In the last 2 articles we talked about how reading and actively listening to music contribute to creating a calm experience.
Probably, to achieve these experiences easier, it is also important to address another pragmatic aspect: how to take care of the physical space around us. How to take care of our “home”.
As many people are now in home-office, and probably all of us are spending more time at home, it is worth to reflect about how the physical space contributes, or not, to enhance calmness. And how it is possible to transform daily tasks in a positive ritual so to transit from a section of the day to the next.

Actions like making the bed, cleaning after eating, putting back the items needed after use, arranging the laundry in the closet… are part of the daily routines.
Routines can be perceived like an obligation or a burden. But they can also come across like a positive ritual where we take time to accomplish something for ourselves and our wellbeing.
If the perception of these tasks is somehow negative, my recommendation is to take a moment to reflect on the reasons.
Taking care of your physical environment – with a certain level of order, beauty and practicality – not only provides a more comfortable space to live, to work and to enjoy. But also, it can help your attention to focus on what is necessary for feeling well in your spaces. A way to practice the intention of taking care of yourself. A way to practice self-love actions.

To transform household chores in a positive routine requires a shift in your attention.
Take a moment to reflect on these 2 main questions:

• What do I need to feel good in my house in term of space: to have enough space to work, to enjoy a hobby, to relax? Or to have enough space to move comfortably, to make my training, to cook or to accomplish other tasks.
• What actions I need to accomplish daily or on a regular base to maintain a positive space in terms of order, beauty and practicality?

Apparently, for humans, the best is to move from one area to another: from the sleeping or intimacy area to the eating space. From the eating area to the working space. From the working space to the relax area, etc…. Some of those spaces are easily recognised by your attention. But some others may need some organization: a corner in the living room for a working station; a specific setting with a yoga mat for exercises; dressing the table for the meals.

Then, if your home office station attracts constantly your attention and it makes it difficult to move it away, you can “help” your attention to detach from the tasks and duties by covering the desk with a tablecloth or a scarf, by closing the door of the office room, by sitting in another area of your apartment where you just don’t see what reminds you of the “to-do list”.

It may look fastidious to invest time in these aspects of the daily life. But they can participate to create a ritual of self-care and calmness. Additionally, these activities stimulate our manual abilities. They make us moving around in ways different from sitting in front of a screen.

I encourage you to explore how to transform daily tasks into a positive ritual to support a pleasant and enjoyable living environment.

Picture taken by me in Lavertezzo – Ticino.