When you arrive home, sit down for a few minutes before turning your attention to your at home routine (all this goes equally for men and women!) Realize that outside of your immediate circle and your immediate community there is no way you will influence what's happening.
Stop mentally obsessing about everything over
which you have no control. Give those thoughts away and come into the present.
Look around. Are your surroundings a comfort to you and to those with whom you live? If they are not, it may be time to make plans to transform the big messes into reasonable messes. Or, better yet, transform them into beautiful empty space.
Pick an area of your home that you feel is most like a sanctuary. For women, it might be the bedroom or the master bath. For men it could be the study or even the garage. Just decide where you feel comfortable and are able to relax. While many will say in front of the TV, this is a passive form of relaxation - not you creating the energy refreshment you need. Look for something other than the TV.
Go to your chosen space.
* For a bedroom: clear out any visible clutter. Remove books, crafts, and computers. Decide which
colors make you feel comfortable and relaxed and have them represented in the bed linens. Use essential oils or incense sticks to give the room a distinctive, but mild aroma. Create the space that helps you begin to relax the moment you enter it.
* For a study or den: take down all trophies, fishing rods, stuffed animals, art prints and collections. Then go through each of those collections and pick 1 or 2 items to display. When you're viewing those select items, the best memories will come flooding back. After a couple of months, when you're no longer moved by those objects, take them down and bring in a couple of others. You'll be surprised at what happens.
* For the bathroom: Make it clean. Make it simple. Use candles in abundance. Use essential oils and salts if such things produce relaxation. Men: relaxing in the tub by candlelight is more powerful that you might think - try it before you poo poo it. If the towels are grungy, change them. Be sure the colors of the towels please you when you look at them.
* For a craft room/garage/workshop: You may not
get a lot of enjoyment if it's crowded with unfinished or never started projects. There may also be too many tools, yarn, paints, etc. Give some energy to clearing away all but the essentials for the project you are working on right now. When that's finished, you can bring out what's needed for the next project.
* Take time for You
Too many of us forget to treat ourselves as well as we like to treat others. [You may notice this seems to put the Golden Rule on it's head, but it's true!] The endless to do lists, the demands on our time often lead us to pay attention to others before we take care of ourselves.I never understood my bouts of anger at myself until I came to realize I gave all of me away to others with no consideration for my needs. Of course I was angry! Avoid this trap not by being totally self-centered, but by taking care of your needs and then taking care of other's needs/wants/demands.
Try as many of these as you're willing, and then pay attention to the difference it makes in your life and to those around - you you're in for a pleasant surprise.
