Mindful Living

Have you ever thought about what happens when you get rid of your old phone? Electronic waste may not be a splashy cause, but it’s a necessary one. Let’s take a look at how old tech is impacting people and the planet, and what you can do about it. Saturday is Earth Day. But of course, every day is Earth Day, unless you live on the moon. We are all roommates on this big blue marble and, you would hope, feel at least some obligation to protect it.

Taking a vacation is a surefire way to get in some serious relaxation time, but what about when you come back from your trip? If your return consists of meandering home from the airport, lugging in your suitcases and trying to get yourself together to go into the office the next day—and just the thought of it is already stressing you out—you might want to consider tacking an extra day off onto the end of your vacation, when you can.

When you’re on a tight budget, it can be difficult to decide what to spend your hard-earned cash on. Do you splurge on the fun stuff? Be responsible and renovate? There’s no one answer that’s right for everyone. But, reading what’s been worth the money to other people might help you figure out what’s most important to you. Below, eight people (who know a thing or two about making a home) share the purchases that had the biggest impact on their happiness at home.

From fretting over which wall color to choose to wondering if you made the right decision on that couch, there are a lot of physical element decisions that go into making a home. It’s absolutely worth the time to learn about design principles, storage ideas and decor tricks — all things that will make your space so much more livable and enjoyable.

Meredith Maran is the author of The New Old Me: My Late-Life Reinvention. So shoot me: I’m a feminist, and a homebody. Domestic goddess. Nest-featherer. The world might be falling down around me (as it has, in fact, been doing since November)—but give me a cozy, uncluttered, tastefully decorated house to come home to, a well-stocked kitchen in which to bake my mother’s brownies and simmer the marmalade I make from the bounty of my own lemon tree, and I’ll be fine.

As I look around my apartment, full to the brim with colors, patterns, knick-knacks and throw pillows, the thought occurs to me that I don’t even know where to start living a more minimal lifestyle. Give away everything I own? Before I do something drastic, I’m going to listen to these people whose homes are beautiful and simple. They’ve shared how they started their journey of living minimally. Robyn shares a Toronto home with her partner Sam and their two dogs Carl and Prune.

I used to pride myself in being a “yes girl”. If my girlfriends invited me out for drinks, I said hell yeah even though what I really wanted to do was just spend the night reading in bed. If my boss asked if I could take on an extra assignment, I happily accepted even though I was already feeling overwhelmed. “Yes” was pretty much my automatic response to (almost) everything.

Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals. For the next week, we’ll take a look at all of it—cleaning, pop culture, and of course tons of eye-popping design inspiration.

A therapeutic wave of childhood nostalgia just washed over us, and this sudden flashback is all because of The New York Academy of Medicine Library’s #ColorOurCollections social media campaign. Our minds have ventured back to a moment in our childhoods where we had just realized that coloring with crayons was way better than tasting them.

Monday mornings are hard enough, so why not take some of the pressure off? If you take some time out of your Sunday night to get stuff done, you’ll have less to do in the morning (Translation: You can hit the snooze button and not feel guilty about it!). Just a few changes to your weekend routine will make your Monday morning far less stressful and hectic.

Book clubs are great because they make you read more and hold you accountable for doing so (no one wants to show up to a book club meeting when they haven’t actually read the book up for discussion) and they also give you an excuse to see friends more often (and for something meaningful, too). But if you lead a busy life and don’t have time to devote to reading novels all the time, a book club can be a lot to handle on top of all your work and other activities and responsibilities.

So… it’s not date night and you don’t have any major plans, but that doesn’t mean you have to be relegated to a night of watching Netflix on the couch. If you and your partner are bored of the same TV routine, there are plenty of little ways to switch it up without leaving—or straying far from—home, or putting in too much effort when you’re already tired from a long day. Need some suggestions? Here are 10 you can try tonight.

You know that feeling when you’re on a first date or you’re meeting someone new and they ask you what your hobbies are? Unless you’re proudly dedicated to something like painting or playing a sport or an instrument, there’s this moment where you wonder “What are my hobbies?” as if you’ve suddenly forgotten all the things you like to do in your spare time. The good news is, you can change that.

