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Reclaim Room to Breathe
Take back the down time you deserve by disconnecting and paying attention to small pleasures in unexpected areas of your home
I'm up at 5:45 in the morning, 15 minutes before my alarm signals the start of my morning ritual of breakfast making, toddler changing, and lightning speed life organizing. By the time my alarm goes off at 6, my phone has already beeped too many times to count, letting me know of private sales, news headlines, incoming emails and unread text messages from the night before. Our his and hers iPads are spontaneously combusting on our dresser, and my husband's phone is blowing up with new data from his usual feeds.
The above scenario is plain ridiculous so early in the morning, but sadly, it's not uncommon in this day and age. So I'm determined to take small steps to take back any down time I may actually still have in the home by carving out mental and physical space for my own sanity. Here's how I plan to do it.
The above scenario is plain ridiculous so early in the morning, but sadly, it's not uncommon in this day and age. So I'm determined to take small steps to take back any down time I may actually still have in the home by carving out mental and physical space for my own sanity. Here's how I plan to do it.
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Unplug. One of the things I love about this picture is the absence of plugs, wires and gadgets. I don't remember the last time my bedside table or wall looked this spartan. The picture coaxes a slow exhale, doesn't it?
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| Find quiet in unexpected places. It's no surprise that flashes of brilliance almost always come at times when we allow our minds a few minutes of peace. The persistent hum of the dryer is like a salve to our weary minds, wounded from data overload, so it's no surprise that the laundry room makes for a simple yet often overlooked sacred space. |
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by Stonewood, LLC
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| Take a second look at the guest room. My favorite guest room in the entire world is what my mom calls the "blue room," because this guest room has everything that a person would need to feel comfortable and relaxed, and always has fresh bed linens, cut flowers and towels — in every shade of relaxing blue. The demands of daily life may not enable you to unplug in your own bedroom, but stealing an hour of calm and quiet in the guest room is entirely possible. |
by Jeanne Finnerty
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Dishwashing meditation. You don't have to be a Zen Buddhist to practice a little mindfulness. I like to meditate when I'm washing dishes; I zero in on how the water clears the messes of the day, all laid out on a single plate, with a few sponge swipes and a thorough rinse. Add a little aromatherapy with a lemon verbena soap and I'm as content as a monk.
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by Birdseye Design
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| Read a book for pleasure. And nap. I knew that times were awry when my perfectly smart friends were reading the same titles as teenage girls were. Too often, we're picking up titles based on best-seller lists and reviews instead of going to the bookstore and buying something that simply looks interesting and appeals to our personal taste. When was the last time you read a book for the sheer joy of escaping into someone else's world? And when was the last time you let yourself fall asleep midafternoon without setting a wake-up alarm? |
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Say no to high-tech showers. One of my most beloved sacred spaces in the world is my best friend's outdoor shower in the tropics. It's nothing fancy, just a stone shower area with some homemade soap and coconut oil bottles. But no one ever bothers me when I'm out there, and I never think about where my phone is midlather. TVs and music players and phones have their place in the interior, but keep them out of the shower.
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Protect the porcelain throne. The most basic, cleansing need is met at the bathroom toilet, yet how many times have we seen friends' Facebook status updates that they've dropped their phones in the toilet? Stop texting and emailing in this sacred space.
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| Enjoy your own outdoors. We always want to be doing something. Even in the garden, people find it hard to park themselves on a bench to watch a hummingbird lap up nectar (or they do this while pressing Send on their phone) for just 10 minutes. Having a green thumb and cultivating one's garden is perfectly fine, but our spirits would probably benefit from activity-free garden time as well. |
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by Lewis Aquatech
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| Go underwater. I hope that the day never comes when smart phones have lives under water. The ocean, the pool and the tub may be the last places on earth where we can disconnect for extended periods of time. |
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Find a space. Any space. It doesn't have to be fancy. You don't need New Age music playing in the background or a bucolic cottage in the south of France to find down time and mental clarity. You just need space. Find it, and when you finally have it within your grasp, protect it.
And if you really want to disconnect, make sure your sacred space doesn't have Wi-Fi.
Houzzers, tell us: Where do you go in your home to disconnect? What does your sacred space look like?
More:
How to Create a Nest in the Home
Backyard Bliss: Have a Master Plan
Zen Gardens: Serene Outdoor Spaces
And if you really want to disconnect, make sure your sacred space doesn't have Wi-Fi.
Houzzers, tell us: Where do you go in your home to disconnect? What does your sacred space look like?
More:
How to Create a Nest in the Home
Backyard Bliss: Have a Master Plan
Zen Gardens: Serene Outdoor Spaces
Comments
bluejeanroy I had to laugh about “Protecting the porcelain throne”. I work taking orders over the phone for a large catalog company and dropping your phones in the toilet may be the least of your problems. Your phones pick up more than you think. Go ahead and make that room your sacred place, we'll still be there in 5 minutes happy to help you with your order.
14 months ago · Like
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Erika Bierman Photography Cathy, thank you for this article, started the morning with such a great smile. I can absolutely relate to all the morning activity:), my room to breathe is my dining room, that looks out to my front yard with bamboos and my lemon tree or my patio on warm mornings.
14 months ago · Like
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Gary Porter I notice that at least four of these photos were taken outside the city--out in the countryside. Which is where my sacred space is, a small (I'm not rich) house 90 miles outside the city, literally down a gravel road, that I rent for a cheap price and have let my imagination have its way with the decorating. I love my city condo, and I've taken steps to make it as calming a space as possible; but for a total mind and body re-set I load up the dog and head for the country. 
14 months ago · Like
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jacquelinetee Thankyou for sharing.I am relaxed just thinking about such a world. I especially love the no outlets. The meditation when cleansing the kitchen is something I will add to my day.........Jackie
14 months ago · Like
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CAROLE MEYER Yes, I guess we all may need to just "unplug" from time to time. I for one, turn OFF my cell phone when with friends.....really, along with all the other things we do with and for people, do we really need to run from computer to cell to ipad to ???? It is rather crazy. It just takes a flip of the switch...we really do not need to be constantly in touch. These devices have OFF switches. In fact, I am turning this computer off right now and going to my SPOT by the fireplace! 
14 months ago · Like
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Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Cathy this was beautifully written and indeed profound. I could have been any one of those people in those scenarios. Yes, from desktop, to laptop, to iPad, and iPhone I am plugged in and sometimes all at the same time. Guilty! Thanks for the reminder, that for someone who spends a lot of time creating spaces, perhaps I should be in them a little more. To answer your question...I go to my steam shower to disconnect. No plugs in there! Thanks again.
14 months ago · Like
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Lori Davis Loved this article. I, as is everyone reading your blog, am guilty of never unplugging because quite frankly I feel like I'm going to miss something or that I need to be researching/buying/learning something. I'm not sure I have a quiet room; need to find one. :)
14 months ago · Like
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danna7 I go to the barn!!! Nothing is as calming as hearing your horses eating their hay!
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on March 19, 2012.
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