Time to Relax in Your Zen Den
When I hear the word zen, it makes me think of something peaceful and serene. So, a Zen Den would be a peaceful place in your home. Do you have a space in your house where to you can go to escape? A place where you can go when you need to feel peace in your life. Or do you want your whole house to be a zen space.
Michelle talks about how to create a zen home and I talk about how to create a zen space. I've included a picture of Michelle's house. I just adore her home...it screams zen den!!
Your Zen Space by Mama with a Mocktail
Marie Condo says if it doesn’t spark joy, release it. I say if it brings me anxiety then it’s time to clean up. I feel that I am always cleaning the house. Wether it’s cleaning the kitchen counter tops, vacuuming up the dirt from the day, or going through a massive dump of accumulated stuff, most days you find me cleaning. When I have a clean house, I feel more at peace. I feel that with it more organized I am more calm. When I sit on the couch to relax, I don’t want to see the clutter and mess. I hide those things in my closet where I only see them for a few minutes a day. I can hide somethings behind closed doors.
My bedroom is the place that I like to keep the most organized and simple. I don’t bring in a lot of clutter. I have a few accessories that are important and have meaning to me. Some pictures are on the dresser and a few plants. In the corner of my room is an antique chaise lounge from my grandma. I always admired it in her bedroom, which was also a zen space. The rest of her house was decorated in the style that my grandpa liked. But, my grandma’s room was her space. It was neatly organized, dotted with a few treasures from her past, some family photos, and her comfortable teal chair. When she passed away it was a piece of furniture that I had wanted to keep. The chair sits in my room and most of the time it doesn’t become the catch all for clothes, socks, or dirty laundry.
I used to spend time in that chair reading and writing. It was my space that I could escape to when I needed a mom moment away. Next to the chair sits a vintage plant stand that I picked up at one of our local thrift stores. It has a metal top so it’s perfect for me placing my mocktail on when I’m relaxing with a drink. I also like to feel warm and cozy when I’m peacefully relaxing. I picked up these really soft blankets last year at Costco. The pillow adds an extra softness to cuddle up with.
Here's a picture of my Zen space. I'm reading In Paris With You ( a dollar store find) and drinking our favorite non-alcoholic Cinnamon Whiskey.
When I’m in my Zen Den in my bedroom I also like to shut the door and light a candle.
As a side note, the bath tub also acts as a Zen Den if you aren’t ready to set aside a place in your house. I’m a googler and when I googled benefits of water in a bath I was surprised to see there are scientifically proven benefits to taking a bath. I’m such a bath gal and had no idea it was good for my health!
Here’s the 10 health benefits of taking a bath from Pentucket Medical.
Taking a bath can:
- Help you breathe easier
- Improve your heart health
- Help your brain and nervous system
- Benefit your muscles, joints, and bones
- Improve your immunity
- Balance your hormones
- Moisturize your skin
- Balance your core body temperature
The most interesting thing I read was how submerging yourself in water can calm your nervous system, reduce levels stress and anxiety, and improve your mood.
If you aren’t too sure where the best spot is for your zen den, then the answer is the bath tub! Grab a bar of your favorite soap, turn on some relaxing music, light a candle and get cozy with rubber ducky!
Zen Den by Michelle
We all want a serene, peaceful, Zen-like home. Regardless of how colorful and chaotic your life may be, most of us appreciate a calm and soothing home environment. The problem is, well life, it comes at you hard and if you have kids even more so. Suddenly you don’t have the time or energy to deal with any of it. But this is the time to dig deep and double down on your resolve. The only way to make your home more peaceful and restful is to incorporate good habits now which will pay off down the road in making make your home more restful and functional. I’ve comprised a list of tasks that I try to incorporate to ensure our home is the sanctuary we deserve.
Organize your home: Visual clutter is a real thing, so even if you are organized, if you have a lot of stuff, you will get overwhelmed with your surroundings. Pare things down, there is very little that you actually need to be happy. In fact, studies show that the less stuff we have the better we feel.
- Clear out paper, go thru files and discard items you no longer need, remember to keep tax returns for at least 7 years. Shred papers before disposing.
- To help with the point above, deal with your mail daily. As soon as it comes in, take 30 seconds to go thru what’s there. Shred and dispose junk mail. Separate bills, file the summary and keep the invoice and envelope near your check book. We do automatic bill pay for almost of our bills, but there are a few we still write checks for.
- De-clutter closets and cabinets. Arrange a drop off at your local goodwill and donate whatever you’re not using but is in good condition.
- Get more plants, not only are they beautiful, but they also clean the air.
- Use furniture that does double duty. Get a sideboard with storage, use baskets and storage ottomans to hide items you don’t use regularly. Under bed storage is plentiful and often underutilized. Hang small items and accessories in shoe organizers behind your closet door.
- Don’t have too many junk drawers. We have two in very different areas with very different items. The first is in the kitchen and has hammers, screwdrivers, nails, tape, etc. The second is in the foyer. It has nail clippers, shoelaces, hand sanitizer, face masks, extra keys, etc.
- Make sure everything has a place. To truly be organized everything needs a place to live and should be returned to that place so that others know where to find them.
Organize your home work space: Many of us are still working from home, my job is offering full-time remote work, but I’ve opted for a hybrid model, going in two days a week. I find it is necessary to be organized and somewhat disciplined to do work from home life successfully. Create a dedicated workspace. Try and get an adjustable desk so that you can stand as well, this also allows you to use any type of chair as your desk can adjust to your chair instead of the other way around. Get up in time to make yourself presentable. I make sure that I am always ready for an out-of-the blue zoom call should that occur. Make sure to be on time for calls and tele conferences. Virtual meetings tend to start right on time, logging in a minute or two prior is helpful. And finally set up a zoom wall. Mine has a piece of art, a lamp, and a plant.