A fresh start

A fresh start

With the Christmas holidays behind us and the end of 2020, we have all been waiting impatiently for the New Year.

This is the time of the year when we make grand New Year resolutions, start new habits and focus on ‘big life changes’. But research has proven that within 3 weeks, many of us will most probably fall back into old routines.

This is why this year, with the extension of working from home and limited social interactions due to further pandemic restrictions, I have focused on creating a calming and clear environment around myself. I have guided myself with the motto ‘Less is more’ and worked on decluttering my living space, but also my mental space.

Photo credit: @theivabeaute

After returning back from a work assignment to my old home town just before Christmas, I wondered how to avoid the feeling of coming back to something old and familiar, especially during the period of new lockdowns, but instead feel like you are starting afresh?

My partner and I decided to do a huge end-of-year declutter, clearing our house and wardrobes and using this opportunity to donate lots of our things to local charities. I have not only felt 100kg lighter, but also quite fulfilled knowing that the things I haven’t used for a long time and was always storing away with the thought “Maybe I’ll need it one day” will actually bring some good to someone else.

Photo credit: @theivabeaute

While decluttering and reorganising our home, we focused on keeping the surfaces clear of too many objects, keeping them more minimal and not overwhelming. Also, we tried to bring more natural tones and soft materials to deliver a feeling of warmth and calmness. In our home, I like to focus on inspiring the senses and the mind, so my favourite items to keep around me are usually books and candles, like the ones from Moel, which represent real luxury moments, but are also good for the environment, being made from natural soy wax.

Photo credit: @theivabeaute

To keep my mental health in check with all the digital working from home, I have decided to turn off all my devices for 1 hour after the end of each working day, focusing on preparing a nice, freshly-cooked meal or read a good book whilst my partner does so 😊 On top of that, I am pushing myself to stop reading and discussing daily updates around the pandemic, as this is taking quite some energy to process and often puts us in a negative mood. Rather, we focus on discussing something new and inspirational, or enjoy good music and a nice cup of freshly prepared tea. Going out into nature and breathing in the fresh winter air is another magical moment which completely clears my mind and enables me to start afresh.

And you, what small changes have you made to start afresh in 2021?

With love,

Ivana #moelgirl

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