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The pressures of modern life and stressful routines put a constant load on our energies and have our attention being pulled in different directions all the time. We expect to come home to peace and quiet but often only trade one kind of madness for the other. At work it’s the office computer we spend all the time with, at home it’s our laptop. If not that, it’s the TV or the mobile phone. We find it near impossible to wean ourselves off the things that only eat away at our minds and before we realize another day, month, or year is gone, but the rut continues.
Disheartening though this state of affairs maybe, there is a simple way to break this cycle and get one’s mind focused and creative again. If inspiration does not come to you naturally, how about actively designing a personal space that rejuvenates, refreshes, and inspires you?
To begin with, you would need to define your personal space. This cannot be your entire house but it could be your bedroom, that empty room in the house no one goes to, that small room you use as storage. It could even be your shed. It would, however, be a good idea for this personal space not to be something you live in daily as then you might get too used (read indifferent) to it.
Decide what purpose your personal space would serve for you. Some need such a space to just connect with themselves, some to meditate, to exercise, to do yoga, to create music, to paint, to read, to write, to dance, or to sing. You need to be very clear in your mind about why you are creating this space and then zealously guard it against the noise and stress that may typify your life in general.
Here are a few ways of setting up your personal space to support and replenish you:
Start with an interesting decor
Fill the space with colorful and interesting furniture. This could be your favorite chair, desk, or rug. In case you don’t have any furniture to spare you can purchase new items. There are plenty of zany designs available in the market: book stands resembling an autumn tree, C-shaped chairs, serpentine couches, magenta rugs, etc. If you are on a budget you can search online for old, recycled, or discounted furniture. Further, decorate the room with your favorite items. This could be anything, a laughing Buddha (if you’re the Zen type), a WWII artifact or tome (if you’re a World War enthusiast), your favorite books (if you’re a reader), your stack of old fashion magazines (if you are a fashionista), a music player (if you’re a dancer). This space is your oyster.
Paint your walls with inspiring designs
Your walls may resemble an abstract painting, the claustrophobic imagination of a cubist, or just a riot of colors. They could even sport a mickey mouse motif! Inspiring is that which inspires you. You may even choose the color scheme of the walls depending on your personality. For instance, if you are the type that is easily agitated, you may want to choose colors that calm you down. Conversely, if you are overflowing with yin and find it hard to motivate yourself, you may want your space to infuse a bit of yang into your mind. Choose bold colors or themes, or anything that fires you up.
Keep the room well-ventilated
A window is a beautiful thing, even better if it looks into a garden. But not all of us have access to beautiful views that are the shortest cut to inspiration. Doesn’t matter, just make sure you have a window to allow fresh air into the room or things can start feeling dank very fast, particularly if the room is not used often. Decorate it with curtains or window blinds. Even though curtains have a romantic feel to them, especially on breezy summer days, blinds are a better idea as they can stand all types of weather and turn out to be a cheaper option in the long run. You can also have custom fit blind products to suit your specific needs.
Invest in furniture that you can fold and mold
Chairs and desks that you can fold up easily are an excellent way to make instant space in your room. However, furniture that you cannot just fold but also mold into different shapes is that much more exciting if you are the type that gets bored of existing patterns easily. This will allow you to refurbish your space without moving furniture or discarding the old and/or buying any new items. Interior designers have let their imaginations run amok with the concept of furniture that folds as per your wishes (sic). These items could be made of natural rubber, cardboard, and a variety of malleable material in interesting designs.
Discard the useless stuff
Only allow into this space items that are relevant to your purpose and if you cannot clear everything else out then cover it up or put it away in cold storage. Again, there are very interesting storage box designs in the market but if they don’t take your fancy you may create one of your own. There is absolutely no need for pretense here; the lesser unrelated stuff you have around you the easier you will find it to center yourself.
