This is a guest post by: Kelly Holland.
It can be hard to travel for work when feelings of homesickness arise. Staying busy with a job is great, but you are sure to have downtimes when your temporary living space feels different than home. Consider these 5 easy ways to make a space feel like home while working away from your comfort base:
1. Add Familiar Landscapes
There is no better way to remind you of home than to have a picture, drawing, or painting that reminds you of the landscape back home. Surrounding your new space with a picture of something that you loved back home, whether it be a building, skyline, or main street, will all help with making your new space feel that much more like home. Seeing these familiar places will bring comfort and add a sense of belonging even if you aren’t living in the same area.
2. Incorporate Favorite Plants
Just one or two plants native to your home location will help make your new space feel more inviting. If you didn’t bring any plants with you, consider purchasing a few from a local store or ordering some seeds online. Things like a favorite flower or even dried stalks of wheat will add beauty to your new space as well as help keep you connected to your native home wherever your job may take you.
3. Add Creature Comforts
There is nothing like coming home after a long day at work and snuggling up in something comfortable. Make sure that your new space is filled with comfortable pillows, throws, and a set of extra comfy pajamas that will go a long way in helping you wind down and relax after a busy day. Consider purchasing a few different blankets, one for your bed and one for the couch, to always have something cozy nearby to wrap up in and forget about the day.
4. Print Out Pictures
We know that you have plenty of pictures on your phone. But they can be hard to appreciate and look at when stored in a device. Consider using an easy picture printing app that will help you print those favorite pictures to have in your new space. Hang pictures of family, friends, and a favorite pet on the fridge to bring those familiar faces into your everyday life. Purchase a few nice frames for special pictures that you want to showcase in your new space. Even create a gallery wall that will help your new place feel even more like home.
5. Add Scent to Your Space
Does lavender always make you think of your sister? Or perhaps the scent of home-baked cookies from the oven brings back great memories from grandma’s kitchen? Consider incorporating these favorite scents into your space to make it feel more like home. Walking into your new space after a long day and being engulfed in scents from back home will help bring comfort without even realizing it. Other ways to add scent include purchasing a favorite perfume or cologne that a loved one wears. To be reminded of that person even if they aren’t physically there.
Your new space should be a place of refuge. Where you can come in after a day at work and enjoy your time to unwind, consider placing family pictures throughout the space. As well as pictures of a favorite landscape to make your space more like home. Adding scents from home as well as favorite plants will help create a more inviting space as well. Finally, make sure that your home is filled with comfortable pieces that will help you relax. This can include; blankets, throws, and pillows as an easy way to make a space feel more like home.
