The Little Rituals That Bring You Back to Yourself

I was making my matcha yesterday and realised I hadn't thought about anything else for a few minutes. I was just standing in the kitchen, whisking slowly until it turned smooth and frothy. Nobody needed anything from me yet. That's genuinely it. That's the whole thing this post is about.

We talk a lot about organised homes. What we don't talk about enough is what an organised home is actually for. It's not for the photo. It's so you get a few minutes back, here and there, that don't belong to anyone else.

Some of these are mine. Some might not fit your life at all, and that's fine. Steal what's useful, skip the rest.

• Open the curtains before you open your phone. I fail at this constantly, but when I get it right, the whole morning moves slower and calmer. 
• Make your favorite drink before anyone else is up, but drink your water first.
• Keep one glass that's just yours and tailored to your favourite matcha or coffee drink.
• Make the bed before you leave the room, not "later."
• Once a week, turn the spice labels to face you. It's such a small thing I feel silly recommending it, but it's the one habit that's stuck the longest.
• Leave one drawer completely empty. Not for anything specific. Just so there's somewhere for whatever the week hands you, instead of it landing on the counter.
• Put the dishes away before bed, even the two glasses that feel like they don't count. Trust me, this change how you feel to start the next day.
• Take the walk that doesn't go anywhere in particular.
• Sit outside for five minutes before you go in for the night.
• Sit in the car for a minute after you park, before you go in.
• Wash the sheets on the same day every week, not because they need it that day specifically, just because it's nice to have some things on autopilot.
• Turn off the overhead light in the evening and use a lamp instead.
• Leave one window cracked, even in the colder months.

Those are the things nobody tells you about a "considered home."At least those are my version. It's not really about the home. It's that when the space stops asking things of you, you notice you have a bit more of yourself left over by the evening. More patience for your kid, or your partner, or just for yourself. That's the actual return on all this. Not a nicer-looking kitchen. A slightly less depleted version of you at 8pm.

I don't do all of those points every day. Some weeks I do none of them and the house looks like it, and honestly, that's fine too. This isn't a system you have to keep up. It's just a handful of small things that, when you do have room for them, tend to make the day feel a little more like yours.

Your home, your headspace.