Stop Worrying: 7 Things About Your Home That Aren’t a Big Deal
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Do you fret over certain aspects of your home? Do they keep you up at night? Do you spend hours Googling (or Apartment Therapy-ing) for the answer that will fix your problem and tone down your home-related stress? There are plenty of things to worry about when it comes to home, but these seven things aren’t them. Take the worries after the jump off your plate and spend your mental energy on enjoying your space and your life!
1. That you’ve got a couple of half-finished DIY projects around the house
Hey, who doesn’t? Unless there are live wires dangling near someone’s head, don’t worry about it. Don’t get so relaxed that it never gets finished, but calmly create a finish schedule that gives you plenty of time to get it done and then try and enjoy the process!
When you should worry: If you haven’t completed anything yet because you’re afraid of making mistakes, get over that fear and finish. The pride of accomplishment will make up for the mental discomfort of getting over any DIY hurdles.
2.
That it’s not perfectly clean all the time
Isn’t that always how it goes? You keep your house clean most of the time and then you have unexpected guests show up the one week it looks like you’re auditioning for an episode of “Hoarders.” Don’t worry about it. And DON’T keep saying how it’s usually much cleaner. Don’t say these
three things either. People just aren’t
judging you as much as you might think.
When to worry: If you start letting your dogs use the bathroom in the house or if there are any stacks of things threatening to topple onto someone.
That there’s dog or cat fur all over your sofa (or floating in tufts across the floor)
Considering how many people count among their families furry friends, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s going to judge you too hard for loving your pets so much you let them get comfy and make themselves at home.
When you should worry: If there’s so much fur it ends up in the food you’re serving — or if your or your guests’ allergies are out of control.
That you’ve got an over-flowing junk drawer (or three)
As far as I’m concerned, a junk drawer or two is a healthy sign of a house being used. The aim’s not to
never have a junk drawer, just to be aware that they need to be cleaned out (and things put where they’re supposed to go) every once and while.
When you should worry: When it starts to become junk closets, rooms and homes.
That you don’t have a cleaning routine quite down yet
This basically goes against what we say in every post about figuring out a cleaning schedule that works for you. We totally think you should (you could do a
clean on the weekends) but if you don’t have it figured out just yet, that’s totally okay. We have faith you’ll figure it out. The trick is to keep trying.
When you should worry: If you’re on the once-a-year-the-day-before-holiday-guests-arrive-only cleaning routine schedule.
That it’s not as big/nice/well-located as you think it should be by your age
If you feel like you should have a bigger house, or one with a manicured lawn or a two-car garage because you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s whenever, forget about it. The only thing that’s important is whether you’re happy with your home. That’s part being active about making changes that will make your home work better and be healthier and another part
appreciating what you have.
When you should worry: If you’ve tried every small-space maximizing trick in the book and there’s still not enough room to live comfortably, it might be time for a move.
That it’s not quite the way you want it to look yet
Neither is mine. But a true home
takes patience. Just remember that this is your home, not anyone else’s (so you
shouldn’t worry about what others think).
When you should worry: Again, if it’s fear that’s getting in the way of it not looking the way you want after living in it for awhile. You might consider asking yourself
some fear-busting questions.
What home worries have you decided aren’t worth the mental distress? Share your tips for not worrying about certain things about home in the comments below!
Re-edited from a post originally published 4.19.14-NT
