We Created the "Intention Tray" Hack for Better Habits (It Worked Instantly!)

"Embracing wellness is a lifelong mission that many believe starts and ends with yourself. But what if our homes could help make those healthier choices even easier for us? That's how I came to understand that the spaces around us can make a big difference in intentional living - especially in avoiding bad habits that I didn't even know were being influenced subconsciously."

"So what's Yokota's secret to combating this? She recommends creating an "intention tray" by filling it with items that serve as a visual reminder of the goals or desires you're trying to achieve in your home or a given room. "Intention requires that we be in our bodies and focus our minds in order for it to work," Yokota writes in her self-titled blog post. And during a "Design Dilemmas" Q&A on Apartment Therapy's community forum, Yokota mentioned an intention tray as a surefire way to create better habits, and ensure a happier, calmer home."

""Something physical in our environment reminds us to honor our practice," she writes. "Something beautiful in the ceremony of that practice invites us to honor ourselves within the ritual." Research suggests intentions may boost your likelihood of completing a task to 91% - more than twice the success rate of those who try to pursue a goal without this approach."

Home environments influence habits and can prompt mindless actions similar to "highway hypnosis" where attention drifts during routine activities. Creating an intention tray with meaningful objects offers a visual cue to focus on goals and desires within a room. Intention requires physical presence and focused attention to be effective. Physical items in the environment act as reminders to maintain practices, and aesthetically pleasing objects invite honoring oneself through ritual. Intention-based strategies significantly increase task completion rates, with research indicating up to 91% success compared with pursuing goals without explicit intentions. Deliberate space design supports healthier, more mindful living.

Read at Apartment Therapy