Tag: cramped

Adjusting to a married lifestyle can be a challenge. If your spouse has moved into your one-bedroom apartment, you now have double the stuff with half the space. Cramped quarters are uncomfortable and can put strain on any relationship. Without some distance people become irritable, and what starts off as "to have and to hold" quickly spirals into a fight about invading personal space. With these four steps, you can learn to open up your home so you can breathe and live better.

Step 1: Contain the clutter.
To start, cut down on the used coffee cups, unopened mail and messy magazines strewn all over the house. Clutter creates a psychological effect of feeling stuffy and closed in. If you’re drowning in clutter, try this technique: