Stress is a symptom of modern life. Anyone who has a job, has children (especially toddlers or teenagers!) is studying, or has a mortgage, suffers from stress. Even retired people suffer from stress; it seems to be an inbuilt human condition.
One of the best ways I know to deal with stress is to de-clutter your environment.
A Calm Oasis
We’re all secretly seeking a calm oasis to soothe our troubled spirits. Some of us seek it in the pub, or in mind-numbing television programmes. Others live for their annual holiday in France or Florida. But it’s possible to create an oasis in your very own home.
A Place To Find Peace
Think of a Japanese-style room, and you’ll visualise a calm, un-cluttered, simple, Zen-like space. In a room like this you could feel peaceful; you could relax and escape from the stresses of modern day living; you could even meditate or practise yoga in such a room.
Create Your Own
Now why not transform one room of your home to capture this essence? It doesn’t have to be Japanese-style (that’s my preference), it can be whatever suits your taste; as long as it has no clutter, has a sense of space, and makes your feel peaceful. It could be your bedroom, a study, a dining room or anywhere; as long as it’s somewhere that you can retreat to when life gets tough, and your nerves become frayed.
You’ll See With Fresh Eyes
Once you have your calm oasis you’ll wonder how you managed without it, and will probably look at the rest of your home with fresh eyes. You may start to see clutter and visual noise where you didn’t notice it before. If this is the case then go ahead and de-clutter your entire home, so that the minute you step through your front door, you’re enveloped in a blanket of soothing peace.
You can’t have a calm oasis with clutter, so create one now by sweeping away the clutter that’s holding you back.
