Making Your Home an Oasis Share this page:

Making Your Home an Oasis

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Whether you are a believer in Western philosophy, which represents the longest continuous heritage of philosophical reflection, and the basic principles of feng shui, yin/yang, or any other type of philosophies, following certain basic guidelines can help your home to become more harmonious.  These generally include all five senses and following them can make your home a safe haven for your body and soul.

Our home is our oasis and it can be a welcoming, peaceful, and healthy place to both live in and visit.   An organized and comfortable home can have a calming effect on you, your family, and guests, as well as be your personal escape from the rest of the world. Creating this nurturing space is not difficult. Even a household that includes young children or multiple animals can be a serene and peaceful place. In just a few minutes, you can make a number of changes that can turn your home into a safe and comfortable haven that you can be proud to share with your loved ones and friends.  

REDUCE CLUTTER:

Clutter produces physical and unconscious chaos in our lives.  Whether it is because we have just spent 15 minutes looking for our car keys, or we cannot comfortably relax because all seating areas are covered with “stuff”, you will feel tension immediately escape the room as you toss away unneeded items.  If you are having difficulty getting rid of certain items, then invest in appealing organizational items such as woven baskets, oversize jars, drawer inserts, under the bed storage containers, etc.

COLOR:

Soothing cool colors such as blue, purple, or green, or soft pastels that nuture the senses are options to think about.  If you own your home, you may want to use these colors on your walls.  If not, you can always use them in removable items such as furniture, draperies, pillows, bed linens, etc.

BRING PLANTS INTO YOUR LIVING SPACE:

Not only do plants add a pop of color to your home, they can also help to eliminate toxins from indoor spaces and oxygenate your home, although how many plants it would take to do that is still undecided.  It has been scientifically proven that having indoor plants can:

• Reduce stress levels
• Sharpen your attention
• Be therapeutic when working with them
• Recover from illness faster
• May boost productivity
• Improve your outlook on work or chores
• May improve air quality

7 Science-Backed Benefits of Indoor Plants (healthline.com)

BEDROOMS:

Keep it clutter free, use soft colors, and avoid placing a television in the bedroom.  This is the room in which you need to rejuvenate your body and mind through a good night’s sleep, which includes at least 25% of your asleep time in this stage.

LIGHTING:

An abundance of natural light is always good if you can incorporate it into your home.  If not, clever placement of mirrors to reflect the natural light you do receive will be beneficial.

For rooms in which you wish to relax, incorporate soft, subdued lighting, as opposed to harsh or overhead lights.

FABRIC:

Cover the seating area of hardwood floors with an area rug and layer with natural fabrics, if possible, when using sofa or chair throws, pillows, etc.

AROMATHERAPY:

You can bring scents into your daily life in a variety of ways, lavender, and vanilla in the     bedroom to produce a feeling of calm, fresh herbs either inside or outside at the entrance of your home to release their scent each time you brush against them, tangerine, or mint-scented aromatherapy to increase your appetite, etc.

SOUNDS:

We all relax to different sounds or different music at varying stages of our lives, but the sound of ocean waves, a light rain, breezes, and a backyard waterfall can all help us to relax and, if we do not live close to the ocean or have place for a waterfall, they can easily be incorporated into our daily lives through recordings.