The 3Rs I discussed last post (reduce, reuse, recycle) are essential habits we can adopt to care for our global environment. What about caring for the environment immediately around you? Are you mindful about taking care of your home?
Even though your home is on a much smaller scale than the world, it can feel harder to take action on. Home is personal, an extension of you. A place that tells the unique story of the life you’re creating. Complex maintenance aside, it’s easy to make do with what we know or convince ourselves we’ll improve our space someday. The problem is how you care for your home significantly impacts how you think, act, and feel right now.
I believe caring for your home is caring for yourself.
And it doesn’t have to be as hard, scary, daunting, or (insert your fear here) as it seems. The key is small steps and a REFRAME—shift your focus, adjust expectations, and learn to look at your space in a different way. Here are 3 simple prompts, my3Rs, to help you do that:
reality: focus on the present
Caring for your space starts with looking at where you’re at—in life and with your home—and identifying what’s needed to bring the two into alignment today. Are you single, married, or raising a young family? Do you have pets, travel frequently, or work from home? Does your space accommodate everyone and everything in it comfortably, or is space a constant stress and struggle?
Having a space that supports your current season and lifestyle gives you space and agency to live better in the present. More calm, control, and confidence. More time to experience and enjoy the home you’ve built. More energy, especially mental, to step outside your four walls knowing it will be there and ready to take care of you when you return.
As you take an honest look, write your thoughts down…let it free flow, pen to paper or digital. If your home includes a partner, invite them and hear each other’s perspective. Beyond that, try to do this reality check in a bubble. Social media can be inspiring but comparison often has a mind of its own. If you feel it coming on strong, take a social pause. Remember, home is meant to serve you and your real (not reel) life.
revise: find what feels right now
Caring for your home is a process. It takes intention, commitment, and trust that progress will come. This means regular revision. What worked yesterday may not work as well in a couple of months, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you got it wrong before. It means you’re growing and your space wants to adapt to that growth to support you better. Adjustments are to be expected.
Think of an area in your home that works really well. It can be anywhere…a closet, a drawer, or a corner of a room. What about it works? How does it make you feel? For me, it’s this kitchen closet. It’s dedicated to craft supplies, which I’ve reworked MANY times. My girls’ interests and imaginations are evolving, so I acknowledge (my reality) and expect this closet will change. And guess what? Each revision is better than the last. I look at what worked, what didn’t, what’s new, and what can go. Then I work with the closet to find what feels right now. I don’t nail it on the first try, but each time is faster than before. It’s practice. It’s progress. And the revised outcome is positive—I feel good about setting us up well for the next while.
I've lost track of what revision this is, but I'm more than glad to make it better time and again.
reward: keep the process going
Taking care of your home encompasses much more than what you see. There are habits, routines, and systems at work helping you each day. They don’t appear overnight. They require recognition and effort, specifically repetition. To repeat actions, we need an incentive, something to work towards, a reward.
Rewards provide benefits, both immediate and future. After I revise our craft closet, I feel a sense of satisfaction. That’s my immediate reward. But you know I like to take it one more step. I want to keep that good feeling, and in turn, the process, going by celebrating what I’ve done. When we celebrate a win, we make a positive memory of that effort. Our human behavior, then, is to recreate that memory. Repeat the effort and go after that reward again. Keep the process going. I can tell you from personal experience and the feedback I receive from my clients, the satisfaction doesn’t get old. It feels good every time and makes you look around and say, “I’ve got this. What’s next?”.
“Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
—James Clear, Atomic Habits
If we genuinely want to make something real, like creating a home we love, the power is in us to do it. Learning about habits, the small decisions we make every day, and how they shape our behavior gives us a different perspective on approaching how we care for ourselves and our space. It’s fascinating and life-changing. I’ve recommended the book “Atomic Habits” before on the blog, so if you want to learn about the science and get practical advice from a habit expert, this one is worth the read.
which reframe prompt resonates with you?
Home and self-care look different to us all. Free-flow writing may be great for those who process internally. Need something physical? Revise a small area in your home, something that triggers your senses. And if you just want to feel good, jot down ALL the things you’ve done or make you happy in your home. I encourage my clients to list every small win they achieve so they can see and acknowledge their progress. If you take one action today, celebrate wherever you’re at. Future you will pay it forward.
With gratitude always,
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