Mindful Living

Find tips on how you can incorporate more mindfulness at home, from meditation to deep breathing.
Home office with wooden desk, black chair, table lamp, plants, and a cabinet with a pumpkin decoration.
The Year is Half Over—So Here’s One Simple Thing You Can Do This Weekend to Feel Accomplished
Weekend Projects
One simple effort has the potential to make you feel light, calm, and even a little bit peppy.
Shifrah Combiths
Jun 26, 2020
These 3 Relationship Rules Will Solve Your Fights About Falling Asleep During Netflix
The point of watching a show together is to watch the show *together*.
Olivia Muenter
Jun 24, 2020
10 Free or Easy Ways to Celebrate the First Day of Summer
Weekend Projects
You might mark the change in season with a decluttering or organizing project that sets you up to enjoy summer to the fullest. Or, your inaugural summer activity might look less like work and more like a party.
Shifrah Combiths
Jun 19, 2020
6 Things You Can Organize to Feel More In Control of Your Space and Your Life
If there's ever a time to reduce stress and engage in tasks that give a sense of "calm or release, it's now.
Shifrah Combiths
Jun 12, 2020
When the Rest of My Home is Chaos, a Clear Kitchen Table Helps Me Feel Calm—Here’s Why
I'm trying to learn to let go of a lot—but there's one small area of our house that I always make sure is perfectly clear.
Shifrah Combiths
May 21, 2020
I Worked From Home For A Year Before Coronavirus—But Here Are 6 Things I Needed to Switch Up
I saw people panic about how difficult working from home may be, and part of me thought, “OK, I’ve got this handled.” But then... I didn’t.
Olivia Muenter
May 15, 2020
The Best Thing You Can Do With 20 Minutes and a Piece of Paper, Especially if You’re Feeling Anxious
Weekend Projects
"Getting out of your head" is sometimes the best remedy for a looming anxiety spiral. But I, for one, don't want to miss what my thoughts might be trying to teach me.
Shifrah Combiths
May 15, 2020
Try This 10-Minute Tidy-Up to Reclaim Some of Your Mental and Physical Space
Weekend Projects
Your space—and therefore, you—will enjoy a little perk-up.
Shifrah Combiths
May 1, 2020
Your “Work Self” is Gone Now That Your Coworkers Have Seen Your Apartment
Zoom calls can feel like a low-key treasure hunt of subtle clues about who our professional peers and colleagues really are. Here’s why you should embrace it.
Gray Chapman
Apr 28, 2020
Do You Have a “City Persona” and a “Country Persona?”
We recently started talking about meeting your neighbors and it got me thinking about the variety of ways that people in different parts of the country (or the world for that matter) interact with each other in small ways, day-to-day. I’ve always realized that I act differently towards other people depending on the city I’m in, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s something of a cultural necessity.
Jennifer Hunter
Apr 14, 2020
Here Are 4 Ways to Make Peace With Your Temporary Quarantine Clutter
When there are stacks of canned food on usually-cleared-off counters, and makeshift work stations in the middle of the living room, it can bombard you with an uneasy feeling that things are out of place.
Shifrah Combiths
Apr 6, 2020
9 Things Smart Shoppers Ask Themselves Before They Buy Furniture
Don't pull out your wallet just yet.
Caroline Biggs
Apr 2, 2020
The Easiest Spring Cleaning Task is Also the Most Important
Spring Cleaning
You can make spring cleaning less overwhelming by starting small.
Taryn Williford
Mar 31, 2020
Is it Social-Distance Sadness… or Depression? Here’s How to Tell, According to Psychologists
And how to find help from home.
Ashley Abramson
Mar 27, 2020
30 (Mostly Free) Things to Do When You’re Bored at Home
Before you let your lethargy get the best of you, remember that boredom is a choice, not a sentence.
Caroline Biggs
Mar 20, 2020
The Free “Video Voicemail” App That Helps Me Stay in Touch With My Long-Distance Best Friend
Marco Polo has given me a way to hold special people close in my life regardless of our physical distance.
Shifrah Combiths
Mar 18, 2020
Saturday Assignment: Remove Household Rust With These 5 Natural Remedies
Rust is a quiet, subtle things that sneaks up on your pans, pots, servingware and even some furniture. The weekend’s a perfect time to rid your metal of this pesky unsightly element. And guess what? There are five eco-friendly ways to remove rust, most of which came from you, our readers! Rust comes in many different forms, but the most common in households is rust from iron oxides, where metal is exposed to water or air moisture and becomes oxygenated.
