Dealing With the Stress of “Regular Life”

Whoever we are, sometimes our lives become more stressful. Whether it’s because we’re returning to our usual lives after a relaxed summer away from our usual challenges or because the weather is getting better after a long not-generally-so-good period and it’s hard to keep life purring right along, sometimes we’re tense.
Changing up your physical environment can only do so much for you, it’s not magic, but if life hasn’t seemed it’s calm, usual self recently, but you don’t have time for dramatic redo’s, try:

• Adding a green leafy potted plant to the space where you try to relax, but just one, a couple of feet tall or so in view as you sit and seek calm—more create visual clutter.

• Which brings us to the second point: Decluttering. Look around and see if there’s more going on visually in the space where you like to relax than in a residential interior designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Look at a picture of a Frank Lloyd Wright residential interior, specifically the number of colours, patterns, shapes in view, etc., and the apparent order with which they’ve been arranged. Compare what you see and add or remove pillows, tchotchkes on table tops and walls, etc., until what you see around you aligns with the Frank Lloyd Wright space. Keep the photographs, etc., that are most meaningful to you, that tell your story best, items that make the space “work” in the ways it needs to work, etc. Don’t create a space that’s too stark, however, that’s as stressful as one that’s visually cluttered.

• If you do need to choose new upholstery fabrics, wall treatments, pieces of furniture, selecting options with relatively more curving than straightly lines, as discussed here, LINK and ones using less saturated, lighter colours, as discussed here.

• Opening the curtains and let in as much natural light as you can—but do whatever it takes to eliminate glare when you do. When you need human-made light, at night, etc., make it slightly dimmer and warmer than usual, and make sure it comes from a lamp on a tabletop or a floor lamps.

• Making your space subtly smell like lavender or another flower you favour, oranges, lemon, mango, or some other smell that you link to pleasant memories.

• Playing nature soundtrack very quietly—you can find them online easily. The ones to choose are of burbling brooks, gently rustling leaves and grasses, and peacefully singling birds. A desk top water feature can also relax you!