Our home is where we spend most of our time with our family and friends.  It serves as our living space and hosting spot for parties and welcome visitors.  A home holds much sentimental value for us as we’ve watched our children grow older within its walls and formed countless memories.

Our environment hugely impacts our relationships with others and our general state of well-being.  The home especially influences the emotions, temperament, and sense of security of developing children.  It is important to invest time and energy into making your home a place that your children feel comfortable in.  We can appeal to all of our senses by filling our home with soothing visuals, sounds, scents, and materials.

So what are some easy ways we can foster a more positive environment at home? 

Stay Organized.  Is your home harmonious or a chaotic mess?  Do your family members enjoy spending time at home or does your home feel so cluttered and congested that it is emotionally draining for all?  For most, an organized space feels lighter, more peaceful, and helps us think more clearly.  This is especially important if your home also serves as your workspace.  Clearing out these unnecessary distractions and clutter will help you regain a sense of control and boost productivity.

Fill your home with more natural things.  A small plant, a flower pot, an aquarium tank, or a small fishbowl will suffice to get the natural energy flowing in your home!  Studies show that simply looking at a flower makes people feel more uplifted and soothed.  Symbolic representations of nature, as in paintings, embroidery, or other home furnishings may also do the trick!  For a greater appeal to our sense of sight, smell, and touch, it is best to place living, growing things in your home.  This may also boost your child’s curiosity and interest in learning about our natural ecosystem!

Play music.  Choose a style of music to set the mood for your home.  Your choice of a jazzy, dynamic beat or a soothing natural track will shape the essence and aura of your home.  While music can be distracting to some depending on its tempo and complexity, studies show that playing soft background music can improve concentration.  Playing an instrumental piece may especially help active children, enabling them to clear their minds and better focus on a singular learning task.

Alter your lighting environment.  Grab some candles to boost the ambience in your home and add a fragrant touch.  Make sure you have some well-lit spaces in your home to allow for sufficient lighting to work, study, and relax.  Wherever possible it is beneficial to allow natural light to filter through.  While dark, heavy window treatments can make a space appear small and confined, a lighter, brightly colored window covering can make a room appear more spacious and provide shade when needed without stifling natural light.  It is best to choose window treatments that can be pinned back or pulled away, such as curtains and light drapery as opposed to blinds which are difficult to remove (and harder to clean).

Encourage learning and creativity.  According to a study examining the influence of home environment on learning, “home environment is more highly predictive of children’s academic achievement than measures of SES [socioeconomic status] such as parental education and income.”  In addition, children who come from homes where academic development is valued, encouraged, and nourished demonstrate higher language abilities.  Therefore, celebrate your child’s achievements and success in different areas!  Post your child’s “A” test somewhere visible (e.g. fridge, bulletin board) as a reminder of his hard work and accomplishment.  Hang your children’s artwork on the wall to encourage their artistic interests and show how much you value their effort.

Place things in your home that are appealing to your child’s interests, hobbies, or cultural background.  Display learning tools around your home where they can be seen.  For example, you might consider putting books on a shelf where they are easily accessible or putting together an arts-and-crafts bin to appeal to your child’s creative drive. 

Make sure that there is a designated learning space in your home for children.  We naturally associate different spaces with a defined function so the kitchen or living room might not be the best spot for homework or teaching lessons.  Instead, find a quiet space in your home that is typically free of high social activity and stimulating noises or visuals (e.g. no television or loud chattering) and set up a private workspace as your child’s go-to learning spot. 

Cultivate gratefulness and self-worth.  Studies show that grateful people are happier people.  Good health, exemplary performance at work/school, a winning sporting match – these are all things to be grateful for!  Journaling or writing down the things you are grateful for on a daily or weekly basis is a fun activity to do as a family or individually.  Write them down in a list, on post-it notes, or in a diary form – whichever way you feel most comfortable.  You might also do this verbally within family discussions or in conversation.  No achievement is too small or insignificant to be celebrated.  Maybe your child has been doing a great job of listening and being obedient, thank him!  Maybe your husband has been lending a hand around the house, show him your appreciation and that you noticed! 

Most importantly, remember to celebrate each member of your family uniquely and with intention.  Everyone benefits when a healthy self-esteem is encouraged and children are reminded daily that they are loved, wanted, and cherished.  Post inspiring quotes, bible verses or memorable photos on a wall space as encouragement to remain optimistic and thankful. 

