Monday, February 6, 2012

Is your space supporting you?

I have always had a very powerful need for a safe, calm space to go to when my day is done. A recent renovation forced me into a space that wasn’t so supportive. I had no idea how challenging that was gong to be for me.  In many ways the situation was ideal, but, I never felt at home.

The space had been for sale for a number of years. It needed to be in “show ready” shape at all times. If you’ve ever lived for a period of time in a house that was up for sale you’ll understand how challenging that can be.

We discovered a lot of things that needed attention during our stay. Workers were in an out, often very early in the morning, disturbing the peace at the start of my day. It was a much noisier environment than I’m used to. I found it difficult to get a sound sleep.

I found it more and more difficult to keep up my good habits, the things that keep me grounded and happy. I began to feel like I had no space, no privacy. I became more moody as the weeks passed. I struggled to figure out what was wrong.

Once we were back in our renewed space everything shifted. It was almost miraculous. I felt calm and in the groove. I slept really well for the first time in months and was refreshed after far less sleep.

The experience showed me how important a supportive environment can be. How well is the space you live in supporting what you need to be happy and whole?  Take a look at your circumstances. Are you able to live the way you want to? What can you change in your environment that would make it more supportive for you?

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2 comments:

  1. OMG... yes. The biggest stress of "Selling Our House" is having to keep it 'showroom ready' as much as possible. Not just the interruption to the day but the physical effort and then the mental/spiritual energy of clearing out so strangers can walk through to evaluate against their needs.
    It will definitely be a relief to be uninterrupted again!

    It also reminds me to give thanks to the people we will be buying from, soon!!... once our house sells.

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  2. I'm so bad at this. I'm always struggling to find a balance between my happy messiness and chaotic disorder. I find making my bed makes all the difference to my whole day.

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