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We recently had the pleasure of collaborating with our friends over at Redfin on Expert Tips to Inspire Mindfulness at Home. Whether you’re wanting to do a big renovation or are on a shoestring budget, creating a dedicated mindfulness space or even a mindful corner in your home may be simpler than you think.
Link to: https://www.redfin.com/blog/mindfulness-at-home/
From the moment we wake up, we’re surrounded by distractions. More and more our lifestyles are constantly in flux, often leaving us feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or burned-out. While we could go on and on about all the benefits of mindfulness, scientific studies show us remarkable structural changes in the amygdala which is one of the main parts of the brain responsible for the body's reaction to stress. So creating a mindful home or mindful space that provides you with some sense of peace, security, and comfort may give you a refuge to recover from the stresses of your day.
Mindfulness is the active noticing of what is happening inside and outside of your body, right now, often with an attitude of kindness and curiosity. Mindfulness can cultivate self regulation and help you notice your thoughts, senses, impulses, and emotions without judging yourself for feeling that way. You can be mindful of thoughts, feelings, sensory data, physical sensations, desires, movements, actions, patterns, external surroundings, and more.
Mindfulness isn’t about stopping thoughts or completely quieting the mind, and in fact, it’s our Default Mode Network that’s responsible for how much our mind wanders. While creating a space for mindfulness can help reduce mind wandering, especially unwanted, intrusive, or negative mind wandering, don’t be surprised if you find your mind still wandering. It’s extremely common even for the most long-term mindfulness practice practitioners. Here’s a few tips to help you create a mindful space of your own.
When designing a mindful space, you might think about this space with all of your senses.
Mindfulness can look different for everyone which means you don't have to be sitting still or have your eyes closed to practice it. So using your senses and learning what works best for you, helps anchor you in the present moment. Some examples of sensory objects that may help anchor you in the present moment while you’re in your space are: