5 ways to create CALM in your HOME SPACE
In this post we’ll chat thru…
① FL home PROGRESS + UNPACKING update.
② ENVIRONMENTAL SELF CARE + why it matters
③ 5 of my FAVE WAYS to create more CALM in my home
LET’S DIVE IN. 🖤
We’re in UNPACK mode in the new Florida house over here and lately I feel like that’s all I’m sharing on my social media. Honestly…I love sharing all the things design + DIY. And as we transition into this new space, I love taking ya’ll on the journey with me. Shameless plug to come hang with me on Insta (@inspirebeautybritt) bc that’s where I spend a ton of my time…esp in stories. You’ll see all the DIY’s we’re doing and design tweaks we’re making as we set up this home…if that’s your thing I think you’ll love it.
But I’ve been thinking a lot the last few months about ENVIRONMENTAL SELF CARE and just how much moving and unpacking is allowing me a fresh chance to really look at my spaces and how they’re serving me.
I love for my home (+ work space) to feel CALM. Like a retreat from the world, ya know? And since it’s so fresh on my mind in this season of all things unpacking + setting up our new space, I thought it would be fun to take ya’ll on the journey of how I make that CALM VIBE happen in my home thru simple design choices.
LETS TALK ENVIRONMENTAL SELF CARE…
Before we dive into all the ways I like to set up my home to create that CALM VIBE, though, let’s first talk environmental self-care and what it means. If you’ve never thought of your environment as a piece of your self care than I’m SO PUMPED for this conversation today bc it was one that really changed everything for me.
Back when I was a teacher in Miami I really started to notice how my work space affected not only ME but my students. I was a gifted teacher and the students I serviced would leave their regular classroom to come to mine and get a slightly different curriculum to suit their faster paced learning needs. My students LOVED my room. And this isn’t to downgrade the other teachers…but I noticed that my classroom was just…INVITING.
I had rugs on the floor that made reading more enjoyable.
I had plug ins in the wall so there was always a fresh scent.
I had themes each year I’d design the classroom around that my students looked forward to.
There were plants and classroom pets.
And the set up was conducive to proper movement and learning throughout the room.
Nothing felt stiff or cold.
And not every teacher in my school set their rooms up like that. In fact, because it came out of our own pockets most did NOT set up their rooms beyond the bare minimum effort. It got to a point where staff meetings would be held in my room bc the faculty ALSO loved being in the space. And what got me to that point was realizing that I was spending A LOT OF WAKING HOURS in that room. I wanted it to feel like HOME. For me. For my students. This was my first brush with how KEY environment is to our overall well being. I saw how much BETTER my students functioned (and myself) in that space vs in others and so I always pushed to make sure my room was a space that fostered that.
Environmental self-care simply means designing your space to work for you. This could be your work space, home space, car space…any space you spend your precious living hours in. It should be a space that works FOR you.
Your environment should motivate you rather than overwhelm you and stress you out. And environmental self-care allows you to check in on your spaces and make tweaks to your environment so that you can thrive.
Have you considered how your environment is leaving you? Is your work space motivating you? Are you inspired to sit down and do what you do? Or do all the papers and sticky notes and leftover coffee cups leave you feeling a little stressed? What about when you walk in the door? Is your home inviting? Does it have the kind of energy you need when you return home? For me I like home to feel like a hug. Safe. Comforting. Warm. Inviting. Bright and airy.
Today’s blog is your gentle reminder that your spaces need to excite and stimulate you rather than depress you.
We could dig into so many different areas when it comes to environmental self care, but in the spirit of all things unpacking and setting up our home here in Florida, let’s dive into 5 my FAVE ways I create CALM in my HOME SPACE.
5 WAYS I CREATE CALM IN MY HOME SPACE…
① GET INSPIRED.
First things first. I have a really hard time just THINKING up things when it comes to a full on design of my space. Honestly…I’m more often than not INSPIRED by someone else’s beautiful spaces and that opens up the freedom and juices for me to create my own. If you’re like me and you need a little inspo to get your wheels turning, don’t be afraid to create a Pinterest board or an album on Instagram. Save anything and everything that INSPIRES YOU and then start to hone in on the trends you are seeing.
What colors do you tend to gravitate towards?
What themes keep recurring?
Any certain style (even if you don’t know what to call it) that keeps coming up?
Use those repeated LIKES to get you started.
② FRESHEN UP THE SPACE.
First things first…you’ve gotta DECLUTTER. And I get it. This might be the most UNFUN part…but honestly guys…it was SO CATHARTIC to de-clutter and get rid of excess stuff while we were packing up our Texas home. Starting here is the HARDEST part so get a fun playlist and some caffeine flowing and dig in.
When we were packing up I started closet by closet and had three piles. Keep. Toss. Donate/garage sale. It’s WILD how much I was able to get rid of and it just FELT good, ya know?
