later.  Cultural Society is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to enriching the lives of our community members. Visit us online to learn more. Photo Credit: Gary Barnes via Pexels

Replacing bad experiences with good ones can be a challenge even when you’re motivated, which is why it’s important to make the most of certain life events when they occur. You may experience a setback or have a major transition period–such as a move to another state–that feels overwhelming but can actually be the perfect reason to make positive changes in your life. Whether you want to take stock of your relationships or use this time to get healthy, there are several ways you can get rid of the things in your life that are holding you back and replace them with better habits. You might start by looking for helpful resources from Cultural Society, which offers tips on healthy living and self-care. You can also take a look at your career and determine whether a change needs to be made in order to help you feel fulfilled professionally. Consider becoming your own boss If you haven’t been feeling valued at your current job, or if it’s bringing you stress and anxiety every day, it may be time to evaluate your options. These days, it’s easier than ever before to start a business due to the wealth of resources that are available online. If you’ve always dreamed of being your own boss, there’s no time like the present, especially if you’ve recently experienced a setback and want to change your life for the better. Start by forming an LLC, which provides protection for your personal assets and gives you flexibility in your daily operations. While each state has its own rules about creating a business structure, you can hire a formation service to file the paperwork according to local regulations, which will save you money on attorney’s fees. Make positive changes to your career Not ready to be your own boss? Consider simply looking for a new job instead. While this process can be stressful without a good plan, you can start by boosting your resume so that employers will immediately see your skills standing out amongst the other applicants. You can use a free resume builder to create a stellar, eye-catching resume by customizing a professional-looking template with the colors, images, and copy you want. Do a little research on the companies you’re interested in working for and get to know their practices and what their needs are.  Invest in your health with a yoga routine Positive changes in your career can jumpstart a new outlook on life, and a health routine can do the same. Whether you want to change the way you eat or start a workout that leaves you feeling calm and confident, there are several things you can do to invest in your mental and physical wellness. Yoga is a great workout for just about any age or ability as it can be adapted for various needs; just make sure you have a setup at home that gives you space to move in. Look for tools that will help you stay comfortable, as well, such as a mat or yoga block; you can find helpful resources for beginners online that will allow you to create a routine that works best. Put down that device habit Investing in your health isn’t just about eating right and fitting in activity; it’s also important to boost your mental health. If you have a habit of looking at a device several times a day, it could be interfering with your ability to get quality sleep and can even contribute to stress or anxiety. Instead of spending time on your phone, consider picking up a hobby, such as painting, gardening, or reading. Making these kinds of changes in your life can help you feel better and stave off negative feelings. Using a period of transition in your life to make positive changes can be cathartic, but it’s crucial to go into these changes carefully. If you want to boost your career, for instance, you don’t want to overlook important details such as forming an LLC or refreshing your resume. With a little planning, you can take control of your life for the better. Want to get in touch with Cultural Society? Reach out via the contact form today.

  Cultural Society envision a learning environment without borders while promoting diversity and health-conscious lifestyles. Connect with us today to learn more! (401) 424 1640 or email us at [email protected] As Psychology Today explains, setting goals is a great way to improve at any task, yoga included. However, sometimes the ways we set goals for ourselves can hold us back. Goals that are too vague can leave us unsure whether we’ve ever achieved them at all, diminishing a sense of accomplishment. When they’re too strict, however, they can feel impossible to reach or sustain. Cultural Society wants to help you achieve the results you desire. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can reframe your yoga goals to achieve a more peaceful, effective path forward: Focus on Consistency, Not Perfection As you follow your path towards a goal, one of the most powerful tools you can give yourself is forgiveness and understanding. No one hits their goals every single day; Lifehack points out even the most successful people fail sometimes. Expecting yourself to be perfect is a hindrance to progress. Reframing failure as a natural part of success stops you from beating yourself up when you inevitably slip up at some point. Instead of seeking perfection, seek consistency. Many of us struggle with consistency in our busy world, but you can use technology to help. You can also use an app like Way of Life or Coach.me on your phone to set a daily, weekly, or monthly goal. A useful tracking wearable like an Apple Smart Watch can help, too, as you see progress both in the moment and in general. Reviewing your journey also reinforces that one missed or lackluster session isn’t that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. This is a particularly effective way to see that consistency is the main driver of success. Think Small It’s easy to make over-ambitious goals like, “I’m going to do an hour of yoga every day.” These goals feel great when you’re making them. However, the glow comes crashing down when you realize that you can’t possibly fit it into your daily life. Instead of big goals you might struggle to reach, make small goals that you can often surpass. Instead of “I’m going to practice for an hour every day,” try something gentle and specific. For example, you can set yourself a goal to do yoga every day, even if it’s just resting in a comfortable pose for five minutes. Most days, you’ll do more than just rest. But the days you need it, you’ll appreciate the space you’ve made for hitting the minimum. The Right Teacher For You If you have friends who practice yoga, there’s a good chance they have a strong opinion about the teacher they follow. However, just because that teacher is right for them, doesn’t mean they’re right for you. In yoga (as in all things) there is no single best instructor. Different teachers will suit different learning styles and attitudes. For example, if your friends’ favorite yogi focuses on fast-paced flows, but you’re interested in a slow, meditative session, it’s a bad fit. This doesn’t make the teacher bad, just wrong for you. Try plenty of different instructors until you find one you trust who focuses on goals you share. Stay Mindful A great way to keep your yoga practice fresh is to stay mindful during every session. Unless you make an effort to build mindfulness into your yoga practice, you may find yourself spacing out while you move through your flows. This reduces the impact yoga can make in your life. When you’re not practicing in your studio, find a space at home with positive energy (decluttering, increasing natural light, and burning some sage can help). When you feel your mind wandering during yoga, gently bring your focus back to how your body feels. Paying attention to your movements will not only allow you to practice more effectively, but it will also train your brain to be more mindful overall. Forbes explains the benefits extend your time spent in session: Mindfulness practice has been linked to reduced stress and improved overall health. Check your yoga goals to see if there are ways you can make them gentler and more achievable. By finding a balance, being specific, and giving yourself permission to fail, you can peacefully move forward with your practice. Everyone’s journey is unique, so respect the pace your journey takes. About the Author: Julie Morris is a life and career coach. She thrives on helping others live their best lives. It’s easy for her to relate to clients who feel run over by life because she’s been there. She also loves spending time outdoors and getting lost in a good book