We want to know – are there any ideas you have implemented to help make your home feel more positive?

The post Encouraging Positivity at Home appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Take a break for a few minutes from whatever you were doing before reading this article. Clear your mind of errands to run, projects to complete, racing thoughts of all kinds. And think for a moment about your life and these two words:

1. Certainty
2. Uncertainty

 These two premises, one being an outcome that is without doubt, the other a circumstance that nobody can predict or guarantee, are capable of explaining your whole life! And why it’s not exactly how you wish it were right now.

When we have great “certainty” there is an urge for most of us to seek “uncertainty.” For instance, some people when surrounded by great certainty — such as while in a steady, secure job or in a committed long- term relationship — say they are bored or are not feeling alive. They feel they’re not using their talents to the maximum, not feeling that excitement in their marriage, not feeling like they’re living the life they always imagined.

Yet, when we have great uncertainty in our lives, as many now do during these financial times, we seek greater certainty. Suddenly a steady marriage feels supportive and necessary, a secure job a blessing.

Likewise, when we have great certainty we’re willing to take greater risks in order to achieve a certain level of uncertainty, but if we are living with great uncertainty suddenly even the smallest of risks seems like too much.

Whichever side you are on right now, certainty or uncertainty, really isn’t important, however. What is important is that you realize you are likely always seeking out that which you do not have.

It’s a classic case of “the grass is always greener on the other side.” Usually that’s the case because it’s fertilized with BS! The solution? Embrace the present moment, whatever it may be. Change is good, as long as you’re living in the present.

Always seeking what you do not have keeps you in a constant state of unrest. You are continually wishing your life were different in some way, and in this way can never truly feel content, fulfilled or even happy.

But this is not to say you should never strive for change. Rather, you should embrace what you have right now, and then take the steps to go after your dreams. It takes effort on your part to do this — to accept and embrace the here and now while opening yourself to whatever the future will bring.

Again, this is not about wishing for the future to the extent that you miss out on today. Always at the forefront of your mind should be living in the moment.

This deceptively simple premise is very difficult for many people. A major part of the problem is that most people are living their lives to please other people, or they are living the life they think they should (rather than the life they really want). In so doing, they often want to ignore the present moment because it does not feel true nor right to their hearts.

Your first step, then, should be to identify what it is you want! Then start taking the following steps to get you there.

Are You Ready to Have the Life You Really Want? Then Follow These Steps

In the tips that follow you’ll learn ways to set realistic goals and achieve desired outcomes that you will achieve by being in the moment everyday with what you want to do, will do, and that you then do — to achieve exactly what you want to in your life journey starting now! Today!

1. Focus on living in the present, feeling neither regret for past events nor fear or calm down and stay present even in the plan can make all the difference to stay relaxed.

2.Choose to have a positive attitude. A positive attitude trumps just about everything when it comes to success and happiness, and this is a state of mind that you can choose. In other words, YOU control how you view a situation and whether you perceive it negatively or positively. So if negative thoughts enter your mind, do not give them any attention.

Instead, focus on the many good things in your life and be grateful for what you have, especially the things you may take for granted, like food, shelter, your health and people who love you, and whom you love in return.

3. Write down your goals. Writing about life goals is associated with enhanced well- being, according to the Positive Psychology Center. Remember to phrase your goals as though you have already achieved them, such as “I enjoy being at my ideal weight.”

4. Laugh and smile — doing so will help you to live in the moment and maintain a positive outlook (both of which will also help you stay open to new opportunities coming your way).

5. Use daily affirmations. Similar to a mantra, a positive affirmation repeated after you wake up, before bed or anytime during the day can help to displace negative thoughts with positive ones and reaffirm what is most valuable to you.

The goal of these steps is three-fold:

• Allow you to feel happy and at peace with your life how it is right now
• Help you achieve and maintain a positive mental attitude
• Remind you of the importance of living in the present

As you naturally begin to adopt these three premises, you’ll find you’re satisfied with your life rather than continually seeking something different. Yet, at the same time you’ll notice positive opportunities await you each and every day. They’re there now, and yours for the taking — as soon as you stop focusing on what you do not have and embrace all that you do.

The post The Life You Live vs. the Life You Want to Live appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.