Ok, so we are all limited on our travel and where we can go right now, but you can still find your happy spaces. I live in Michigan, so the weather is still yoyoing back and forth between cold (yes even in May!) and warm. I am yearning for the constant warm breeze that swirls around me when I open the door each morning and I walk out and feel the sun hit my face…ah yes! Since I am unable to be anywhere tropical right now, I started getting a few things out on my porch, so I can get into the warm weather mindset when we have those balmy summer days. Once summer finally arrives, I will take my Chai Latte and my dog Asia out on the porch every morning before work, and we just sit in silence listening to birds and nature. This has really helped me with calm and clarity before my day officially begins. Also, it is amazing some of the things you notice and hear when just sitting in silence for 15-20 minutes. We do not do this enough!
My summer porch checklist:
- Comfy seating, and side table for my special items √
- Music √ (maybe headphones to block out lawnmowers)
- Book √
- Dog √ Dog Toy√ Dog Treat √ Dog water bowl √
- My Snack √
- Drink √
- Colorful potted and hanging flowers √
- Candles for ambiance and to keep bugs away √
Inside, I make sure to open the curtains wide each day to let in natural light and make it bright. If you have furniture in front of windows, think about possibly moving things around so you are not blocking this natural light. Making a comfortable space for yourself or giving a room a good switcheroo can do wonders! I am always moving things around and re-purposing decorative items just to freshen things up. It gives you a new perspective and you do not have buy new stuff!
If you don’t have a porch or deck, set up a cute table with a comfy chair, plants and some favorite things with a window view. I had a ground-level view of my apartment building parking lot in college. I painted a cool nature scene border on the window and put live plants on the sill and it really made a huge difference in how I felt sitting in my living room. Prior to that, people would walk by and stare at me sitting in my long folded out lawn chair, boxes tipped over for side tables, and me eating my dinner on a make-shift TV tray watching my 13” black and white (no remote) TV with a rabbit ear antennae. The good ole’ days for sure!
Find a place to carve out your little slice of “HAPPY” and claim it for your own! Make it a practice to go there to gain peace and clarity. Self-care is so important for a health and sanity. Work on keeping the positive energy going during the difficult times by finding the small moments that count in your life.