I’ve never been a person who’s good at New Year’s resolutions. I’d always set my sights on a bunch of lofty aspirations and then wind up dropping off after a few months or a few weeks, never getting to exactly where I’d hoped I would by the time the next December 31st rolled around. And it always felt terrible, because I thought I was failing. In 2016, I decided to try something new.

Maybe you feel like you’re not a creative person in general, or maybe you just need a little bit of a push to find the solution you’re seeking—either way, there are plenty of small things you can do to be more creative. It might not feel like it, but the brilliant thoughts and ideas you’re looking for are already in your head, waiting to be put down on paper, you just can’t see them yet.

I’ve been setting New Year’s goals and resolutions for like, forever. Every December 31, I sit down to craft a super long list of things I want to achieve in the New Year. Every year, I tick a few things off my list, which feels incredible, but the things I don’t accomplish make me feel like I didn’t do enough. (Sound familiar?) Instead, for 2017, I’m doing things a little differently—opting for New Year’s intentions instead.

When it comes to making more money, we tend to focus on working hard, landing that new job or getting that promotion—often overlooking how powerful our thoughts are at manifesting our reality. When you change your relationship with money, you might find that you’re able to hang on to more of it. Here, I’m sharing four of my favorite money habits that will help keep you in an abundant state of mind. Anytime money flows into your life, feel gratitude for it.

Floating from party to party isn't easy when you're not a social butterfly.

Let’s be real: The holiday season is stressful. While a part of me gets super excited for all the delicious feasts, the festive decorations, the gifts, and the magic that fills the air, another part of me feels overwhelmed. This holiday season, I’m committed to letting go of certain things and taking the pressure off myself so that I can go back to just enjoying the holidays like when I was a kid. Here, five things I’m saying no to this holiday season.

Inspiration can come from all sorts of places. Friends and family members give us advice when we struggle, celebrities and other iconic figures give us something to aspire to, and romantic relationships teach us a lot about ourselves and what we want out of life. But, suprisingly, sometimes the ideas that stick with us—the ones that light fires under us and inspire us to keep going and do our best—come from our favorite movies, shows and novels.

How awesome do you feel when you run into someone you met once, a while ago, and they greet you by name? How awesome would it be to be that person who makes others feel that sort of “you matter” euphoria? Whether the reasons are business or personal, knowing someone’s name goes a long way in forging a lasting relationship. Here’s how to do it. So if someone says, “Hello, I’m Daytona,” you say, “Nice to you meet you, Daytona, I’m so-and-so.

Despite what it might feel like to a five-year-old, we know that the holidays are about more than just exchanging presents. If you’d like to instill that important lesson in your own family—or maybe just simplify your gift-giving this season with a clever little game that can also help save some money—we’ve got a gameplan for you. Instead of going hog wild at the mall this year, implement this four-word rubric to guide your gifting: Want, Wear, Need, Read.

For some people, the holidays really are the most wonderful time of the year—but for others, January 1st can’t come soon enough. There are tons of reasons why you might not want to celebrate—maybe you just don’t like the holidays, maybe you’ve got social anxiety and the pressure of attending party after party is too much, or maybe you need to take time to focus on your mental health for other reasons.

Because sometimes you're overbooked or just don't want to go.

Two major things tend to happen come winter: One, it gets cold and finding things to do—honestly, just leaving the house—becomes a chore. And two, if you’re single, it feels like everyone around you is coupling up. Winter feels like a time to be cozy and romantic, but sometimes the best thing you can do is take this time to focus on yourself.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to kick your gratitude practice up a notch. Gratitude is a super tool for living a happy life, and the modern way to do it is nothing like the gradeschool-style hand turkeys marked with notions like “I’m thankful for my mom and Lego.

Living with roommates isn’t always easy, but for some reason, there are so many preconceived notions about living alone. Your living arrangement doesn’t necessarily reflect on who you are as a person—it’s more about doing some soul-searching and figuring out what works best for you.

