How to Nurture Yourself
When we nurture children, we help them develop and grow into productive, secure human beings. As an adult, you are now in charge of taking care of yourself. How are you encouraging your own personal growth and feelings of security?
You have a lot more control over your own world now than you did as a child. You can choose different ways to nurture yourself. One effective way is to create special spaces which turns a one-size-fits-all house into a unique and comfortable home.
Special Spaces Defined
These spaces are places that bring you pure joy and allow you to practice your talents and pursue your hobbies. Some spaces might make you feel incredibly relaxed while others energize you and nurture your dreams.
Regardless of who you are, what interests you have, or the type of work you do, you deserve to create personal places throughout your home.
How to Design and Create Special Spaces
Getting started. In order to create your space, first make a list of all the things you enjoy doing, or are interested in. Knowing what makes your heart sing will help you determine how to build special places in your home that reflect those interests.
Remind yourself of favorite activities. For readers, try a small collection of magazines or books stacked by your bedside. They’ll be ready and waiting for you to browse through upon retiring for the evening.
Maybe the beautiful silk scarf you bought on your last trip would bring you joy, draped over your bed’s headboard. Or if you sew, hanging up pictures of new styles could help keep you excited to continue working on your projects.
Whatever brings feelings of comfort, contentment and inspiration can be strategically placed throughout your home to create nurturing spaces.
Creating Special Spaces Room by Room
Think about how you can create environments you love in every room. Below are some ways to construct special areas that may bring you comfort while relaxing or stimulate creativity while you’re creating or producing.
Living Room
If you love to play the piano or another musical instrument, set up a section of the room to enjoy practicing and performing. A piano or electric organ can be a nice focal point for the room. If you love to collect comic books, stamps, coins or anything else, be sure to dedicate a cozy chair, shelves and a table dedicated to your collection.
Family Room
Depending on how you use your family room, possibilities for nurturing areas are endless. For avid readers, maybe that sunny corner of the room is a great place for a comfy chair and a stack of books you want to read on a side table.
Those interested in drawing or other artwork might use a well-lit area of the room to practice their art. Use an inexpensive pegboard as an ideal small-space solution for storing supplies and displaying recent projects.
Kitchen
If you love to cook, you might like a shelf or bookcase with your favorite cookbooks and recipe files. Consider placing an unobtrusive chair nearby to sit and browse recipes at your leisure. Each time you enter, you’ll see this nurturing space and feel drawn to coming up with new recipes to try for dinner.
Bedroom
For people who seek comfort in the bedroom, consider having plenty of cushy pillows. Place cherished photos, knick-knacks or decorations on the bedside table. Surrounding yourself with possessions you love helps to create a calm and spaces.
Bathroom
A large glass decanter filled with an assortment of seashells may call to mind your last adventure at the beach. Or use a table lamp that you bought at the flea market on a recent shopping spree. Take advantage of relaxing aromatherapy with scented candles or potpourri and let luxurious bath oils, bubbles, or salts pamper and nurture you with every bath.
It pays off to take some time and create places in your home where you can unwind or dedicate yourself to your favorite pastimes. When you create special spaces in your home, your life becomes richer as you experience the joy of growth and self-discovery.