Creating a Personal Haven in Your Home

Whether the work day entails commuting to a job, working out of the home, or caring for the kids and managing the household, we can all be impacted by the effects of stress and the demands of everyday life.  Though research consistently shows that stress can be detrimental to both our mental and physical health, many of us don’t take the time to slow down and breathe.  Claiming just a few moments each day to collect our thoughts, decompress after a busy day, or just sit in solitude can diffuse our stress, rejuvenate our spirits and improve our health.   The question is…do you have a place where you can go to take time for yourself?  A place to get away when you need to relax and recharge?  If not, then why not set aside a special place to create a personal haven in your home?

What Does Your Personal Haven Look Like?

What types of leisure activities do you enjoy?  What would you do if you had no demands whatsoever on your time?  When are you the most relaxed?  Give these questions some serious thought.  The answers will guide you in determining what your personal haven should be, what location within your home would be most suitable and what elements you need to create this personal environment for relaxation and stress relief.

Here are some suggestions to guide you in planning your own personal haven:

Make Your Morning

Are you an early riser who enjoys the peace and quiet of the morning hours?  Set up a comfortable space where you can collect your thoughts and ease into your day.  If you don’t have a breakfast nook or window seat in or nearby the kitchen, a cozy chair and a small side table with do nicely.  Place it where you can watch the sun come up or enjoy a beautiful view.  Can you think of a better way to start the day?

• If you enjoy a fine cup of coffee in the morning, instead of stopping on the way to work, indulge yourself and invest in your own high-end espresso/coffeemaker.  Pick out some happy new mugs.  Brew your own java at home, kick back and savor a few minutes of solitude.
• Bring the birds…hang a bird feeder or place a bird bath just outside the window.  Buy a bird-watching book to help you identify your visitors.  Enjoy their songs.
• Plant a small garden outside your window and fill it with plants that will provide color year-round.  Add some special plants to attract the butterflies and return to your morning spot for an afternoon break.  In the warmth of the day, you’ll enjoy nature’s beauty at its finest.  Many people find reconnecting with nature not only relaxing - but spiritually uplifting. 

Breathe In…Breathe Out

Are you stressed out?  Meditation is proven to have both positive psychological and physiological benefits when practiced regularly.  Calming the mind and focusing on our breathing can elicit a relaxation response in the body that releases tension and dissolves stress. A simple breathing meditation can be completed in as little as ten or fifteen minutes.  Anyone can learn to do it.  You don’t have to be physically fit or learn to sit like a pretzel.  You don’t have to have a special space to meditate, you can do it anywhere.  All you’ll need is a place where you can limit distractions and be comfortable. But why not create a beautiful space you can go to relax and just breathe? 

• Paint the room a quiet and calming color like Sherwin Williams #6176 - Liveable Green or #6218 - Tradewind.
• To block out distractions and create some privacy, set up a screen, upholstered in a rich, yet simple fabric.  Or even better, divide off an area by installing a rod or cable system from the ceiling and hanging luxurious, full-length drapes that pool on the floor for a cocoon-like effect. 
• Choose an area rug that feels soft and soothing underfoot.
• Throw in lots of floor pillows that welcome you to come in and sit.
• Add the calming sounds of flowing water with a tabletop or wall-mounted fountain.
• Enter the space, draw the curtains and transport yourself to another world.

Buy a meditation tape (or borrow one from the library) to help guide you through the basics, then take a few minutes a day to practice the method.  You’ll be amazed by how much calmer, more-focused and relaxed you are.  Namaste.

Create A Cozy Corner with a Comfy Chair

The right chair can make all the difference when you need to relax.  And finding the perfect chair for you is much like finding a comfortable pair of shoes - you have to try them on to get the right fit.  If your old recliner has seen its better days, why not invest in that rich, comfortable, armchair you’ve always wanted - something stylish enough to grace any corner of your home?  Once you’ve shopped for and found the armchair of your dreams, designate a corner in a room somewhere in your home and stake claim to it.  Not to say that no one else can EVER sit in it.  Just make it known that when you need to take a moment to yourself, the king or queen has dibs on the throne.  Use the chair for the relaxing activity of your choice:  cat napping, sipping a martini or cup of tea, reading, or listening to your favorite jazz CD.  Set up the area so everything you need to support your activity or add to you level of comfort is just an arm’s reach away:

• a throw to snuggle up in for that cap nap
• a basket or rack to stash your favorite magazine or the morning paper in
• a good floor lamp to read by
• a side table to set your martini or cup of tea on
• storage to house your stereo or CD player, headphones and CDs

Bubble Away Your Troubles

Remember the commercial? A woman escapes to a luxurious bath full of bubbles and sighs, “Calgon…take me away?”  No doubt, soaking in a hot tub after a long, hard day can be very relaxing.  If you’re someone who enjoys a good bath, but you haven’t gotten around to remodeling your bathroom…do it now!  Even if it’s just to replace your old tub.  Once you set your eyes on the new generation of tub systems, you’ll never settle for less.  The latest soaking tubs are deep enough to envelope your whole body in warm, soothing water.  The next generation spa tub, called the “airbath,” delivers a flow of warm air bubbles like an effervescent hot spring to coax and sooth stressed muscles.  For a complete sensory experience consider adding these extra features to your master bath retreat:  

• dimmers to all the lights in the bath
• the soft glow of candles all around the tub surround
• aromatherapy oils
• surround-sound to pipe in soft music
• a wine cooler to chill your favorite vintage for sipping in the tub

Hopefully you’ve been inspired by these ideas and you will create that personal haven in your home.  Then commit to give yourself a few minutes out of each day, no matter how hectic it may be, to visit your haven and relax.  Your body and mind will thank you for it!

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