Adventures in Relieving Stress in Your Home
Energy from emotional and physical stress has a tendency to
spread into your immediate environment. It can take away the
feeling of sanctuary you need in order to relax and unwind. The
good news is that you can get rid of that accumulation of
negative energy. You can create a haven that you will feel
happy, secure, and productive in. The following suggestions
should help.
Let's first define what your personal space is to you. It could
be your entire home, apartment, bedroom, or even just the corner
of your dorm room. For some, especially busy moms; the bathroom
is the best space to retreat to for a few minutes of serenity.
Whatever space you claim as your own, that's the area we want to
focus on.
Now we need to get a grip on any unnecessary clutter. Those
ever-growing piles of papers and miscellaneous things to do
won't get any smaller until you take some action. Make a date
with yourself, even if it's only for 15 minutes a day and go
through each and every item. Would you REALLY miss it if you
didn't have it? If your answer comes short of a very definite
YES, then pitch it, recycle it, or donate it. You'll be amazed
at how much lighter and free you 'll feel once this is done!
When the de-cluttering process has been completed, get out your
dust cloth and mop. Clean up all the spider webs and dust
bunnies. Pay attention to windows too. Having a cleaner space
will help you breathe easier and is a much healthier environment
for body, mind, and soul. Please make sure you spend a little
extra time in heavy traffic areas and the corners too.
Now that everything is nice and tidy, ask yourself what you have
in your space that you enjoy looking at. Maybe it's a beautiful
view outside your window, or pictures of your family. Being able
to focus visually on your favorite things will help encourage
Happy Thoughts. Try to have at least one small item for this.
What about the lighting, is it harsh, or too dim? That is easy
to adjust with either higher or lower watts of light bulbs. I've
found 60 watt works the best for me, but you might want super
bright 100 watt, or very dim 40 watt. It's a matter of personal
preference and is also very inexpensive to adjust to what you
like the best. Nothing beats natural light through a window
during the day, but you don't have to have a window to get the
same effect. There are even light bulbs that offer a natural
lighting feel in a room, though they are a bit more expensive.
Candlelight adds some elegance and is excellent at burning away
stressful feelings in a room. It also helps with aromatherapy;
we will talk about that more a little later.
How does your space sound? Is there an accumulation of outside
noises that distract you from being at peace? Sometimes running
a fan or a white noise CD is the perfect block to outside
noises. Try different types of music to enhance the ambience in
your room. New age and classical music both have regenerative
properties that work wonders on your mental state. I would
suggest staying away from the television, especially during high
stress times. Newscasts, soap operas, "real TV", to name a few,
will increase the levels of negativity in your environment. If
you are set on the TV, try to pick the most positive programming
you can find.
Aromatherapy is a vital element in creating your peaceful space.
The part of your brain that detects smells is closely linked
with the limbic part of your brain, which is your emotional
center. Smells can evoke memories, good ones and bad ones; they
can leave you feeling happy, sad, and every emotion in between.
Aromatherapy goes back as far as Hippocrates, the Greek father
of medicine, who strongly recommended the use of aromatic
essential oils for their relaxing properties. A few relaxing,
stress-relieving scents include:
Cedarwood Chamomile Sage Rosemary Geranium Jasmine Lavender
Lemongrass Orange Rose Rosewood Sandalwood Vanilla You can use
candles, incense, air fresheners of every different sort from
sprays to plug-ins, or potpourri. Try a variety of types and
aromas to see what works best for your own moods.
We have touched a little on how your room looks, sounds, and
smells. These are important elements to consider in providing
yourself with a mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy
environment. You may want to think of the colors that are put in
your room, the furnishings and how you arrange them. The
temperature may need to be adjusted with fans or electric
heaters. These ideas will set you on the way towards creating a
peaceful sanctuary for yourself. What else can you think of to
help yourself feel comfortable and relaxed? Get creative and
have fun. Before you know it you'll have your own piece of
heaven on earth!