Tiffany Finley
Mar 18, 2020
I Tried 5 Home Office Tips To Make Me More Productive—and Here’s What Worked
Most of them are tiny changes that cost no money at all, and all of them helped me feel more productive, settled, and happy with my at-home work environment.
Olivia Muenter
Mar 17, 2020
11 Simple Cleaning Habits That Are Obvious to Experts, But Maybe Not to You
These tips help make cleanliness part of the rhythm of daily life.
Shifrah Combiths
Mar 12, 2020
Bathroom Decorating Ideas: 5 Ways to Make Any Bathroom Feel More Spa-Like
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get away and treat ourselves to a spa weekend, like every weekend? Well, if that dream is a bit out of your reach for financial or practical reasons (we’re all probably in this boat!), there is still something you can reach for: A more spa-like bathroom that melts the day’s worries away or gets you in the best, relaxed mood to face the day. These six ways are affordable and should work in just about any bathroom (even small or windowless ones!
Adrienne Breaux
Mar 11, 2020
Personal Challenges: 18 Fasts to Improve Your Health, Wealth & Outlook
Lent. No-shave November. By nature, people love to challenge themselves. Changing the routine for a short time gives us a temporary pass to explore another lifestyle — one without meat or with the addition of a lumberjack beard, perhaps. Breaks and fasts can definitely be fun, but they can also teach you a lot about yourself. With a definite expiration date looming on the horizon, people find more willpower to stick to a diet plan or household budget.
Taryn Williford
Mar 11, 2020
5 Simple Ways to Make Your Home a Haven
Lately my day job, combined with being almost seven months pregnant, is leaving me pretty tired by 5 p.m. I’ve been thinking more and more about what makes my home a comfortable place to be — something anyone can relate to. Here are some of our best tips for making your home a cozy place that you’re always happy to come home to. 1. Diversify lighting. I’m a proponent of having three points of light in a room.
Kim R. McCormick
Mar 11, 2020
The Ultimate Guide to Making Any Rental More Energy Efficient
Think that because you don’t own, you have no control over your home’s energy use? Not true! Here’s our ultimate guide; full of links to quick, easy and yes, even inexpensive, ways to reduce your carbon footprint and lower your bills (your landlord will thank you!). Most of these changes are likely to pay for themselves in energy savings over the duration of your rental.
Rachel Wray Thompson
Mar 11, 2020
Tips for the Slow Home: Creating Functional Spaces
Making your home, or even one room, function for the purpose you’ve identified isn’t about spending tons of money to overhaul your space; it’s more about being thoughtful about how you envision your space to function. Yes, you might need to purchase a sleeper sofa if you want your office to double as a guest room, but generally you can work with what you have.
Landis Carey
Mar 11, 2020
The Counterintuitive Way My Family Saves $100 a Month on Our Monthly Bills
Month after month, I would look at my bank statement and resolve to spend less on food. The solution to that problem? Accepting reality.
Ashley Abramson
Mar 10, 2020
I Tried the Charlie App for Just One Month and Saved Hundreds on Amazon
It’s nice to have someone—even a robot penguin—looking out for me.
Ashley Abramson
Mar 2, 2020
One Laundry Essential I Happily Splurge On, and One Place Where I Save
Maybe this says more about me than I should admit, but at the age of 35, laundry has become a very big deal.
Ashley Poskin
Mar 2, 2020
99 Fun Things to Do to Celebrate Leap Day
Don't let this special day pass you by without making something of it.
Shifrah Combiths
Feb 29, 2020
10 Things Productive & Organized People Do Before Noon
Better make the most of your morning hours – you're never going to get them back.
Taryn Williford
Feb 28, 2020
5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of the “My House Is a Mess” Rut
It's so overwhelming that you don't even know where to start. This is when you need a strategy.
Shifrah Combiths
Feb 26, 2020
8 Simple Things Happy Couples Do Every Day, According to Relationship Experts
These habits and routines can lead to relationship success—and they’re way simpler than you might be thinking.
Olivia Muenter
Feb 13, 2020
8 Products that Will Help You Practice Mindfulness Every Day
All you need is five minutes.
Nicole Lund
Jan 29, 2020
The 9 Best Money-Saving Personal Finance Hacks
Each one is designed to change the way you act or think to give you a little leg up on deciding where your money goes day after day and year after year.
Shifrah Combiths
Jan 23, 2020
The Real Difference Between a Living Room and a Family Room
Living
According to the experts.
