How will you do things differently in your home this year? Perhaps it’s a promise to use sustainable cleaning products or a vow to make your bed every morning. It could be a small tweak or a big commitment.

We’ve come up with a few ways you can easily adjust the way you live to experience a healthier and happier year at home.

• Start your day by making your bed. From simply pulling up and straightening your covers to tucking in your sheets military-style, do what you have time for. It’s always a pleasure to get into a tidy bed at the end of a long day.
• Designate the bedroom a tech-free zone. No phones, no television, no screens. Not only does it lead to a more restful sleep, you’ll be grateful for a place to unplug from the world and just be. Pick up a book instead of your phone at night and spend a few minutes in the morning with your thoughts before starting the day.
• Schedule a quarterly purge – your clothes, your kitchen, and any closets that have become overrun with “stuff”. Several charities will pick up clothing donations from your home, which you can set up ahead of time.
• Keep your home decluttered before it becomes a problem. Put things away when you’re done with them, have a filing system for stray papers, and hang up or fold your clothes. Be smart with storage.
• Make sure your kitchen is clean at the end of the day. Always load the dishwasher or wash dishes by hand and wipe down the countertops. Mornings are more pleasant when faced with a clean slate for breakfast.
• Cut out plastic – use cloth shopping bags, glass containers, and mesh produce bags. There are even washable silicone containers that make the perfect substitute for Ziploc bags. Plastic is a huge burden on the environment and their potentially cancerous chemicals are bad for our bodies.
• Try out a zero-waste lifestyle and be greener in the kitchen.
• Eat more meals as a family – turn the television off for these.
• Eat healthier. Less meat. Less sugar. More vegetables, fruits, and grains. Try out recipes from the hundreds of food bloggers out there. Maybe even go vegan for a month. Grocery lists and meal preps will help you stick with this resolution.
• Create a little garden on your balcony or patio, or even indoors. Grow herbs and small vegetable plants. It’s a meditative hobby that will add flavour to your meals.
• Create a cleaning schedule, whether you’re living on your own or sharing tasks with your family. Planning out which days you vacuum or scrub down the bathroom will keep your home spotless.
• Use eco-friendly cleaning products. You can even make these yourself from common household products like vinegar and baking soda.
• Cut down on energy use. Turn off lights when you leave a room, use blankets instead of cranking up the heat, and buy LED bulbs. Your energy bills will decrease and you’ll be doing something good for the planet.
• Be sure your earthquake kit is up to date or put a new one together. Keep your home’s safety measures current.
• Focus less on perfection and more on comfort. Your home doesn’t need to look like it’s been styled for a magazine cover. Create a décor that makes you feel at home and cozy.
• At the end of the day, once you’ve crawled into your welcoming bed, write a few lines of gratitude in a journal. There’s so much to be thankful for.