10 ways to make your temporary apartment in Barcelona feel like home

Moving to a new city for work can be thrilling, but it can also feel disorienting.

You unpack your suitcase, open your laptop, and try to settle in… yet something’s missing.

The truth is, even the most beautiful temporary apartment won’t feel like home until your brain adjusts.

Psychologists call this environmental belonging, the process of connecting emotionally to a new space.

The good news? You can speed it up.

Here are 10 simple, research-backed ways to make your temporary apartment in Barcelona feel like home faster than you think.

Bizflats’ Livingstone apartment

1. Personalize your visual cues

Our brains rely on familiar visuals for comfort. Studies from the University of Sussex show that people relax faster in spaces that contain recognizable colors, textures, or items.

💡 Tip: Add a small photo frame, a favorite mug, or even your own throw blanket. In Bizflats apartments, interiors make it easy to personalize without clutter.

2. Establish a daily rhythm

Psychologically, routine = stability. Whether it’s a morning coffee ritual or a sunset walk, daily repetition tells your mind, “I belong here.”

💡 Tip: Pick a consistent café near your apartment – familiarity breeds comfort and connection.

3. Add sensory familiarity

Smell is one of the strongest triggers for memory. Researchers at Harvard found that familiar scents reduce stress and help the brain associate a new space with safety.

💡 Tip: Use your usual candle, essential oil, or detergent, as it instantly bridges the emotional gap between “new” and “known.”

4. Light your space wisely

Natural light impacts serotonin levels and sleep quality. A Sleep Foundation review found that people exposed to consistent daylight reported higher mood and productivity.

💡 Tip: Position your workspace near a window and open curtains early. Our apartments feature high ceilings and large windows designed for Mediterranean light and you can use them to your advantage.

Bizflats’ Livingstone apartment

5. Cook your own meals

Cooking stimulates all five senses and signals control and self-sufficiency, two key psychological markers of “home.”

💡 Tip: Even one home-cooked meal a day can anchor your new environment. Bizflats apartments include fully equipped kitchens so you can cook like you would at home.

6. Connect with your surroundings

A study on environmental psychology found that place attachment grows fastest through micro-interactions, like recognizing your barista or local shopkeeper.

💡 Tip: Explore your neighborhood slowly, not as a tourist but as a participant. You’ll feel grounded faster.

7. Create zones for activity and rest

Psychologists emphasize spatial boundaries, separating where you work from where you rest to avoid cognitive fatigue.

💡 Tip: Use your apartment’s layout intentionally. Work by the desk or dining table, rest on the sofa, and keep your bed for sleep.

8. Keep small rituals from back home

Habits are emotional anchors. Whether it’s journaling, meditating, or watering a plant, repeating familiar actions in a new setting gives your day rhythm and meaning.

💡 Tip: Bring one habit with you and make it part of your new environment.

9. Welcome local influences

Feeling “at home” doesn’t mean replicating your old life, it’s about connection. Integrating elements of local culture fosters belonging and curiosity.

💡 Tip: Decorate with local ceramics, play Spanish or Catalan music, or learn basic local phrases. The more you engage, the faster your brain accepts the new space as yours.

10. Choose housing that supports well-being

Even small design choices like space, light, quiet, comfort shape emotional stability.

According to a Journal of Environmental Psychology review, housing quality is directly correlated with happiness and productivity for relocated professionals.

💡 Tip: Look for apartments designed for long stays, not just short visits. Bizflats properties combine professional functionality (Wi-Fi, workspace, kitchen) with emotional comfort – everything you need to feel truly at home in Barcelona.

Bizflats’ Livingstone apartment