Creating a Relaxing Environment

[DDNatureLover]

My home is my refuge from outside forces, and I like to try to keep it as relaxing as possible. Sometimes I get caught up in the daily grind and forget to take time for me, so I decided to do something about that. I created a tea station here in my office so I can take a breather in between tasks. It will also come in handy on the days when I'm not feeling well, and am not able to make it up and down the stairs to the kitchen for my frequent cups of tea. At some point, I might add a mini refrigerator, but for now, I've got everything I need here to make this work for my breaks.

 

[solana]

It looks nice and inviting. I also need a quiet and peaceful environment to withdraw from the world. In the past, it used to be my garden or the veranda, but since I moved to another country, where I currently live in a big city, my apartment has become my refuge. It's got high ceilings, and a lot of light and air. I have filled it with plants. In fact, I have a small garden in my living room, where I cultivate tomatoes, chilies, herbs, and other edible plants. It relaxes me to sit on my couch and watch my garden growing. In my spare time, I also enjoy creating mosaics with beach glass in that space. I need creative outlets in a natural environment to feel balanced and happy. 

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

I like the little tea station you have created that is a good idea. Sometimes I will have a bowl nearby with fruit or candy in it, not amazing but just to snack and it makes me feel better. I try to keep healthy things in it over candy though but sometimes candy is there instead. My kitchen is quite close to me so I don't need to go far thankfully. If I was in a bigger place though and had my office elsewhere I would for sure make a similar idea.

 

[Corzhens]

I like this thread very much. We used to rent an apartment and then a house for more than 5 years before we were able to get a bank loan for this house. And since this is ours, we could do what we wanted. With the plants, most are edibles and very few are ornamental. Whenever there are fruits to harvest, we enjoy so much even if the fruits are only for home consumption. With the interior, I was the mastermind in the furnishings and the arrangement as well. I tried to make it as cozy as possible. But most of all, it is the bedroom that is our refuge. We have a small refrigerator, a big tv, and it has air conditioning. As what people would say when they see our bedroom, it is like a hotel room. That relaxing environment I have mentioned is dedicated to my husband who is a homebody. He loves to stay home and even on weekends when there is no work, he would prefer to stay home than go to the mall.

 

[Alex]

I think having your own space where you have things just as you like them helps if you have anxiety. Sometimes comforts and order help because it's something you can control. I admit I get annoyed when people move things in the fridge when I have put it in a particular place. I have lived by myself before and it is a luxury, but one I could not longer afford.


I also indulge in nice pillowcases, a high thread count as I like to feel comfy when I am sleeping and pillowcases are affordable and make me feel good. A nice fleece blanket works too!

 

[pwarbi]

Creating a relaxing environment can go a long way in helping a person to relax, and even though it might be easier said than done, at the end of a stressful day then I think we all need a home to come back to where we can feel secure, relaxed and comfortable. If a person is dealing with stress and anxiety anyway, their surroundings can play a big part in either making them better or worse, and I think a lot of people don't think it's all that important, and while I'm not saying that e all need to get the Feng shui experts in, we do need to make sure that we are more than just comfortable in our environment.

 

[LovelyLiz]

I created a tea station here in my office so I can take a breather in between tasks. It will also come in handy on the days when I'm not feeling well, and am not able to make it up and down the stairs to the kitchen for my frequent cups of tea.

I really love the idea of this - I try to keep my personal space nice and tidy, but I don't manage it very well. I think I'm at the other end of the scale - I tend to leave things lying around in the wrong places, and it stresses me out when I can't find them later. I do find though, that when I get my personal space in order, and I know where everything is, that I find it more relaxing, as I can just reach out and know instinctively where everything is.

 

[taco]

A mini fridge! That is awesome, I totally want one now too for my man-cave office  My chill space is what used to be the attic, awhile back I threw up some drywall and carved out a little corner where I have my PC, a TV, desk, chairs, and a super comfy couch. I also have this little planeterium gadget that projects the stars onto my ceiling. When I get super stressed I will put on music, turn on the planeterium, and just lay down and stare at it while I try to calm myself down.


I think everyone needs a place like this, where they feel totally safe, secure, etc... I think it is just part of human nature.

 

[Sue]

What a great idea. It is always nice to have that little space that you can call your own. A place where you can go and relax and unwind. It looks nice and tidy and organized with helps in giving it that relaxing feel. I think that everybody needs their own space. I also like the idea of a mini fridge. I have been thinking of getting one of those for my room.

 

[DDNatureLover]

Your apartment sounds amazing @solana. I love high ceilings and lots of natural light. Those are two features that attracted me to this house when I was looking for a place to rent. i have a small balcony off the office that I also use for breaks and to commune with nature, but it's too hot outside right now to take advantage of that. I'd love to see a picture of your sea glass mosaics, I'm sure they've very nice.


It sounds as if we all do things to carve out relaxing areas in our homes. Hopefully this thread will continue to grow, and will serve as inspiration for when we need to make small changes that can help us feel better. I know I can always use some new inspiration, especially when I'm feeling down and stuck in a negative pattern.


@Alex I feel the same about the pillow cases. It's been a while since I could afford nice sheets, but thankfully, the expensive really nice ones I have are still functional. i just changed the sheets and am always happy when there's a fresh clean (and cool, for some reason) set on the bed. I also go for soothing tones in the bedroom, because of course they help me to relax.


@taco I love the idea of your planetary. I have always been drawn to things like that, and have seen some devices like that advertised recently. I'll have to add one to my must buy list.


I've been wanting a mini fridge in the bedroom for a while. The upstairs here consists of the bedroom, a small bathroom, and the office (and balcony off the office), so if I put one in the office, that would be sufficient for the bedroom, also.

