How to Transform Your Home
into a Peaceful Sanctuary
In our relentless quest for inner peace, we tend to overlook the simple things. We seek drastic change so we jump headfirst into meditation, minimalism, and cutting people off the moment we get an inkling that they might be toxic.
Once we realize that these things are easier planned than done, we give up, thinking we’ve failed completely. The key to consistency is starting small, and then gradually moving on to bigger things. In the context of finding peace, you might want to make sure your home -- the place you start and end each day -- is a place you feel completely at peace in.
All the meditation and self-help books in the world can’t help if you go to sleep and wake up stressed because your space does not fill your heart with calm. To help with that, here are some tips on how to transform your home into a more peaceful sanctuary.
1. Let the light in
Aside from dramatically reducing your energy costs, bringing more natural light into your home can create feelings of calm and serenity. There is something deeply therapeutic about basking in the warmth of the morning sun, not to mention the fact that an uninterrupted view of the sky can cure any confused body clock.
Working with a lot of artificial light can make you lose sense of time, making you more susceptible to oversleeping or insomnia. Having bigger windows and even a skydome can give your mind the proper signal it needs when it’s time to get up and when it’s time to call it a day.
2. Open your doors to other creatures
Sunlight is not the only part of nature you can bring into your home. A couple of houseplants and a pet can instantly liven up your space and make it “homier.”
This is especially important when you live alone. A house without enough warm bodies can easily turn cold and uninviting. To keep the house peaceful and warm, share it with other creatures that can make you feel less alone and more connected with nature
3. Build sturdy fences
Building fences might not be good for the soul figuratively speaking, but it sure does wonders in the literal sense. A house that does not make you feel safe within its walls is no good at all. For peace and privacy, you need sturdy fences from Cedar Mountain Fence that can help you sleep better at night.
For maximum peace of mind, find the most trustworthy contractor in your area. If you live in Kansas, for instance, you have to look for the best Kansas City fence company that can make your home feel more secure and a sense of privacy.
4. Have a dedicated meditation spot
If you genuinely enjoy meditation, it pays to have a dedicated meditation spot at home. It doesn’t have to be an entire room or a huge space -- An area where you can sit completely still without too many distractions is all you need.
A huge part of meditation is being conscious about your surroundings and everything your eyes can see, so make sure your meditation spot is adorned with things that fill your heart with joy and calm. It could be in plain view of your favorite artwork, your plant collection, or right next to where your furbaby loves to lounge.
Have a strict personal rule that when you’re in this space, you will completely disconnect from your phone and other gadgets that might pull you out of your calming meditation state.
5. Get adjustable lights
No matter how much we try to avoid it, there will be times when we stay up until the wee hours of the night. For this reason, it pays to have lights you can dim when it’s already after hours. Bright lights can make you feel like you have to be ‘on’ all the time, but warmer mood lights can help you relax and slow down, especially at night.
6. Keep it smelling great
Another thing that will help your home feel more like a sanctuary is a calming fragrance. You can achieve this by always having scented candles around, or investing in a diffuser that can spread your favorite calming scents around the house.
There are a lot of ambient fragrances out there, and you might have to try out different variants to find out which ones actually have a calming effect on you. For better sleep, though, you can never go wrong with the classic scents like chamomile or lavender.
7. Fill your house with things that make you happy
You might have encountered interior design guides that tell you to try minimalism or to declutter every month to make your home more peaceful. You might also encounter designers telling you to try a specific color palette or design layout to improve the ‘flow’ of your house.
While it’s okay to try out these tips, take everything with a grain of salt. The last thing you want is a home that looks like it belongs to a magazine, but doesn’t make you feel good. Do not feel obligated to declutter if you think holding on to certain things -- regardless if they may be useless -- makes you feel at peace.
Break all the rules of traditional design, if you want. When you see artwork or a furniture piece you really like, follow your instincts, even if the rules say they do not mix well with the decor you have at home.
Your space, your rules. Whatever makes you happy
at peace, and secure in your own home -- embrace it.