And now that we’re unpacking I’m in round two of this. Asking if I really NEED something or if it’s simply taking up precious space in our home and in my life.
Take this room by room. What space are you wanting to create more CALM in? Where do you need an environmental self care UPGRADE? Start there and make it manageable so you don’t feel overwhelmed at the bigger picture.
Another piece of freshening up your space includes CLEANING. I personally love cleaning. It’s therapuetic for me. But if it’s not your jam and you have the means to outsource…call in for some help and see if you can get a service to come and take care of this part.
One thing that helps me, again, make this MANAGEABLE is to keep my home in a constant state of clean. Meaning…dishes are loaded into the dishwasher nightly. Dog toys and living spaces are tidied up before bed. And counters are generally wiped down and cleaned, too. Then bigger things (like floors, bathrooms, etc) aren’t so bad because I’m not having to clean up a mess before I clean up the mess. Take 15 min each day and find something you can do to tidy up your space.
③ GIVE EVERYTHING A HOME.
On that note…let’s talk about my fave phrase that helps me keep the home tidy. I live by this and it’s how I keep my sanity from clutter.
EVERYTHING GETS A HOME. Repeat it after me, sis.
EVERYTHING. GETS. A HOME.
Meaning. The dog toys have a home. Your KIDS TOYS can also have a home base. Pens and random desk stuff have homes on my desk. The remote control and keys have a home. Shoes have a home. Lotions and face creams and makeup all have homes. Your snacks have homes.
How do I do this?
A lot of “homes” are in baskets or designated locations, drawers, cabinets, etc. Dog toys have a basket in my house, but your kids toys might need a play room. Books have a place on the shelf. Shoes have their own racks in the entrance and in the bedroom. Makeup and skin care all belong in baskets and drawers.
And ya’ll this is REAL in our home. When we first moved into the Texas home, my husband Charles had his allergy meds and vitamins out on the counter in the kitchen and it would drive me CRAZY. I get why he wanted them there…it was a helpful reminder on the way out of the door in the morning to take his vitamins. But the counter was not it for me. So I bought a cute basket and trained him to put there in there…JK…kind of. Ha! 😜 But this really is something I live by….AND something I even taught my students. Everything had a home so let’s learn to put things back where we found them. AKA…the rules of Kindergarten.
④ KEEP IT BRIGHT.
I know we’re talking about CALM, but energetically I feel like a space NEEDS good lighting, right? If it’s too dark when it’s supposed to be bright it’s really hard to bring your A GAME.
A couple of my fave hacks for this include:
curtains open, blinds pulled up on windows
bright white led bulbs in your light fixtures
the use of lots of WHITE + NEUTRALS to blanket your space
adding in plants + greenery where you can
fresh paint where possible
⑤ MAKE IT COZY.
Candles lit. Blankets easy to grab. Comfy pillows + seating. Bath bombs ready. A good office chair worthy of sitting in for long periods. A calming playlist when you need it most. The space needs to feel COZY in order for it to feel calm. There’s nothing worse than not being able to get cozy in your space when you need to de stress.
So there you have it…five of my FAVE ways to add a little CALM into your space. And knowing that so many of you are gearing up for back to school, routines shifting with kiddos, and then pretty soon all things holidays…I know it can make stress build up and up and up. I want to help guide you all month thru strategies that WORK for me when it comes to all things overwhelm, stress, and burn out. If you’ve been VIBING with this content then I have a treat for you.
This FALL in THE SISTERHOOD MEMBERSHIP is all about BURNOUT.
It’s gonna be SO GOOD, ya’ll. I’ll be giving you tips, tools, and tangible strategies to recognize where burnout and stress might be building up in your life and then take ACTION towards removing + recovering from that build up.
Enrollment isn’t quite open yet…that’'ll happen in a few weeks on Sept 1st but I want you to be PREPPED + READY when it opens.
Quick recap if you’re newer around here…
The Self Care Sisterhood is a virtual self care community for hard working women who also want to include THEMSELVES on their to do list. The sisterhood’s mission is to provide tools, resources, and community that equip and empower you to take care of YOURSELF (mind, body, + spirit), so you can go out into the world and LOVE + SERVE from the overflow. Each season there is a topic centered on various themes surrounding ALL THINGS self care…and this fall it’s ALL ABOUT GOING BEYOND BURNOUT.
If today’s post spoke to you and you’re ready to…
▫️stop living overwhelmed, stressed, and on the brink of burn out…
▫️implement healthy ways to cope with the daily (inevitable) stress in your life…
▫️gain clarity + focus + intention on what truly matters MOST to you in this season…
▫️and do it all surrounded by a group of women who GET YOU + are on JOURNEY WITH YOU…
Then tap below to get on the WAITLIST so you’re first to know when we open up registration.
I can’t WAIT to welcome you in. 🤍
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