 

[taco]

Yup I totally love the idea of the mini-fridge! Takes me back to the college dorm days, hah! And it would eliminate all those runs down from the attic just to get more iced tea.


As for the planeterium, it really is great, I have always loved to stare into the great expanses of the sky. We are only a tiny speck, on a tiny planet, in a tiny solar system, at the edge of one of billions of galaxies... it really puts things into perspective!


The model I have is the iOptron LiveStar Mini Planetarium 9200, it cost about 100 dollars and it is very good quality, great visual clarity and a lot of detail. There are other less expensive versions, I know the Smithsonian makes a brand that looked pretty good in the museum gift shop I saw it at, and it was around 50 dollars in the gift shop (so undoubtedly it should be cheaper on line) Really anything except for the very cheapest ones will probably suit you just fine.

 

[Zeesi]

Creating a relaxing environment is something that is important to me.  The tea station sounds fabulous.  I would not mind setting one up myself, but I would probably do coffee and not tea, although... I fancy myself a tea drinker, and I buy a lot of tea, I just don't drink it regularly.  I like the idea of drinking tea, but when it comes right down to it, I almost always reach for the coffee.


I like to try to stay on top of keeping things tidy, that is the most important thing in making my surroundings feel relaxing.  I'm not always on top of the cleaning like I should be though.  I have to do better.  Some days my place will look absolutely delicious, other days I let things get really messy.  I love all things housekeeping and homemaking.  Martha Stewart is one of my heroines, lol.

 

[Choochoo]

My home is kind of a mess and I have to say it contributes to my daily mental clutter as well. Whenever I feel it is getting too much I'll start to overhaul and do a complete cleaning. Afterwards I always feel great because I have so much new space that previously was just being taken up by unused items collecting dust. I think it's important to keep your house nice and comfortable because the outside world is chaotic enough that people really need a sanctuary when they get home. 

 

[HappyKoi]

Personally, I always feel better when I have a clean, uncluttered space.  I have a hard time keeping it that way, though.   Usually if I feel out of sorts or irritable, it helps me to clean up my space, to at least pick up some things or push others off to the side.  I make my bed daily, and that helps a bit.  I've had times where I lived in a rougher neighborhood and a busy house with lots of roommates, and my room was the only space where I felt safe.  It's nice to have a safe haven, as long as you don't get trapped in it.

 

[hades_leae]

That's really good that you do that, I have thought about doing the same thing, but it's only me in my home so all I have is peace there. I remember when I got my first apartment, it was only me, and since then it's my place to chill out and relax, I can't wait to go home everyday because it's really relaxing. 


It's always good to treat yourself to something nice.

 

[DDNatureLover]

Right now my office is a bit of a mess, because I have pulled the books, DVDs and CDs off the shelves. I'm going through them to sell, and have already sold 4-5 boxes, but still have these left over. It's not something I do constantly, which is why they're sitting around. I've rearranged the room a bit since I first posted this, and I'm happier with it than I was before, although there's still a way to go.


Ultimately, I hope to bring my sewing machine up here, since the room it's in has become more of a storage room, and this is evolving into the crafts room. I used to buy one gallon jugs of water for the tea station, but I've since evolved into buying 2.5 gallon containers, the type that sit on the counter and have a spigot on the front bottom. They last a lot longer, and so I don't have to replace them as often, have so many smaller jugs sitting around, and am wasting less plastic.


Someday I'd like to have one of the water dispensers with both cold and hot water taps so I could make tea, hot chocolate, instant coffee, soup, etc., but even if I had one, it would most likely be downstairs in the kitchen, so I'd still keep the tea station up here. Maybe eventually once I downsize some of the clutter in here, I can get a small fridge/freezer. That's something I have always wanted in the bedroom/upstairs. 

 

[fuzyon]

My "studio" room in the house is probably the place I'm the most relaxed in, even after the hardest day of work ever I know that I can come home and relax in my little "shed" of happiness. I have a projector on which I watch my favorite movies and shows, a big and comfy sofa that also extends as a bed, a mini fridge with whatever junk food I feel like having that day and most importantly? It smells wonderful, I always have candles lit up.

 

[CT422]

I light some incense, turn on some relaxing music or a movie/tv show I've seen a million times, and make some herbal tea. This is kmy go-to routine when I've been particularly stressed out for any amount of time. Never underestimate the power of a good cup of tea and an old favorite, it always takes me back to happier times. 

 

[DDNatureLover]

I used to burn candles all of the time. I still have a lot of them, and they're nice ones, with enticing scents. I have been thinking more about them lately, so perhaps I should pull some out of storage and light them up. I definitely agree, having pleasant scents in the home is conducive to relaxation, at least for me. I had switched over to the battery operated ones when I was particularly stressed out, because I was dozing off, and didn't want to do that with candles lit, but I think I might start using real candles again, at least for special occasions. 

 

[AngelaMc]

My home is my refuge from outside forces, and I like to try to keep it as relaxing as possible. Sometimes I get caught up in the daily grind and forget to take time for me, so I decided to do something about that. I created a tea station here in my office so I can take a breather in between tasks. It will also come in handy on the days when I'm not feeling well, and am not able to make it up and down the stairs to the kitchen for my frequent cups of tea. At some point, I might add a mini refrigerator, but for now, I've got everything I need here to make this work for my breaks.

This is a wonderful idea you have here, making a relaxing environment. As I was reading your post I was picturing myself having a cup of tea at your station. Thank you for sharing this idea, I think after reading this I'm going to try something similar. A mini refrigerator would be a great addition to your station, you could fill it with your favorite snacks or your favorite creams for your Tea.