How to Create a Stress-Free Zone in Your Home
Imagine a place without email, phone, deadlines and problems. It's a lot nearer than you think
Having a place where you can totally relax, be yourself, or simply be quiet can be a tremendous help in fighting chronic stress. Regardless of how old you are and where you’re living, every one needs a quiet place — a place that is free from noise, chores and deadlines.
Not convinced? Recall the times when you arranged your favorite toys meticulously by your bedside before you sleep. Or the secret hiding place which you always ran to each time something went wrong. Or that special stone or feather which you believed has the power to ‘teleport’ you to a different world in the blink of an eye.
No matter what your quiet place looked like back then, that was the place where you called the shots. That was the safe haven where you’re permitted to read, write, play, draw, dance, dream, cry, laugh and do just about anything that made you felt peaceful and in control.
Fast forward to today. Does that quiet place still exist? Is there someplace, hopefully not far away, where you can retreat to and relax completely at the end of a frantic day? If this sounds more like a distant memory, perhaps it’s time to recreate a stress-free zone right where you are.
Stress-Free Zone: Where You Can Totally Relax
You don’t need a whole lot of space to begin with. If you’ve a room to spare, great! But if you don’t, fret not. Your special place can be a reading table, a small cupboard, a box, or even a tiny object that means something special to you. Let us go through the scenarios:
1. You Have an Entire Room to Spare
Congratulations! So, you’ve an entire room to play with. Your room is practically your canvas.
Start by decorating the room with attractive furniture, tools and items that you use regularly in your relaxation ritual, meditation, yoga or other spiritual practices.
For instance, consider a coffee table to display objects close to your heart, an indoor water fountain to transform an otherwise dead silent room into a natural environment with soothing flowing water, a meditation chair, a handwoven rug, an essential oil diffuser and some scented candles.
You may also want to hang artworks that evoke peace and serenity, such as paintings of mountain, sea and religious figures.
Try not to place a TV in the room as watching TV can actually be more stimulating than calming. Let’s face it, if you’ve a TV in your sacred space, the tendency is it will become an entertainment or gaming room instead of a quiet place where you can do some self-reflection.
By all means make the place as beautiful and comfortable as you want, but resist the temptation to fill every nook and cranny. The last thing you want is another cluttered room that stresses you even before you step in.
It’s a good idea to involve other members in the house and let them know the significance of this special place. In this way, they will come to respect your privacy whenever you’re inside the room. If you like, this can also be a room where the whole family gathers periodically to pray and to celebrate important occasions. It’s important to keep your relaxation room sacred, but don’t be rigid to the point that it becomes another source of stress in your life.
2. You Have Limited Space
If you only have a small corner to contend with, no sweat. You just need a few simple objects to transform it into an oasis of peace.
A small end desk, a hanging Asian scroll, an incense burner and a stalk of fresh flower, for example, can be a Zen-inspired corner where you meditate every day.
An ordinary rocking chair paired with your favorite blanket can also turn a small space into a cozy reading corner instantly. Or a daybed, a buckwheat zafu, a few plump cushions, or even the bed you’re sleeping on are potential candidates; the options really are only limited by your preferences.
Even if a corner is hard to come by, you can build a mini safe haven simply with a shoebox. Just fill it with things that make your heart sings and plenty of fond memories and love. In my special box, I put childhood photos, cute key chains, intricate boxes, gifts from friends, letters and stationery. It’s my version of treasure box even though it contains nothing of real material value. But opening this box alone is enough to make me smile and lower my stress level.
3. You Travel Frequently
If you’re one of those who are on the road most of the time, you can devise a mobile sanctuary and carry your stress-free zone wherever you go.
It can be as simple as a wallpaper of your favorite religious icon in your hand phone, a good luck
four-leaf clover charm, a crystal necklace, or a keepsake given by a loved one.
For me, it’s a blue tourmaline pendant which I wear and meditate on when I travel overseas. No matter what it is, find a relatively small object that is convenient to bring around and that inspires a renewed sense of strength, peace or security in you.
If you don’t already possess one, just pause for a moment now and visualize inner peace in your mind. What do you see? The first thing that arises in your mind is probably the one that embodies the quality you’re looking for. The value of the object isn’t important. What’s important is, it should attract you so much that it makes you want to spend some time with it, thereby drawing you away from your worries and concerns, and put you in a more relaxed state. And that’s the stress-free zone we want to be in.
So, what are the things you’ve in your relaxation zone? Share it with us!
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