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Now more than ever you need cheerful ways to spice up your life! Or, so I’m guessing. And you’re not alone! While COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, and we’re free to leave our homes, many of us are feeling the impacts of the recession. With poor fuel economy and the sheer size of electric bills, we’re all feeling the pinch.
We need to explore cheap and easy ways to spice things up without breaking the bank! For some, this could be re-designing their immediate space using prints, a layer of paint, or even their DIY skills. For others, it could be booking a short getaway. From free experiences to slightly more expensive items, this short guide aims to give some diversity to everyone.
8 Ways You Can Spice Up Your Life!
Change up your immediate surroundings with PosterStore.
When life gets busy we can sometimes forget about our immediate surroundings. If things are starting to feel mundane, one of the easiest things you can do to spice up your life is to change your space! I’m not talking about a full-on facelift! Even something as simple as changing up the position of your furniture or switching out wall art can be enough to spark joy!
PosterStore makes it easier than ever to redesign your living space! With hundreds of prints and frames to choose from, there’s literally something for everyone! This is the second time I’ve worked with PosterStore, and not only do they have a wonderful selection of prints, but they’re a pleasure to work with!
If you’d like to get yourself a few brand-spanking new pieces for your walls, then check out their website! Better yet? Use discount code 45_CHLOE to get 45% on all posters & 10 % on frames. This doesn’t include Selection posters.
Valid from June 27th until July 4th.
Need more advice on spicing up your space? Check out this post!
Get more natural light!
This was going to be the section wherein I discuss the importance of getting into nature. I so wanted to talk about the joys of beautiful trees, rolling fields, and bird songs. But I also wanted to keep things realistic and practical. I know that quite a few of us are experiencing horrible weather, and not everyone has the privilege of living near a natural area. So, while nature is amazing for your mental health, natural light can be is just as good!
Even if you live in a built-up area, try and get outside! You can go for a walk, or if the weather’s particularly bad, simply draw back the curtains. Natural light has so many benefits for our mood that it’s difficult to know where to start. Sunlight triggers our bodies to produce serotonin which naturally acts as a mood lifter and even helps you focus.
Got a garden space? Great! Here’s how you can create the perfect ambiance outside to help you feel better on the inside.
Practice daily gratitude.
Gratitude basically giving thanks or appreciation for what we have and receive in life. When things seem nigh impossible there is always something to be grateful for, even if we can’t see it. While going through difficult times in our lives it’s often hard to see the ‘sky for the trees.’ We shield our eyes from the world around us and tend to focus only on the pain.
Positive psychology research has long associated gratitude with improved feelings of happiness. Its thought to improve the positive emotions we feel, allows us to hold onto good experiences, enables us to better deal with adversity, and even help us to build and maintain healthy relationships.
To learn more about gratitude and how you can get started, check out this post!
Try some new recipes!
Even if you’re not much of a whizz in the kitchen, it can be good to learn some new recipes. I don’t often cook, in fact, I’m terrible, but recently I had the pleasure of baking this beautiful lemon honey cheesecake. My husband and I used this gorgeous recipe from The Grumpy Olive and it turned out amazing! I’ll never be a star baker or Gordon Ramsey, but it offers a change of pace.
Good food is often considered the gateway to the soul. Now, two years into long-term recovery, I can wholeheartedly agree! If like me you usually steer clear of the kitchen, this is your sign to challenge that.
Learn something new!
Maybe cooking really isn’t your thing, and that’s fine! But I am a real nerd when it comes to learning new things. Specifically creative things! I’ve learned so many new skills in the last few years, and I have had an amazing time doing so. I may not be the master of any of them, but I’ve made a start!
Why not pick up a starter kit or book from your local craft store, or learn a new skill online? There are any amount to choose from on the likes of Skillshare or even more traditionally, Youtube!
Organise and declutter your space.
Take a moment to think about your home and even your work area. Are they causing you to feel overwhelmed? Stressed or flustered? Are you constantly promising that you’ll dust that one spot by the fire?
Cluttered environments heighten feelings of anxiety, reduce productivity, and can cause us to feel physically run down. Yes, you read that all correctly! Clutter is more than just an eyesore! So, with this in mind, set yourself the goal of decluttering your living space over the next few weeks. Get rid of what you don’t need, keep what you do, and always, always, utilise a last-in, last-out system!
Take a digital detox!
One of the biggest disadvantages of social media is that it can sometimes present things in a really ‘chic‘ way. It has a way of making things look way better than they really are, and a whopping 60% of things we see on social media are fake. The use of sites such as Instagram can present the myth that everyone is living a glam and fabulous lifestyle. We can begin to feel pressured and inadequate next to our peers, and this can lead to various insecurities. In reality, everything’s not always perfect and our flaws can’t be edited out.
