Have you ever stopped to consider the level of stress in your home? Do you generally come home to a peaceful embrace or an overwhelming sense of chaos? Imagine arriving home to find a stress meter installed at your front door. On a scale of 1-10 what number would you see? Most importantly what number would you LIKE to see?
Sometimes we are not even aware of the invisible stressors in our homes. Unkind words, unresolved tensions, horrific news stories, shocking images in the media are all fairly obvious ones. There are also subtle stressors that you might not even consider. For example I used to love to have music playing in my home – all the time. I played a wide range of music but it was mostly positive, upbeat and inspiring music. It took me along time to realize that having music playing ALL the time was actually a stress as my brain was constantly having to register and process it – I hear music, yes it is nice. Simply ensuring that I had a good balance of quiet time with no music became an enjoyable part of my self care protocol and something I now consciously do if I’m ever feeling stressed or unwell.
One of the easiest ways to get started with reducing the stress within your home is to designate at least one area as a stress free ‘sanctuary zone’. It doesn’t have to be very big, it doesn’t have to cost you anything, it doesn’t even have to be obvious to others. The most important thing is your intention to create a stress free space, that you care for it and most importantly that you actually spend at least some time there everyday!
Stress is a natural and normal part of life. More and more studies are showing it is not the ‘absolute enemy’ it was once thought to be and it can actually play an important role in a healthy life.
However, we all deserve a stress free atmosphere in our own home. Keep an eye on the ‘stress monitor’ at your front door, it will let you know when you need to make some changes.
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