It has been said that people who decorate the outside of their house for Christmas are happier. It follows that people who bring adornments inside, too, are willing to make an effort to create a special ambiance in their home. Both practices are subtle ways to increase satisfaction at a time of year that can be tricky for a lot of us.
Loads of people experience seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disorder is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. It begins and ends at about the same time every year: Symptoms start in the fall and stick around into the winter months. This disorder zaps your energy and makes you feel moody. Add on top the fact that for a good number of people, the holidays are not perfect and can be a difficult passage.
What to do? I’m broadcasting the benefit of decorating your home as a way to lift your mood and reminding you that decorations can range from a simple front door wreath to an elaborate Christmas tree, depending on your circumstance. If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you likely already know that fresh Christmas trees are supposed to be scarce and more expensive this year. So this could be the best year to shift to an artificial tree. Ironically for me, I proclaimed to my family weeks ago that this year, we would buy a real tree and leave our handsome synthetic one in storage! That’s bad timing on my part, but I am yearning for the aroma of evergreens.
Solutions to this potential problem include evergreen garlands on your mantel, wrapped around the stair banister or resting on your long dining table or buffet. There are a myriad of candles with a fresh fir scent and aromatherapy atomizers that are quite authentic. I suggest you invest in good-quality products and avoid those with a sickeningly sweet smell.
Let’s look at other ideas that will take up little room in the space-starved home. You could replace a framed piece of art for the season with a fresh evergreen wreath. This could be hung in your dining or living room, at the end of a hallway or even in your bedroom. Give your wreaths a boost by adding battery-operated micro-LED lights that do not require a nearby electric outlet. Such tiny lights allow for creative decorations that can be mounted on any wall, thereby conserving floor or tabletop space.
Here we see a peel-off decal in the form of a Christmas tree. You can find numerous designs of trees, wreaths, reindeer and other seasonal motifs on the internet. Nothing could be more space-conserving than something you simply stick on a wall. Arrange the mini-LED lights and hang them with pushpins into the drywall and you will create a lit holiday decoration that takes up zero floor area.
Other ideas include arranging lights and evergreen garlands on an outside balcony rail, creating a centerpiece for a hall table with the battery-operated lights, or inventing something for your coffee table. Cost is minimal if you can go for a walk in the woods and scoop up pine cones or buy a bag at a local hobby store. Cut evergreens and insert them into a large basket or bowl with the cones, or add colorful ornaments to complete the arrangement.
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