SPONSORED POST: IKEA SAYS ‘LET’S RELAX’ IN OUR HOMES
SOMETIMES when I look around our project house, I get frustrated.
With the amount of work that still needs to be done on it and how little time we have to do the things that need to be done!
We’ve completed so much work on our 1920s home already – including renovating the entire bottom floor – so deep down I’m incredibly proud of how much we’ve achieved already.
But you know what it’s like.
You hop onto Instagram and oooh and ahhh over people’s photos of their homes or log onto Pinterest and see the most spectacular images of super stylish rooms and before you know it, you stop looking at your own pad through content eyes and start to feel a little disappointed or envious that you don’t have what others do.
And IKEA found that this is becoming the norm.
They asked thousands of people around the world about life at home and explored the main expectations that apparently stress us out the most.
They discovered that the four main expectations we have that are making us more stressed than happy are:
- We should spend a lot of quality time with family & friends
- Social media should unite & inspire
- People’s homes should be spacious and inviting
- We should make better, more sustainable choices when it comes to food
I’ve said it many times before on this blog, but the ridiculously high standards of perfection that women generally seem to place on themselves and their lives, is crazy isn’t it?
I try my best to be kinder to myself but still it’s so hard.
So personally, for me, I definitely identity with these four expectations. I’m always feeling that I don’t spend enough time with those I love or that I should eat healthier.
My main one that I identify with is number three – that my home should be spacious and inviting.
IKEA found that with this expectation, many people feel their homes are too small or even not nice enough to welcome company around, feeling a pressure to keep up with appearances especially when it comes to our kitchens.
But rather than continually feel the pressure with this expectation, IKEA is asking us all to lighten up, to relax and realise that imperfect is perfect enough!
(Hoorah to that!)
They say that any sized space can be beautiful, with even the smallest spaces being full of possibilities and advise us to be smart with our space and do what works for us.
Crucially, they also say that enjoying people’s company is much more important than the surroundings.
And when you think of it like that, well life at home and entertaining our loved ones certainly feels a bit easier already doesn’t it?
This post caught my eye on my e-mail inbox because I’ve been looking at Ikea recently trying to get some ideas for our new home. I agree with this idea completely. My budget is going to be super tight but I am determined to turn it into a lovely home full of love and laughter that represents me (not the ex husband to be!) xx