When you move into a new apartment building or a new neighborhood, do you try to make friends with your neighbors, or do you just go about your business? Sometimes, it makes sense to keep to yourself, but if your neighbors seem like the kind of people you’d like to get to know, it might be worth it to put yourself out there a little bit.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been dumped and heard the words “just friends.” We’ve all been there—and we’ve probably all used the same lame excuse to break up with someone, too. “Just friends” is such a common way to let someone down gently, but when you really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense.

You love your apartment, but there’s one thing you would change if you could—your roommate. It could be that your roommate is actually the worst, but maybe it’s not about them—maybe, it’s you. Maybe it’s that, deep down, you know you’d rather live alone. Whether you daydream about your perfect studio or you dread spending any time around your roommates, these might be signs that it’s time to get your own place.

Concerts and movies are great group activities, sure, but they don’t have to be group outings. It seems like most people wouldn’t (or at least, haven’t) gone to to a concert or to see a movie by themselves—and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. It may sound weird, but giving myself permission to go to things like that alone was one of the best things I could have ever done for myself.

No matter your profession, creative blocks can and will arise from time to time. One minute you’ll be bursting with originality and enthusiasm—and the next you might feel totally stuck. You’ve probably already heard of all the typical ways to bust through those blocks such as meditating, exercising, and spending time in nature, but here I’m sharing a few different methods you may not have heard of before that will get your creative juices flowing again in no time.

Is there anything better than a great conversation? Is there anything more frustrating than not being listened to? If your answer to both these questions is “no,” or if you’ve found that others get frustrated with you for not listening, read on for a ton of tips that will help your chats be far more fun, friendly, and productive.

Busy. It’s become a badge of honor, an excuse, a shield to hide behind, a reality for many and above all, a buzzword to avoid. Whether you are trying to be less busy or are currently drowning in it, I’ve managed to slow down (a bit) in my own life, and have a famous city in the South to thank. My penchant for constant movement isn’t just a product of my generation; it’s genetics, too.

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, but studies and go back and forth on the power of the selfie. Some say taking selfies is actually bad for your self-esteem while others say they have a more positive effect, and the internet is full of think pieces debating the same thing. Of course, taking a selfie isn’t a cure-all for your confidence, but it can’t hurt to celebrate when you feel good about yourself by taking pictures (whether you post them to Instagram or not).

In my teens and early twenties I was always the first to arrive, and had to consciously make an effort to not be early. I hated being late. Hated it. But when I moved to a bigger city, started a more demanding “grown-up” job, and generally developed a more complicated—sometimes unpredictable—life, my ways changed. While the only people who beat me to office meetings these days are interns, I’m not quite the stickler I used to be regarding promptness.

When you read about a woman who makes only a Mason Jar worth of waste per year, it’s hard not to think you’re doing life wrong. We all want to do right by the environment, but getting started along the path to a more sustainable lifestyle can seem daunting. The good news is it really is easy being green. By making small modifications in your daily life, you can significantly reduce your waste output.

There’s a common realization many remote workers are having, likely while sitting in front of a computer at home still in their PJs (I speak from experience). It goes a little something like this: “Hey, wait a minute… I don’t have to work from home. I could actually work from anywhere.

Traditional 9-to-5 jobs can be tedious, but there’s a shift that tends to happen every summer in offices across the country. As jeans and sandals become part of the dress code, you’ll start to notice fewer people in the office. Everyone is either on vacation, getting ready for one, or just got back to a mountain of emails. Productivity slumps. Recurring meetings are cancelled week-to-week, and deadlines become a little bit more flexible.

Although you’ve likely been sweating in tank tops for what seems like ages already, this week marked the official start of summer, which means this is the first weekend of the season. So let’s all get out there and celebrate with some activities that capture what summer is all about: Al fresco dining, soaking up the sun, and, yeah, maybe just a little bit of time inside to appreciate the invention of air conditioning.

I want to propose a new addition to the list of Things That are Better When You’re 22.

You don't need more coffee. Just a new frame of mind.

