Home to heart

Renovations, restructuring, redecorating are all at the heart of home improvements. Restructuring forms a major part of personal improvement, too, and as we take a closer look, it seems improvement to our homes and to our lives contain cycles of change that are ever evolving. Home improvements can often be a stressful project. Chaos presents itself at the very beginning and, as the project begins to take shape, hope replaces fear and excitement replaces stress. It can often take years for the home to come together and often when that final coat of paint is applied, it's time to start over again. Planning home improvements comes from a place of pride. Wanting to better the home we live in is a good indication about how we feel about ourselves. If we take pride and cherish our property and belongings, we more than likely can take charge of ourselves from a personal point of view. Thankfully, personal improvement doesn't take years to develop. Once on the road to personal change, results can be seen quite quickly. However, personal improvement just like home improvement - it takes time and patience. Often change to a person comes from a place of want and can begin at a physical level. After a number of weeks of exercise and healthy eating, little change appears, but if we push through, using our determination and motivation, results begin to shine. The restructuring of a wall when cracks appear requires deep repair work. When treated properly, a smooth surface begins to appear and with one coat of paint or two, the flaws disappear. On a personal level, we may be unhappy with how we are living our lives. If we are engrossed in a pattern of mood swings, feeling lethargic, lacking enthusiasm and motivation, it may be time to strip these walls of feelings and take some time to repair the cracks of our insecurities. I do believe we are living in times of deep self-awareness. Compared to 40 years ago, taking the time to look after ourselves, both in body and mind, is evident. These simple tips will help remove those feelings of enormity that are associated with change: • Get your goals in order: lose weight or ditch stress patterns associated with work - you choose. • Prioritise the tasks: how important is each one? And how hard or easy is it to do? Start on the physical side and see a healthy mindset follow. • Cut projects down to size. Remodel one aspect of yourself at a time • Set deadlines. Set realistic deadlines for the tasks. • Set aside quality time: take a break and enjoy some quality time with yourself. • Be a team. If you're going to take on a personal transformation project together, maintain some separate personal space. Claire Maguire runs a popular yoga school in Ashbourne. She teaches physically challenging Ashtanga yoga and popular pregnancy yoga. See www.yoga-meath.ie. New students and mums always welcome.