Is this alterntaive new interiors trend the secret to a happier home?

This is one interiors trend thought to make a huge difference, without costing a penny. The trend for blue zoning homes is said to make for a happier home.

By adapting to a simpler way of life and making small changes to daily household chores and tasks, you can make positive changes to your body and mind without even realising it.

Related: Hacks for a happy home – 12 storage hacks to help organise around the house

Blue Zoning allows you to find a way to embed small, healthy changes into your daily routine – to improve your home life balance.

How to Blue Zone our homes

Blue zoning, put simply, focuses on helping individuals understand which aspects of their life they could make small changes to, to improve their wellbeing.

The concept may be unheard of for many, but there are parts of the world who live by this simple method. Learning the small ways you can blue zone your home could prove invaluable when it comes to supporting physical and mental wellness – albeit they make us take life at a slower pace.

As we spend more time in our homes than ever before, it's never been more important to balance work, rest and play.

1. Making the bed

'Blue zoning the way in which you make your bed will give it the extra purpose it needs to motivate you to do so. Rather than attempting to walk up the stairs with all your fresh bedding at once, carry smaller amounts up at a time. By doing this, there is less strain being forced upon your back and arms.Not only that, but it will also help increase your daily steps too.'

A recent survey revealed that the vast majority were taking on average 40 steps while doing this chore – this being only a minor contribution to the desired target of 10,000 steps a day. 'By breaking up the process of moving bedding from the washing line to your bedroom could see you add substantially to your daily steps while adapting to a blue zone way of living.'

2. Unloading the washing machine

'As previously stated, carrying smaller amounts of clothing from one room to another will prevent the strenuous activity that comes with carrying an entire household’s worth of washing up the stairs.' Again thinking of the health aspect, 'several trips to and from the washing machine will add to your daily steps target.'

'As for the sorting and organisation of your household’s washing, it’s found that doing this ultimately promotes a positive mental attitude. Helping you place a greater focus on the other aspects of your life.'

3. Taking the bins out

'Even the way in which you take out your bins can contribute yet another way to blue zoning your life. Although a recent survey reveals that this chore equates to slightly more steps people take than the likes of making a cup of tea, there is always room for improvement.'

'So, rather than cutting corners and calculating the quickest way to move your bin from A to B or placing the bin to the closest place you could possibly leave it for the waste collector to pick up, go the extra lengths to de-convenience this process. For example, walk the longest route you can calculate when wheeling your bin out. Make separate trips if there is more than one bin needed, and leave in a location that is more convenient for the waste collector, rather than yourself'.

4. Vacuuming

This is the household chore that can really help add to your daily step count. 'While there are many time-efficient benefits to this, think robot vacuums, one downside is that it has made us reliant upon technology.' Equaling less movement on our behalf. Aside from doing the hardwork ourselves, what else can we do? 'Before taking the vacuum out as soon as you see a crumb on the floor, decide whether a dustpan and brush would be a better alternative. By doing this, you’re increasing the level of movement in your arms as well as your feet.'

'As for when you're moving from room to room vacuuming, rather than seeing how far the wire can stretch from the socket, remove it and plug it in elsewhere. Even smaller things, such as taking more steps while hoovering as oppose to stretching your arm forward to reach all the corners, are great ways to add an extra step – or a few hundred!'

5. Preparing a brew

The staple of any British home. 'The idea of blue zoning is to eliminate lazy habits that you do simply out of ease. What we don’t realise is, by cutting small corners such as placing the kettle right beside the pot of tea bags, or putting the sugar in the cupboard next to the fridge, we have become too reliant on convenience.' These little examples all add up to reducing our daily movement. Noticed more while working at home no doubt! Reducing our physical movement is something that without noticing, can affect our physical and mental health.

So, how do we change this? 'Making some small amends to the layout of your brew-making facilities is a great way to improve your movement. For example, you could decide to place the sugar at the other end of the kitchen from the fridge the milk is in. Or your work station could be different to the one where your kettle is placed? However you choose to alter your tea making routine, make sure it focuses on making your home slightly more de-convenient to encourage movement.'

Related: Boost your wellbeing and productivity at home with these clever lighting tips

Will you be Blue Zoning your home?

Quotations written by Delilah Kealy Roberts