Vibrant, dramatic wall paint makes a big visual impact in just about any room. As does a patterned sofa in the living room or a graphic rug in the kitchen. But it’s not just the big, bold design decisions that make noticeable changes to the look or feel of your home. In this post, members of the Apartment Therapy editorial team weigh in on the smaller design details they think make a big difference.

Was one of your resolutions this year to connect more? (That’s smart of you). Whether you’re new to a city, trying to find new friends or need to network more for your career, the task can seem Herculean if you know you won’t know many (or any) people at the event you want to attend.

Valentine’s Day has come and gone for another year, leaving everyone thinking about love and relationships. But what about the relationship you have with your home? Here are five (free!) things you can do to love your home just a little bit more. Get rid of some stuff. Lots of advice about how to make your home better revolves around bringing in something new.

I’ve never much cared for New Year’s resolutions. Instead, I find it easier to focus on a couple of specific things that I would like to achieve for the upcoming year. These long-term goals somehow have a way of winning out, even when my resolve flags. You may set goals for redecorating, renovating, refreshing, rearranging, or just plain enjoying the space in which you live. But some are much more realistic than others, and not all goals are created equal.

It doesn’t take as much time as you might think to set yourself up for success all year long. Before this new month ends, consider tackling these two tasks. They won’t take you more than five minutes to accomplish a piece, but their positive effects will resonate all year long. This is one of my favorite clothes decluttering tools that absolutely anyone with a closet and hangers can implement to make their lives a little bit better throughout the year.

I am awesome at sticking to New Year’s resolutions. For about two weeks. Then my resolve softens followed by a predictable petering out of whatever habit I was trying to form, a short bout of self-recrimination and, finally, a return to the former status quo. So a few years ago I ditched the idea of resolutions and came up with something better…a mantra. The first mantra I adopted was very simple: Use it.

There are all kinds of ways that we put pressure on ourselves and our homes, and it’s all too easy to feel disappointed with ourselves when things go wrong—but it’s time to stop being so hard on yourself. Here are five common laments and ways to reframe them in a positive light. Peach & Craig’s Peaceful Australia Abode You’re a plant killer.

There’s reason to believe that people who over-think things may be more creative. But, man, you’re not doing yourself any favors by dwelling on that email you need to send. The best thing you can do to combat overthinking is simple: Take action! Make a decision or just do the thing you’re turning over about in your head. Here are eight things I know I’ve personally gotten my brain stuck on before… Which clothes to purge and donate.

It’s hard to ignore the stigma of what’s cheap. We’ve been trained over the years to equate price with value. When faced with two options–for a chair or maybe a picture frame–our minds are hard-wired to think of the more expensive option as being of better quality or more beautifully designed. That is, of course, not always the case.

There’s something so intoxicating about the turn of the calendar into a new year. It’s a blank slate and a fresh start. A time to reflect on lessons learned in the past and make ambitious promises to yourself about the new year. How can you — any of us — really ensure not just a great year, but perhaps one of the best years ever? Focus on these three things now and in the new year. The world is hectic. Scary. Overwhelming.

Are you prepared for the holidays? For traffic jams, holiday travel, potlucks, screaming kids, wrapping gifts, nosy family members? Take some to watch a handful of these TED talks on subjects like listening, happiness, mindfulness and more…they just might help you keep things in perspective, save your sanity and perhaps even survive the holidays this year.

Are you doing things that unintentionally make yourself have a bad day…before the day even really starts? Cut out these four things from your life and home and you might find your days start off on the right foot more often. Walking into a messy room is a bummer any time of the day, but particularly so first thing in the morning.

I’m a firm believer in the idea of everyone living alone at least once in their life. In fact, I’m in the solo-living-forever-if-I-can camp. Not only can it be a fun and enjoyable experience for most folks, I think you can also learn a lot about yourself. Here are six of the most important things living alone can teach you about you.

If you feel like you’re getting invited out to your friends’ houses less and less, it might not be you — maybe it’s just a sign of the times. According to the New York Times, house parties are a thing of the past. They’ve identified statistics that seem to show that these days, people host gatherings at their homes less and less — but why? First, some dire numbers: the amount of high school seniors who have a never attended a party has climbed to 41.