Ashley Abramson
Jan 18, 2020
Forget Resolutions and Try One of These 10 “Fresh Starts” Instead
January 16 is the new January 1, and there's never a bad time to get excited for a fresh start at home.
Shifrah Combiths
Jan 16, 2020
This Quiet, Distraction-Free Routine is the Cure for “Home Blindness”
January Cure
If you can navigate your bedroom in pitch black, imagine how much of your home you aren’t really seeing anymore.
Taryn Williford
Jan 13, 2020
The “Outbox” Method is a Proven Way to Make Decluttering Less Stressful
January Cure
The outbox has been a staple of the January Cure for many, many years—mainly because it just works.
Taryn Williford
Jan 8, 2020
Try This One-Hour Walk-Through Exercise and Get Closer to Your Dream Home
January Cure
You're the expert on what kind of love your home really needs right now.
Taryn Williford
Jan 7, 2020
31 Simple, Miniscule Resolutions to Improve Your Life in January
By this point, you’re probably really ready to stop seeing “new year, new you” articles. January is a month that many industries thrive off of when it comes to marketing, and can you blame them? The start of the new year means a fresh start for everyone, and many people look at this as a way to revamp their personal or professional life. But sometimes the biggest mistake anyone can make going into a brand spankin’ new year is to think too big.
Olivia Muenter
Jan 3, 2020
This Weekend, Get a 10-Minute Jumpstart on January With Just a Pen and a Notepad
Get ahead of that new year "I must get my house in order" bug.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 27, 2019
The 2 Best Changes I Made to Simplify My Cleaning Routine this Year
I'm set to make 2020 my most streamlined cleaning year yet.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 20, 2019
Penelope and Nathan’s Full–Hearted Eclectic
Name: Penelope, Nathan and Bell MillerLocation: Portland, OregonYears lived in: 2 Penelope and Nathan turned a broken down house in North East Portland into a handmade palace full of personality and joy — the perfect spot to raise their 20 month old daughter, Bell, and even have leftover room for guests and grandparents. When Penelope needed a bit of peace and contemplation, they built an outdoor lounge room completely from reclaimed, tossed–aside materials.
Leela Cyd
Dec 19, 2019
Advice for Creating a Home That Reflects Your Personality
Take a real long, careful look around your home. Does it look like “you”? Does it reflect your personality? If it doesn’t — if friends are often surprised when they visit your home — you might consider some of the advice from this week’s gorgeous house tours. “I always tell people to make sure their room has personality and reflects themselves. I’ve seen many homes where you get no sense of the people who live there.
Adrienne Breaux
Dec 19, 2019
7 Things The Best Overnight Guests Always Do, Every Time They Stay Over
Being mindful goes a long way in avoiding friction and keeping generous hosts happy.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 8, 2019
100 Frugal Habits to Live By, If You’re Trying to Save Money
If you take on a few small changes today, you'll rack up a snowball of savings that will set you up for life.
Shifrah Combiths
Dec 6, 2019
5 “Clean Enough” Housekeeping Rules Every Messy Perfectionist Needs to Learn
In real life, the houses that seem perfectly kept probably belong to people who are satisfied with "good enough" rather than perfection.
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 25, 2019
31 Things a Great Host Will Think About Before Having Overnight Guests
While not every one of these think-ahead items applies to every home or every overnight guest scenario, these are some of the kinds of things a great host thinks about long before the doorbell rings.
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 24, 2019
45 “One Minute Rule” Cleaning Habits You Should Always Do Right Away
One way to prevent those creep-up-on-you, whole-house disasters is keeping this rule: "If it takes less than a minute to finish, do it right away."
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 17, 2019
25 Daily Habits That Make Life in the Kitchen a Million Times Better
We asked the editors from our sister site, Kitchn, to share the little things that they do to make their kitchens better on the daily.
Lauren Masur
Nov 16, 2019
How to Be a Good Friend When Your Friend is Moving
Being there for someone when they move is one of those instances when love and care creates a lasting memory and an imprint of compassion on a friend's heart.
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 13, 2019
10 Small Truths That Will Help You Declutter Your Home
If you've been thinking that this is the day (...month...year...) that you're going to get your home in order, here is a little tough love courtesy of us here at Apartment Therapy.
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 11, 2019
The 10 Commandments of Every Minimalist Kitchen
For a kitchen to run smoothly, you can't suffer through chock-full cabinets or overflowing drawers.
