The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have already made significant changes to the way you lead your life. It’s likely that you’re spending virtually all of your time at home. You’re probably grappling with the challenges of remaining productive amidst the various distractions of the home environment. Hopefully you’re using this as an opportunity to learn more, improve your skills and make significant changes to your life and career when the lockdown is lifted. Nonetheless, given that you’re temporarily grounded, now’s as good a time as any to address all the little niggles that have been bugging you around the house. All the things that prevent you from being less than delighted with the home you’ve made for yourself.

Here we’ll look at some irritations you can purge from your home during lockdown to be the happiest you’ve ever been between your four walls. Don’t look at the lockdown purely as a time of crisis. Look upon it as a time of opportunity. The home is where the heart is. Let’s get you heart healthy!

Declare war on waste

You don’t need the expense from wasted money adding to your troubles. So declare war on waste in your home. Rotate your refrigerator regularly to ensure that food doesn’t get wasted. Eliminate drafts with excluders for your doors and windows. You may even want to look into using a company like Plymouth Window Installation to replace your old inefficient windows. This may result in some upfront expense but can potentially save you over $400 a year on your heating / AC bills.

Fix those leaky taps

Leaky taps can be a source of real irritation, preventing you from being able to relax and slowly driving you up the wall. Not to mention driving up your water bill. However, there’s no need to bear the expense of calling out a plumber. A leaky tap can virtually always be fixed at home with a few rudimentary tools and a cheap washer. Here’s a useful video tutorial.

Banish clutter

Clutter is visually distracting and can prevent you from being able to relax after a stressful day of work. In fact, it can even add to your stress and have a surprising impact on your mental health. Think long and hard about what you want to keep on display and confine the rest to storage. You may be surprised how much more spacious and calm it makes your home look and feel.

Purge your workspace of distractions

With all that’s going on at the moment, the last thing you need is to have to content with workplace stress. But working in an environment that’s full of distractions can sap you of your productivity and add to your stress levels. Here are some ways you can purge your home workspace of distractions and irritation;

• Keep your phone in your desk drawer (or better yet, in another room).
• Consider soundproofing your home office.
• Install distraction blocking software on your computer.
• Remove loose papers from your desk or keep them in a desk tidy.
• Add some houseplants to your office. They help to oxygenate your space and lend it a sense of calm and serenity.

With a little knowhow, your home can be made more relaxing and free of irritation and stress.