When you are stressed the first thing to go is your creativity, stress and fatigue sap our creative urges and discourage us from making our lives more beautiful and lovely.
For example, I’m writing on a late Friday afternoon devoid of most of my usual vim and design vigor when my husband texts and asks if he can take me out tonight. Sure, except that I’m beat and bone tired and want to veg in front of the TV with some chips and a movie. Then my daughter tells me she’s attending Shakespeare in the Park tonight and suddenly it’s is if a spark is lit – what a wonderful idea!
I can sit at Bower Ponds as easily as I can sit on my couch.
Sometimes all it takes is one element to light a creative fire. You can evoke a memory or pleasant experience with just one whiff of scent or strain of a song. Usually these inspirations just happen to us and sometimes we need to go looking for them. Our home can house those spaces and experiences that our soul needs to rejuvenate.
If you come home from your day tired and emotionally drained, you might need to gather yourself in a familiar pair of jammies or an old blanket that you have had since childhood. The smell of cookies baking or popcorn popping may be the stimulus you require to gather yourself in comfort. These kinds of sensory triggers can boost your feelings of well-being and ‘home’ immediately.
The truth is, we all have memory triggers of either sight or smell or sound that we could use if we need a lift. Maybe you need to recreate some of the good memories in your own home. For me it is as easy as ordering the same Avon bubble bath that my mom ordered for years, the scent lingers long after the bath is over and it takes me back to sitting with my mom in her room after she had soaked in those fragrant bubbles. There is something about that memory that is very calming and has a way of refreshing my soul.
Some people use the potency of essential oils which is booming trend, employing the power of Lime, Myrrh and Juniper.
There are oils for almost any emotional need and it is a good practice to experiment with different scents in a relaxed setting in your home as you find the combination that works well for you. Maybe you will find the soothing aroma of Balsam Fir carries you away to camping trips or Christmases as a child when the world was carefree and fun. You might inhale the scent of Lavendar and remember a favorite aunt and the wonderful hugs she used to give.
Your home should have at least one place where you can completely unwind, some place besides in front of the TV! Even if it is a favourite chair, a mat to stretch out on or a tub to soak your cares away try to scratch out a few short moments for yourself in the midst of very hectic days. Design can be about colour and things but it is also about well-being and functionality in day-to-day life.
Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.
