Creating Your At Home Sanctuary
Saying that our lives are jam packed with competing priorities is stating the obvious. However true that statement is, it should be equally stated that prioritizing things that will maximize our happiness and peace will only aid in conquering the many tasks at hand. With these two tips, I’ll be attempting to help you find simple and effective ways of making your home or a corner of your home a place that promotes the space we all need to recharge.
Let’s start with defining the things that help you rest. This is absolutely different for everyone. Some people need to completely unplug. That could mean creating a place to put all the electronics that raise your blood pressure. For instance, choose a drawer where you leave it all behind. Dump your laptop, phone- even your smartwatch in there and set a very specific time that you will go and retrieve those items. If watching your guilty pleasure television show is more your fix, make sure you fully enjoy that experience. Pour a glass of wine or put on your cozy robe and designate that as your sacred time. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, resist the urge to scroll your social media platforms and treat your tv time as a real luxury. The same suggestions can be applied for activities like exercise, meditation, journaling, power naps, cooking and whatever it is that charges your battery.
Depending on your specific needs you may have to check in on work or family before, after and unfortunately, sometimes during but with practice you’ll find the parameters and tricks that are the most effective for you.
While this step sounds simple, it will require the most patience and diligence. We live in a society where being “busy” is a badge of honor and that our value is so often tied to our productivity. So resist with all your might that quiet but strong urge to be productive and to multitask while you make your famous chilli or sit in the bath. When you allow yourself to do things that simply bring you joy you fortify yourself for the moments that call on your reserves.
“Less clutter on the shelves, less clutter in the mind.”
Less clutter on the shelves, less clutter in the mind. I wholeheartedly believe that a more minimal lifestyle promotes a more clear and simple life. The fewer possessions to store, arrange, clean, and think about give other parts of our life breathing room. Take decor for instance. Whenever we move into a new space getting things on shelves and walls is a usual part of the process. I challenge you to walk around your home and remove 50 percent of the things on display. You don’t have to get rid of them but see what it feels like to have one piece of art that you love up in your bedroom or for your mantle to only hold one or two trinkets. Another great challenge is to clear your kitchen counter of any appliances you don’t use everyday and take note of the pros and cons of taking the blender out once a week versus the visual space it takes up.
The same is true for our work spaces. I’m not suggesting you work or rest in an Apple Store inspired space but only allowing things into your visual space that bring great utility or great joy should be allowed to be there. If there are photos on your wall that you love but rarely look at or your eyes just gloss over, put them in a photo album to pull out whenever you like.
There are so many ways to create a personal retreat but these two tips will definitely get you started and on your way. If you’ve already started this process or if this is something you’ve never thought about use this as an invitation to check in and rethink the ways you’re caring for yourself at home. We all are constantly changing and growing so what may have been working may not give you the same benefit as before or what you thought you’d enjoy actually feels like just additional work. Be dedicated to your need for rest.