A cancer diagnosis may require you spending some time at home to rest and recuperate. Here are some ways to help you make your home feel like a welcoming, relaxing space.

Conquer the clutter
For many people, dealing with constant clutter can increase feelings of stress or anxiety. How can you approach decluttering your home? Consider each item in your space and ask yourself 2 questions: Do I need this and do I want this? If the answer is a clear-cut ‘yes’, then the next step is to find an appropriate home for each item, whether that involves neatly storing it away or displaying it in a specific location. If the answer is ‘no’ to both, then you can recycle, donate or throw away the item.

Try an easy update
Is there a favourite piece of art hanging in a room where you don't spend much time or pretty decorative pillows displayed on a guest bed? Try moving décor from parts of your home that you rarely visit to prominent locations, allowing you to enjoy them on a daily basis. For help with revamping your space, especially when it comes to moving heavier items or hanging art on the walls, enlist your handiest friends and family members using the ByYourSide^™ app.

Make space for things you love
It's easy for the rooms and areas of the home you use the most to become cluttered with the trappings of everyday life – magazines, bills, car keys, shoes and so on. If you're able to organise those items and keep them in one easily accessible place – such as a letter tray, magazine or shoe rack – you can clear space for things that bring you joy; for example, framed family photos or a stack of your favourite books.

Create comfort stations
A clean, clutter-free space is the first step. What is the next one? Create mini ‘stations’ that are designed for doing what you love. For example, if you have a favourite chair in your living room and you love to read, consider adding a wall shelf or a small bookcase nearby, so that your favourite books are within arm's reach. Finish it off with a lamp that offers ample light for reading, a comfy throw in case you get chilly and a handy surface where you can put a cup of tea or hot chocolate.