Tips for Mindful, DIY Home Projects & Renovations
DIY + Mindfulness
Home renovations can be stressful, especially if you’re doing them yourself, and it can be especially intimidating to take on big tasks that will have lasting changes in your home — however, there are steps you can take to ease your DIY renovation experience.
To begin, you’ll want to determine what your goals are for this project. Start by setting your intention for any sort of task, especially one that affects your home environment and can provide you with a sense of ease and purpose — and get started!
Begin by Decluttering
Beginning a home renovation task with a clean slate can help you to clear your mind and to see the space as you envision it. De-cluttering is perhaps the best way to find your vision, navigate a space, and make it your own.
There are several steps you can take to declutter a space and reclaim it for a different purpose. According to Apartment Therapy, asking yourself the five following questions can help you get on track when wondering what to do with any one item:
- Have I used this in the past year?
- Will I use it in the year ahead?
- Would I buy this again?
- If broken, would this item be worth repairing?
- Would I take this with me if I moved?
If you find yourself answering “no” to the majority of these questions, it’s a safe bet the item in question is ready to be passed along to someone else.
After answering these questions, you have a few options to choose from on what to do with with your belongings. There’s a place and a space for everything, so make a pile of what is going where:
~> Trash
~> Keep
~> Donate
~> Recycle
~> Digitize*
*A note about digitizing photos … It’s a great way to reduce physical waste, but just like any tool, it can be abused. Avoid making your digital archives a digital wasteland by taking time to delete blurry or duplicate photos.
The process of sorting through belongings can be daunting, but knowing there are multiple solutions to dealing with your stuff can help to alleviate some of the stress.
A Few Notes on Mindfulness & Minimalism …
When it comes to doing any new project in the house, it can be overwhelming to think of what all needs to be done. Luckily, that’s where mindfulness and minimalism can come into play.
Mindfulness is about living in the present and practicing gratitude, and moving into minimalism is about embracing a state of being, meaning that it’s just as much as a mindset as it is an aesthetic. Here are some things to know about the two:
In Regards to Minimalism:
- Everyone has their own take on minimalism; finding what works for you will help you achieve your goals.
- Asking which of your belongings brings you joy is a step to a tider space and happier state of mind.
- Nostalgic items are overrated.
In Regards to Mindfulness:
- Meditation helps a lot.
- Being mindful means you can enjoy the little things more.
- You can work hard and be mindful (i.e. productive).
In understanding the effective tactics of minimalism and mindfulness practices, DIY home renovations don’t have to be so daunting.
Getting Started on Your DIY Home Renovation
First and foremost, know what you’re getting yourself into. Start by asking yourself some of these questions:
- What kind of project are you undertaking?
- Is this a weekend endeavor or a month-long process?
- Is this a one- or two-person job?
- Is this a fairly cheap project or one you’ll be making payments on for a while?
Know what’s up before you put on your work boots. Checking out help sites on DIY home renovation tips is a good place to start.
You Can Do It!
A home renovation can turn a boring room into your space — meaning that it can truly make a house a home. Here are some things to keep in mind depending on what room you are looking to improve:
The Kitchen
Renovating a kitchen can be one of the more challenging rooms to do work on, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t! There are plenty of resources out there to help you renovate your kitchen in a cost-efficient way. Here are some quick tips from the experts:
- Use your kitchen before you change it; it gives you the optimal sense of what you already have and what you’d like to add or subtract from the model
- If you can, live somewhere else while remodeling. It can help alleviate stress of the project.
- Check out the psychology of color before painting your kitchen. Studies show that colors affect our moods and even hunger.
The Bathroom
Bathroom renovation can be a fun way to show off your personal style and as close as possible to having your own spa. Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Understand the purposes of your bathroom. Is it one you share with others or all your own? It a place you spend a lot of time getting ready? Knowing the answer to these questions
- Bathrooms get steamy — invest in ventilation.
The Bedroom
This is your sacred space, and your chance to have a space fully reflect your personality. You know yourself and your needs best, so assess what you (and your partner, if you got one) want the space to provide. Here are some things to remember:
- Be realistic. You may love that one expensive rug, but there’s no use getting it if you know your cat will claw it every day.
- Lighting can make or break any bedrooms aesthetic. Multiple light sources and dim lighting are the key to a cozy bedroom.
The Bottom Line
Home renovations, especially those of the DIY nature, can be daunting, but they are definitely doable! Even more, you can go through the renovation process and keep your sanity through practicing a mindful and minimalist approach.
