Sacred Spaces

Where do you go in your head if I say the words “sacred spaces”? When you imagine yourself in the most relaxing, beautiful, calm, peaceful place possible…what does it look like? Most people probably imagine something like lazing in a hammock over a beautiful blue tropical sea, or a picturesque mountaintop with a wide view.

Looking for peace during quarantine

We all have an idea of a place we can conjure up in our minds where we believe we would feel relaxed and zen. But what do we do now in the midst of a quarantine when we can’t really go anywhere? Are you starting to feel the pinch of being confined to your current living space? If you’re working from home, is your living space starting to meld into your work space or vice versa?

It’s a common complaint among those who have been sheltering in place for the past few weeks. Bringing work home with you may mean that you find it difficult to transition from “work” brain to “home” brain. School aged children may have overtaken your dining or family spaces with laptops and homework. Marie Kondo did not prepare us for quarantine.

Peace doesn’t come from your location

The good news is that feeling of peace and tranquility? It didn’t come from the beautiful beach or the magnificent mountain view. People live on beaches and mountains all over the world and still experience stress, frustration, and anxiety. If that sense of peace and calm came from the location, then people living in beautiful places would likely never experience mental health issues.

If that’s true, then just a few simple steps will allow you to create a space within your own home, apartment, room, or whatever you’re calling home these days that you can relax and unwind in.

Tips to Create Your Own Sacred Space

Find a space you don’t have to use for anything else. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be a fancy boudoir, even a small corner will do. But make sure it’s not in the way of daily traffic, you don’t need to use it for cooking, cleaning, or even storage.
Clear it out as best you can. Again, you don’t need a completely sterile environment, but the more you can make space in your, well, space, the better. Our minds tend to look for things to do, critique, pick at, or worry over. The cleaner the space you can make, the more relaxing it may seem to you.
Find something comfy for it. Yoga mats, a few floor pillows, or a nice big cushy armchair—it doesn’t matter what you can spare—just something cozy that you can relax in or on.
Make it smell nice. Again, this doesn’t have to be fancy, but if your designated space smells musty, moldy, or damp—your mind will likely go to that and it will be hard to mentally relax. Find something pleasing to your palate. Rosemary mint candles, a few drops of a favorite essential oil, or just the crisp scent of a clean space should do the trick.
Choose JUST A FEW of your favorite things to come with you. Maybe it’s your favorite candle, or a good book, or a cute string of lights. Maybe it’s a beautiful plant you’ve been tending. Whatever it is, don’t overwhelm your space. Less is more. But decorate it with a few things that you enjoy looking at, smelling, or interacting with (and no, I don’t mean your phone).
Speaking of your phone…silence your technology. Turn the ringer off for a few minutes. Let your family know you’ll be busy and would appreciate not being interrupted, if possible. If you can’t fully get away from the sounds of technology or others, consider investing in a small white noise machine.
Think outside the box (house). Maybe your perfect spot is outside! If you have a porch, a bit of yard, or even a driveway, you can set up a sacred space for yourself with minimal effort. Our porches see a lot of action as long as the weather is kind, and the subtle chirp of nearby birds is a nice addition!
Schedule yourself some quiet. If you don’t make it a habit to take a few minutes every day for yourself, you likely never will. No matter how much you love to go, go, go, work long hours, or be around your family, taking time for a quick and quiet body scan is immensely beneficial to your physical and mental health!

Can you set aside a little space for yourself? If you’re a parent, perhaps your kids will want to set up a sacred space for themselves in their room, too! Being stuck at home doesn’t have to be stressful and exhausting. With a little effort, you can be dreaming of waves crashing on the shore or birds gliding through the sky from the comfort and safety of your own home.

If you’re interested in joining our Mindfulness-based addiction treatment groups or classes, call us at 800.556.2966 today!