Turn Your Home into an Oasis by Tameeka Leon

Turn Your Home into an Oasis

Here at Coffee.Yoga.Life. the entire month of February has been designated as self-care month. I want self-care to be seen as something that needs to be part of your regular routine, not just a special occasion that gets pushed to the back burner every time someone requests some of your time and energy. 

 Remember, self-care is multi-faceted. So many people just think of it as spa days and bubble baths. In addition to your physical aspects, you must also consider your emotional, mental, and spiritual needs. 

 Everyday self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant. A major aspect to consider is your home. You can turn your home into an oasis by focusing on creating an environment that speaks to your senses.  Create an environment where you are at ease just by entering the room. Your environment does have an impact on your mood and your ability to relax.

 Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can turn your home into an oasis. These ideas apply whether you live on your own and are able to decorate your entire home or if you live with roommates or your parents and can only change your room. 

  • Textures
    • When you’re in need of consoling or support, what are the textures that you enjoy most? According to this article in Psychology Today, you are more likely to crave soft and pleasant textures when you are in a bad mood. Instead of waiting to be in a bad mood, why not keep soft and pleasant textures around you. It could be a soft throw on your couch, or a fluffy throw pillow. Keep things in your home that always provide that level of comfort. 
  • Colors
    • We have all heard about the impacts of color on our psychology. This article on Lifehacker provides an easy to understand chart listing the colors and their psychological effects when used in decorating. As you can see in the chart, cooler colors result in a much more relaxed atmosphere. If you want to create a relaxing environment in your home, use more greens and blues. Try focusing on the soft colors that you would find in nature.
  • Smells
    • What are the smells that you enjoy? Which smells are attached to some of your happiest memories? Do you have a favorite candle? There are so many ways to make the smell of your home bring you happiness. If you have a diffuser, you could look up an essential oil blend to help you relax (lavender) or help you focus and feel energized (peppermint and orange together). When your favorite candles go on sale, buy a few extra to keep in stock. Some other options are incense, oil burners, potpourri, and flowers. 
  • Sounds
    • Playing relaxing sounds is another way to make your home a more peaceful place. While I am working at home, I like to listen to chillhop (relaxed vibe hip hop beats) or classical music. You can also buy a sound machine and play nature or rain sounds. Or you can use what you have, i.e. YouTube App, and play the same sounds for free. You can find videos on YouTube that play these sounds for hours, which are wonderful if you want to play them while you sleep. However, I do understand that not everyone sleeps with their phones in their bedrooms. Buying a sound machine is fairly low cost so if that is what you want, you can get one for about $20 on Amazon.
  • Lighting
    • Soft lighting helps your mind and body relax. The lighting can come from candles, a small lamp, or by adding a dimmer switch to your room lights. One of the ways I prep my room for bedtime is to turn on my small lamp and light a lavender incense before I jump in the shower. When I come out of the shower, my room just feels so cozy and it helps my mind relax as well as my body. 
  • Declutter/ Organization/ Storage
    • Is your home cluttered? Do you have enough storage space for all of your things? Or do you have more things than you have storage space for? Being surrounded by clutter can prevent your mind from relaxing. If this is one of your problems, take some time to go through your stuff. Get rid of the things that you no longer use and then make sure you have space for everything that’s left. If you don’t have space for it, determine if you really need it. If you live in a home that doesn’t have much storage (my current problem) go to stores like Ikea to get storage ideas. You can also look at Pinterest for storage ideas.

 

As you can see there are several ways that you can make your home a relaxing oasis. Some will cost more than others. My wish for you is that you find the ways that truly help you relax and put your mind at ease. We spend so much time taking care of others, it is also your responsibility to take care of yourself.

 

 

 

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