It’s August, about five months now since most of us have been spending wayyy more time at home. Throughout this pandemic, self care and creating a happy, healthy, beautiful home has become just as important as wearing a mask. By spending more time inside and with less travel, we are beginning to realize how important creating the right space is and how integral it is to wellbeing and mental health. This month we’re writing about creating sanctuary in your home, office and perhaps most importantly – in life. Happy reading!
CREATING SANCTUARY AT HOME
There are over 15 different techniques we use to turn your space into a happy, healthy, balanced sanctuary in our Beyond Spaces Consult. Here, we’ll focus on two really important ones:
1. DE-CLUTTER: Always try and reduce the amount of objects, furniture, clothes, décor and tools you have in your immediate space. The more lightly we live, the happier we are. Having fewer things, that are good quality and bring maximum happiness, is key. An organized and clean space brings about peace and clarity. Know that when you get rid of clutter, you create space for new things and opportunities to come into your life. So if you’re feeling stuck, the simple act of de-cluttering can help you become un-stuck and get the clarity you need.
2. CREATE YOUR CORNER: Create a nook or corner that becomes a destination for unwinding, letting go and sitting in silence. If you live in an apartment, this can be as simple as placing a comfy arm chair next to a window, and adding a pillow, throw blanket and end table with your favorite candle. This becomes the destination you come to before you start your day and at the end of it. A sacred space where computers and cell phones are not allowed and you simply come to be. For some that might look like using this space when you’re doing a guided meditation from a meditation app and for others, it may be a space to just close your eyes and take some deep breaths. This simple area that you have set up (with love and intention) creates the space for sanctuary and is a visual reminder to practice this self care and slowing down twice a day.
CREATING SANCTUARY AT THE OFFICE
Gone (hopefully) are the days of poorly designed, cramped offices with no access to natural light or air. Perhaps another COVID silver lining? When we eventually go back to working in an office, it’s going to look a whole lot different. Here are two things, we think are important to create sanctuary for employees in an office:
1. QUIET SPACE: Similar to creating a corner in your home, companies need to carve out private, quiet spaces for their employees where they can go to re-charge throughout the day and experience moments of silence. This is especially true in open office spaces where in order to stay focused, employees also have to stave away distraction and noise, which at times, can be exhausting. Studies have shown that taking 15-minute breaks every 75-90 minutes helps the brain reset and boosts energy, creativity and productivity. Creating welcoming spaces in which employees can do this in is key for well-being.
2. BRING NATURE IN: Bringing nature into a space via plants, a water feature or even round biomorphic shapes that can be found in wallpaper or art, has been shown to reduce stress, boost immunity, productivity and creativity. Since the advent of urban civilization we have become disconnected from nature – and since it’s hard for some of us to experience nature for at least 30 minutes a day, it’s important to start bringing it into our spaces to re-instate that connection, which has a myriad of positive effects.
CREATING SANCTUARY IN LIFE
Over the years we have compiled a list of life hacks that help cultivate awareness, mindfulness and well-being. Three of our favorites are:
1. GET INTO NATURE: Forest Therapy helps people quiet their mind and reconnect with nature in a profound way. Schedule a guided walk with Alex Soto of Urban Nature Walks and you will never think of nature the same again.
2. MORNING RITUAL: As soon as you open your eyes, say to yourself, “Today is going to be a great day” five times. This allows you to set the tone for the day the minute you enter the waking state. Do not check your phone until you’ve had a chance to get ready, have breakfast and spent at least 5 minutes sitting in silence or meditating. By doing these morning rituals, you will begin your day from a much more positive, grounded place, raise your personal vibration and in doing so attract and create a better day for yourself.
3. MEDITATION: Meditation has done wonders for us. And it didn’t work for years until we found a mantra based technique that suited us – Vedic Meditation. If you’re curious about meditation and how it can help you live a more peaceful, productive and positive life, try out a bunch of different techniques. A great way to begin experimenting is the with the headspace app that provides guided meditations. From there you can look at different teachers and techniques and try them out to see what sticks. Once you find “the one”, you will know! And then think, “how was there ever a day where I didn’t meditate?”
THE BEYOND SPACES CONSULT
We are working with people both in person and remotely to get their spaces looking and feeling right by practicing various techniques from holistic interior design. In Holistic Interior Design we go beyond the physical world of furniture and décor and look at things like client goals, where someone might be feeling stuck and how we can mitigate that by changing the physical environment and the energy within a space (just to name a few). If you’re interested in reading more visit The Beyond Spaces Consult. We are also offering 15 minutes complimentary consultations for anyone looking to hear more about this service or that has a particular issue in their space they’d like to work on.
Gala Magriñá Design works with clients that understand the importance of creating a beautiful space and want to work with a no-nonsense design team that is able to clearly chart the best way forward. What separates or approach from other designers is our extensive knowledge of how people live and how best to create a customized space that nurtures that. We aim to merge cool and beautiful interiors with a holistic, mindful and intuitive approach to design that results in powerful, healthy spaces that elevate and transform people’s lives. For more information please visit galamagrinadesign.com.