Shifrah Combiths
Nov 9, 2019
An Architectural Photographer's Tips on Taking Better Photos of Your Home
Whether you’re capturing images for your Instagram grid or you’re an aspiring photographer, taking photos of your home is a rewarding way to express and share your personal aesthetic.
Ashley Abramson
Nov 4, 2019
Try Frank Lloyd Wright’s 2-Second Trick for Seeing Your Home in a New Light
Weekend Projects
Wright didn't let his subconscious stop him from enjoying his home, and neither will we.
Shifrah Combiths
Oct 30, 2019
11 Phone Numbers Everyone in the US Should Have Saved In Their Phone
Risk Month
Five minutes is all it takes to make sure you're better equipped to deal with a dilemma.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 27, 2019
31 Risks Everyone Needs to Try This Month
Taking risks exposes you to dozens of positive outcomes you never would have experienced before, but it also boosts your confidence, and helps you let go of the fear of failing.
Olivia Muenter
Oct 2, 2019
I Tried Mindful Breathing for a Week And it Changed How I Feel About My Anxiety
Hoping for better sleep and, as a result, more productive and intentional mornings, I gave the 2:1 ("two-to-one") breathing exercise a try—every night in bed, for an entire week.
Ashley Abramson
Sep 27, 2019
53 Positive, Productive Things You Can Do While You’re Watching TV
If you're worried about spending too much sedentary time on the sofa while you're catching up on your latest obsession, here are some ways to integrate some small life improvements to your TV time.
Shifrah Combiths
Sep 27, 2019
Why It’s OK That I’m Re-Starting My Budget in September
Starting fresh allows me to take stock of exactly where I am right now and to move forward with purpose.
Shifrah Combiths
Sep 19, 2019
10 Mindless Home Habits that Are Costing You Money
Here are a few of the most common little things that add up over time.
Ashley Abramson
Sep 18, 2019
Don’t Think You Can Become Someone Who Makes Their Bed Every Day? These Therapists Say Otherwise
In honor of National Make Your Bed Day on Sept. 11, we spoke with experts about an important question: How can those of us who aren’t natural bed-makers make a routine of it?
Ashley Abramson
Sep 11, 2019
This Might be the Quickest, Most Satisfying Weekend Project You Take On All Year
Here's how to chip away at whole-home organization while also still living your life.
Shifrah Combiths
Sep 6, 2019
10 Quotes That Will Empower You to Declutter Anything
“Tidying is the act of confronting yourself.” —Marie Kondo.
Ashley Abramson
Sep 4, 2019
9 Ways I Have to Adjust My American Routine to Living in Berlin
Here are the best and (rimshot, please) wurst ways that my intermittent Berlin routine differs from home in Washington D.C.
Bridget Reed Morawski
Aug 21, 2019
5 Simple, Proven To-Do List Hacks that Keep Me Happier and More Productive
To me, my list is an anchor. It keeps me grateful, motivated, focused, and organized.
Olivia Muenter
Aug 20, 2019
The 10 Easy Habits You Should Steal from Impossibly Clean People
These 10 guidelines can apply to any area you want to tackle, and will make every cleaning endeavor go just a little bit more smoothly.
Shifrah Combiths
Aug 7, 2019
8 Products You Should Try (Under $20!) If You’re Always Losing Things
Losing things isn’t just inconvenient—it can get expensive!
Ashley Abramson
Aug 4, 2019
Before and After: Discovering Your Decor Style After a Breakup
Jenna Schreck is a holistic nutrition consultant and the blogger behind NO WHEY LADY. She currently lives in this bright San Francisco loft with her dog.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jul 29, 2019
9 of the Best, Most Life-Changing TED Talks—According to Reddit
From how to use a paper towel properly to the the power of asking for what you want.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 29, 2019
Turn On the “Dinner Party” iPhone Setting to Be a Better Guest
We call it the “Dinner Party” setting, but this trick could come in handy anytime you want alerts without potentially disruptive sound or vibrating, or if you're in a loud place.
Ashley Abramson
Jul 16, 2019
I Thought I Wasn’t A City Person—Turns Out, I Just Wanted A Smaller City
I put so much pressure on myself to love New York and to be a “city” person that I didn’t even let myself consider if another, smaller city would make me happier.
Olivia Muenter
Jul 2, 2019
6 Ways Just Writing Down Your Routines Will Make You More Productive—And then Some
If you want to get even more out of your personal rhythms, try writing them down.
Ashley Abramson
Jun 29, 2019