How to Make the Home Feel Like It Belongs Solely to Me Again After Cohabitation?

Here's the translation:

Hug. I understand this so well. When that most familiar person leaves, the whole home feels like a massive "crime scene," every corner saturated with memories, suffocating. Turning "our" home back into "my" home isn't just about tidying up; it's a ritual for healing yourself.

Don't rush. Take it step by step. This space will eventually bear your own stamp again.

Step 1: "The Big Clean" – Physically Saying Goodbye to the Past

This step might be painful, but it's the most effective and necessary one. Think of it as a thorough "detox."

1. Handling Their Belongings: Cut Through the Clutter
- Pack and Seal: Gather everything that belongs to the other person – clothes, toiletries, even that book they left in the corner – and pack it all into one or several boxes.
- Arrange Removal: Contact them to arrange a time for pickup. If you don't want to meet, ask them to send a friend or offer to mail the items (they can cover postage). The key: Don't delay. Every day these things stay in your home is another day your emotions are pulled back.
- Let Go Decisively: If they don't pick things up, or if some items aren't worth mailing, set a deadline (e.g., one week). After that, donate or discard them directly. Don't hold onto things out of a sense of "wastefulness." Your emotional well-being is more valuable than any object.
2. Clearing "Our" Items: Selective Forgetting
- This is the hardest part. Those matching mugs, the art you bought together, that comfy sofa... they aren't inherently bad, but now they feel like little thorns.
- Valuable or Practical: Items like appliances or furniture don't need to be thrown out. You can "overwrite" the old memories associated with them using the steps below.
- Sentimental Value > Practical Value: Things like souvenirs from trips together, couple trinkets, photo frames. If you can't bear to part with them yet, pack them into a box and store them out of sight – in a storage room or on top of a cupboard. Get them out of your daily view. Revisit them in six months or a year when you feel stronger, then decide whether to keep or discard.
3. Deep Cleaning: Washing Away the Old Energy
- Give your entire home a thorough deep clean. Change the sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases (this is crucial!). Wash the curtains, scrub the floors, clean every nook and cranny.
- This isn't just about hygiene; it's a psychological ritual – sweeping out the scents and energy of the past.

Step 2: "Re-Creation" – Bringing "You" Back into This Home

After the "detox," it's time to refill this blank space with your own colors and preferences.

1. Rearrange the Layout: Break Old Habits
- This is the simplest yet most magical trick. Change the sofa's orientation, move the bed to a different wall, put the desk by the window... Simply rearranging furniture can make the whole space feel brand new.
- This disrupts the "muscle memory" you developed in the old setup – like automatically sitting in a certain spot on the sofa or cooking in a specific corner of the kitchen. A new layout creates new pathways and new perspectives.
2. Introduce "Your" New Things: Claim Your Space
- Swap Key Items: Beyond bedding, consider a new rug, some fresh throw pillow covers, a lamp you love, or a beautiful set of dishes just for you. You don't need to spend a lot; these small changes have strong visual impact.
- Fill It With Your "Favorites":
  - Photos: Put away old couple photos. Display pictures of you with family, friends, or just great shots of yourself.
  - Hobbies: If you love painting, hang your artwork. If you're into music, put your instrument in a prominent spot. If you enjoy fitness, roll out your yoga mat. Let this home showcase your passions and life.
  - Plants and Flowers: Symbols of life, they bring incredibly positive energy. Get a few easy-care plants or buy yourself fresh flowers weekly – it instantly brightens the mood.
3. Create New Sensory Experiences: Scents and Sounds
- Scents: Memory is strongly linked to smell. Buy a diffuser, essential oils, or a scented candle you love. Fill your home with a scent that relaxes you and feels uniquely yours. Stop using the air freshener or laundry detergent you used together.
- Sounds: Create your own "Home" playlist with music you enjoy – upbeat, calming, energetic, whatever makes you feel happy and relaxed. Filling your home with melodies you love significantly reduces feelings of loneliness.

Step 3: "Establish Rituals" – Create Your Own New Memories

Home is a container for life. Fill it with new, beautiful memories to overlay the old, sad ones.

1. Host a "Housewarming Party"
- Invite your closest friends over. Keep it simple – maybe hotpot, a movie night, or board games. Fill the house with the sound of friends laughing and talking.
- The significance: Declare to yourself and your friends: This is my new home, the start of my new life. Their positive energy will help cleanse the space's atmosphere.
2. Establish New Personal Routines
- Turn that corner where you used to watch movies together into your "reading nook" – add a lamp, a cup of tea, and a book.
- Transform the kitchen, where you cooked together, into your "culinary lab" for experimenting with new recipes just for you.
- Unroll your yoga mat in the living room, follow an online workout, let sweat replace tears.
- The key is to create positive, new patterns of behavior that belong solely to you, within the same physical space.
3. Embrace Solitude
- Learn to coexist peacefully with this home that is "yours alone." On a weekend afternoon, lounge on the sofa doing nothing, or dance barefoot on the floor.
- This is your domain. You can do as you please, without accommodating anyone else. Gradually, you'll find strength in this freedom, and the feeling of "home" will return.

A Final Word:

This process won't happen overnight, and there might be setbacks. Maybe one day, seeing an old item will still trigger sadness. That's okay. Allow yourself to feel it for a moment, then continue your "home rebuilding" plan.

Give yourself time and patience. The day will come when you open your door, smell your favorite scent, see everything you've arranged yourself, and feel not emptiness or loss, but peace, comfort, and warmth. In that moment, you'll know you've succeeded.

This home is finally, completely, yours alone. You've got this!