Social media specifically has a lasting effect on our mental health and studies have shown that those who’re always online are at a greater risk of things such as depression and anxiety. It can play a huge part in creating and nourishing insecurities and comparisons. By taking time to step away from the web, we’re able to separate ourselves and readjust to reality.
Take a trip!
This suggestion is one of the more expensive ones. And while I understand that in the current economic climate this may not be feasible for everyone, it still deserves a mention. One of the best things to help spice up your life is to escape it. Even for a little while. It can seem counter-productive, but even a short change of scenery can help remind us of what we have back home.
But with the issues we’re currently having with travel, maybe a staycation is a better option. Speaking for myself, we’ve plenty of beautiful places to visit here in Northern Ireland. But, it wasn’t until the pandemic began to lift that we really took notice. While flying was still discouraged, we made an effort to look for staycations at home! Between the ancient columns of the Giant’s Causeway and glamping on a farm in Belfast, we’ve fallen in love with our own ‘wee’ country.
Before dishing out a fortune to travel abroad, take a look around. It’s amazing what you can miss when it’s right on your doorstep!
I love to help others and share my knowledge and experience,
everything is digital now from pay day to netflix to work world has chnaged so much no matter where you live everything is truly digital nowdays
Thanks for sharing !!
I have read this article. I think You put a lot of effort into creating this article.
This is truly awesome, I would apply this tactics learning something new is so exciting especially when we are indoors for the last 2 years of covid
These are great ideas, I will try some of these. I like to get creative with my space and decorating but need some decluttering haha.
I totally agree with you – there are so many affordable ways to spice things up, and we do need a little bit of spice 😊 All these are good examples! Thank you for sharing them with us ❤️
These are all great ideas and I think I’ve used them all over the past few months. Thanks for putting them all into one place for future reference. I love the positivity!!
Sunlight and a didgital detox, two of the simplest and most effective things you can do1
It’s always important to consider how we can make our daily lives more interesting when we find ourselves in those funks. I’ve been in a LOT of those funks this year. I’ve found new hobbies to be really great. I’ve recently started embroidery and I love it! Music often helps too x
Love this! I feel that with everything that’s going on it’s even more important to keep these things in mind! Especially getting out into nature and de-cluttering. I need to do this soon I realize my spring cleaning didn’t get it all! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this!
First of all, Willow killed me – she is such a cutie! I love the decor around your place Chloe, and particularly love the picture of your office, such a great space! And the prints are all honestly amazing!
These are great tips that I can easily implement! One thing I try to do is get as much sunlight. The weather definitely affects my mood.
I am in such a rut this summer. I think I need to try gratitude journaling.
Taking a digital detox is nice. I want to build my blog up though, maybe to try and make some extra money on the side to manage the boost in price for everything so I’m onlihne more than usual right now.
I am all in for getting more natural light into my room. It always brightens me up. I am not sure if I am ready to part ways with my old clothes.
I love posts like these as it always gives me great ideas and motivates me to spice up my life. I’ve heard great things about the poster store so I defiantly need to get checking them out! I also love trying new recipes, I’m always baking new and fun recipes to share on my blog and i love it! Thank you so much for sharing these tips, I’ll defiantly be making good use of them! Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
These are all really good suggestions. I am completely with you in getting more natural light. it makes a big difference to our mental state.
Whew, yes I need a trip somewhere abroad ASAP. I so miss traveling and seeing new places.
Those are some really good ideas. I like the idea of new posters; my walls are a bit bare.
Yesss please! I have been practicing gratitude for a very long time and I must say, it works wonders! Not only does it fill my cup, but it helps remind me in situations like today that there’s always something to be grateful for. I also love to declutter. I like things neat and clean. Makes my mind feel easy when there’s not a mess in sight!
The first thing that came to my mind was travel, so I’m glad you included it. Showing gratitude is important, too!
Daily gratitude is key, in my opinion. It’s so easy to get focused on what’s going wrong that we lose sight of what’s going right.
YES to all of this! I find joy in learning something new and decluttering and organizing. I am looking forward to a family vacation later this week. All these things can definitely spice up your life.
These are such great suggestions. The biggest effort in trying to add to our lives is really our own minds. The suggestions you offered are all so manageable. I have friends that have spring./ summer throw pillows and area rugs that they switch out for fall/ winter. Just that little change, twice a year, changes the feeling of their house.
Great post. And please let Willow know that she is a star!
These are such great ideas! I always enjoy natural light and trying new recipes. I hadn’t thought about getting new posters, what a fun way to change things up!