If you have people who depend on you, such as children or elderly relatives, then you’re going to want to make sure that they are well looked after, no matter what. Nothing gives us a sense of peace and well being more than knowing the people we love and care about are ok. We have two boys so for us, this is important and is something that we’ve thought about a lot.

Looking After Yourself Matters
You can’t expect your loved ones to feel well looked after if you’re not looking after yourself. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’? Well, it’s true! If you’re exhausted, stressed out, and unhealthy in general, you’re going to be in no fit state to take care of the people you love. At the very least, you won’t be great company. I certainly am not when I’m tired.

Looking after yourself directly affects the people that you love. Did you know that if you feel stressed out, your kids can pick up on it and get stressed out too? Studies have shown that parents who are stressed tend to raise stressed kids. In studies, many children reportedly said that the one thing they wished to change about their home life was less stressed parents. If that isn’t enough reason to start taking care of your physical and mental health, nothing will be.

Below are some ideas of what you can do to get started:

Start eating whole, healthy foods. Cook from scratch and meal prep so you don’t eat junk.
Get moving as often as you can, even if you just walk. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. Sitting is the new smoking apparently (I don’t smoke but I do sit…. a lot).
Try to be present in everything you do, especially when spending time with your loved ones. Avoid spending too much time on a screen.
Identify the things that stress you out and work to eliminate or reduce them.
Get plenty of sleep and be consistent with your bedtime/wake up routine.
Take some time to do things you enjoy, such as a hobby. You’re setting an example to the people who look up to you.

Remember, if there’s something you don’t like, you have the power to change it. This is great advice because honestly, self-care is essential if you want to be in the best position to help others.

Thinking About The Future is Crucial
Thinking about the future is something people tend to do in terms of, ‘what shall I cook for dinner tonight?’ or even ‘is there anything else we need to sort out for holiday next week?’. However, thinking about unpleasant things that could happen is also important. What will your family do if you’re no longer able to look after them? Sorting out a will and a power of attorney should be on your priorities list, as well as naming beneficiaries and keeping those things updated. If you have an elderly loved one who may soon need help, you might want to look at services they may come to need such as super carers so you’re prepared and don’t panic when the time comes.

Putting money into an emergency fund, as well as finding things to invest in so you can build wealth and have a comfortable retirement is also important. Living in the moment can be helpful, but you do need to plan for the things that really matter.

We are maybe half-way through the list of “looking after yourself” items above which means that we’ll be in a good position to look after others if and when the time comes. Are you ready, organised and so on? If not, it might be time to seriously think about what you want and need for your future and the future of your dependents.

You’re hearing a lot from me about home renovation and interiors because it’s a big thing for us right now. The house we live in at the moment is great, it has what we need but it isn’t The One. We’ve been somewhat torn between doing this house up (it’s conveniently placed and we really don’t want to move right now) or biting the bullet and moving. It could take forever to find what we’re looking for though so we’re going to take what doesn’t excite us about this house, both aesthetically and from a practical point of view, and we’re going to change it.

If like us you want to start doing more for yourself and embark on a home renovation project, these points to consider are a good place to start.

Know What You Want

First of all, you need to know what it is that you really want. Sometimes, it’s really easy to visualise yourself in your ‘dream home’ but can you see the specifics of what it looks like? Do you know what kind of decor you want and want sort of home it is? If so you have a better imagination than me. I have a wealth of ideas about what I like and what I don’t but really need to put it together to form some sort of consistent look and feel.

Create Home Renovation Pinterest Boards

Pinterest is a great platform for discovering interior design ideas. I have one or two Pinterest boards set to secret as well as a few open ones, all dedicated to homes and houses, kitchens, offices and so on. I think I need to start pulling my favourites into one master board to see what we’re really looking at, to check Roy and I are on the same page and to start proactively planning.

Get Planning Permission

Planning permission is an essential consideration for anyone who’s planning on carrying out renovations on their home. Research whether planning permission is required for the work you want to be carried out and, if you do need permission, find the right services from Arbtech to survey the work and secure permission.

Focus On Action

It’s not enough to just think and dream. This is where I fall short. Once we’ve nailed the planning stage we need to set SMART goals, to put dates and deadlines on the calendar and we need to focus on action. Basically, if we don’t get started, we’ll never finish and be happy with our living space.

Allocate Your Budget Well

This part we are good at. Having a realistic budget is what ensures that the project will get done. How you allocate your budget is up to you. If you want to put money into features like stunning splashbacks or even an entirely new kitchen, that’s fine, as long as you have the money for it. Watching home renovation and decoration shows have also taught me to always have a little extra in the budget that isn’t allocated to a specific spend. This is the money you’ll use when you go over budget (it happens).

Staying Positive

This is something I need to remind myself of. I hate clutter, mess and mayhem and you know that once we get started there will be plenty of all three! I will have to compromise on something I want thanks to the budget and I might have a wobble here and there over colours, textures and style too. If I (and you if you’re embarking on a similar project) can stay positive and upbeat it will make the whole process much easier and I’m pretty sure we’ll enjoy being in our dream home all the more for it.

Do you have any top tips for taking on a home renovation?

Original content here is published under these license terms:		X

License Type:	Read Only

License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). No other copying or use is permitted without written agreement from the author.

Looking After Yourself and Others

Top Tips for Home Renovation