Hi lovelies,

This world can be amazing and incredibly life-affirming if you do your best to work hard, put yourself out there, and challenge yourself from day to day. Yet it’s also true that sometimes, it can feel confusing, a little tough to deal with, and unpredictable. These are natural responses that everyone has to deal with in their lives, and thankfully, they make our successes and willingness to never give in translate to sweeter, more appreciated rewards.

Yet in order to get out there and make the best of your life, it’s important to recharge when you need to, and that you pay attention to self-care in the best way that relates to you and your needs. A good way to achieve this is to craft your own mental health refuge, a place you can return to when necessary to restore your energy and help you once again understand what your priorities are.

Of course, our homes are the best place to craft space like this, but how else should you consider this process and to what degree will it help? In this post, we hope to discuss all of that and more:

A Peaceful Room With No Screens
Giving your mind a little bit of a break can be tremendously healthy when hoping to seek some refuge and feel more connected than you otherwise might. However, it’s a good idea to make sure this space is free from television screens and that you place your smartphone or other devices a little out of reach. This might be a little offline reading corner in your living room, or perhaps a yoga/meditation area in your bedroom. If you have a spare room, that can be even better. A place where you can connect to yourself in total privacy, and perhaps listen to some calming music while you relax, can truly help you feel more peaceful.

Calming Ambience
Curate a little ambience in your mental health refuge, so that you feel calm, safe, and able to think. As we mentioned, some meditation music can work wonders if played at a nice volume. You may also find potential in lighting a few candles around the room to give it a comforting sense of presence, and perhaps an activity you can focus on, like reading a book, pruning a bonsai tree or curating a portable zen garden can be very calming. This way, you can think and restore yourself as necessary. Calming ambience can also come from being in nature. Caring for your lawn with sprinkler repair and regular mowing can make this green space a place to retire to in the calming summer sun, should you need it.

Self-Expression
A good means of feeling comforted is to engage in self-expression as necessary. This helps you focus on getting your thoughts out there, not necessarily by journaling or creative writing (this can be a great form of expression though, of course), but also by painting, or drawing, or even something as raw and connected as dancing and singing in your own space, totally alone and comforted. Little efforts like that can make a tremendous difference in helping you get negative energy out, and feel a sense of calm you may not have had prior.

With this advice, we hope you can craft your own mental health refuge for the better.