No matter how small our places are, we can continually create some cozy corners where we can unwind and enjoy the things we love to do. Yes, creating spaces where we can make this relaxation happen needs to be a top priority for many seniors.
We stay much more in our places now because of the restrictions due to the pandemic. Even without the Covid pandemic, it is always a comforting experience to enter your home when calming and relaxing. Thus, it is crucial to our well-being that we make the places we live, no matter how tiny, very relaxing.
During the day, relaxing for even a short moment is crucial to our mental health. You’ll probably say that’s what I do every moment now. Maybe, but I will tell you my latest experience.
There was a time in one of my slouches on the sofa, a favorite position during the pandemic lockdown, my mind turned to quiet. It moved its focus on my body, and I started to listen. My body felt so tense even when all day, I watched Netflix. I thought I felt relaxed as I did not do anything stressful.
My body told me otherwise, so I continued listening. I started to listen to each part of my body where I felt the tension. At that moment, I realized how stressed my body parts were. I then decided to do something about it.
First, I cleaned out the clutter in my place. I have given up my house for a two-bedroom condo in the heart of the city. After three years, I quickly filled it up. The books alone that I got attached to already filled up so many spaces. So, I searched on the Condo website to see if someone was renting storage. I found one, contacted the owner, and rented it. I also have storage, but I filled that up fast. The amount is something I could take out of my entertainment budget, and for my mental health, the investment was worth it. The acquisition, I believed, was good for my mental balance.
Second, I gave away things I did not need. I gifted them to friends.
Third, I stopped buying. I continued to check out stores for new designs and products, which I enjoy doing, but I left these products at the store. Unless it is a hundred percent fit to what I was looking for, I did not get it. I often went home with only a few food items that I consumed immediately in my forays downtown. I felt lighter and happier.
Fourth, I managed my “por si acaso” (just in case) attitude. This phrase means buying things just in case there is a need for them. I threw out the thought each time it came to me in the store.
Fifth, I transformed cozy corners in my condo into places of relaxation, and here are the pictures. The first picture is a reading corner, the second is a coffee corner, and the third is a lounging area. These three places give me options to do some of the things I enjoy.
Finally, I abandoned my sofa for a large part of the day with these relaxing places and instead found solace in these other areas. While the real work is within ourselves, these places promote a sense of well-being, enabling us to do more interior work. Indeed, creating relaxing corners in our home makes for a healthy being, and we must give it more attention. I wish you luck in your effort.
