You will not be surprised if I tell you that the environment around you, be it natural or manmade, has a strong impact on your behaviour and wellbeing. I am convinced that this is not news to you, because whether you have consciously thought about it or not, you experience these effects everyday. Some of these effects are universal to humanity, and some are very specific to you. For example, I have a friend who is truly reenergised and relaxed when by the ocean, and another who is very uncomfortable in nature, but would happily live his life in a restaurant. But nearly all of us experience a sense of awe when we wander through the soaring arches of a medieval church. Our culture, upbringing and temperaments all have a strong bearing on our response to environment, as does the common nature and scale of our humanity. 

It has been said that Australians spend 80% of their lives indoors. If this is the case, we would think that creating our indoor environments would be a great preoccupation. And, with the rise of interior design shows on tv, social media design followers, and shopping habits, this appears to be the case. However, it seems to me that the curation of our home environments has more to do with media-fed perceptions of what is the ‘right’ look, rather than designing a space that supports and enhances your best life. In fact, the current popularity of Marie Kondo for example, suggests that our shopping habits are actually hindering our best life. Is not a home after all, just a tool? It is a temporary dwelling place for this season, not eternity. Shouldn’t it therefore be designed to help us live well, feel well, and build our community? 

Having lived in 12 different homes in my adult life so far, I have found that each move has led to dramatic changes in the way that we live as family – as dictated by the location, layout, and ambience of the home we dwell in. How much we exercise, spend time together, entertain, keep up with the laundry, even how well supervised my children are on electronic devices has been affected by the houses we have lived with. And this is despite our core family values. The house we live in can work for or against our ideals, often without us even noticing. 

Now perhaps you are thinking you can’t change where you live! And I hear you. As a renter, I currently don’t have much control over my home environment either. However, while you may not be able to knock down a wall, or change your homes orientation towards the sun, there is so much you can do! It is possible to create a life enhancing home without a gigantic budget and a cutting edge architect, and it all starts with getting a fresh perspective. Alternatively, if you are currently considering moving, I hope I can encourage you to think about your best life and the best tool for the job, rather than being taken in by the sales ploys designed to distract you. 

My first challenge to you is to consider your best life in this season, and how your home might be helping or hindering that. Do you feel calm or stressed in your home? What spaces or vistas give you the most joy? Over the next posts, I’m going to give you some food for thought and practical ideas to help you use what you have in your hands to live your best life, right now.