CURATING REST

The opposite of stress is rest, meaning quiescence, relaxation or sleep.

Our home needs to be the place where we can truly rest. Yet the home cannot rest for you, it just either encourages it or makes it more difficult to choose.

So lets work with the concept of creating a home that is restful. What are some choices that we can make to create a home that curates rest.

QUIET

In Esther M. Sternberg, M.D's novel 'Healing Spaces' she writes about how when we have silence we are actually listening to the small sounds around us that are normally drowned out, such as leaves rustling, birds singing, crickets chirping and therefore comes an awareness of our environment, connecting us to our surroundings and seasons.

Surrounding our home in gardens drowns out street noise, encourages birds and insects to visit, creates a view from certain areas of the home that we can use to take time to turn down the volume of those voices and reminders in our mind and listen to the sounds all around, easing our minds and putting us into a state of connection and presence.

SLEEP

In Barbara O'Neil's book 'Sustain Me - A handbook of natural remedies' it is written that in those late night moments that our faces are illuminated in the dark by having one last scroll on our phones for the day, it is like having 'electrical caffeine right before you go to sleep', interrupting your sleep cycle and signalling your brain to wake up when its actually tired and ready to sleep.

We can avoid this new age habit by picking up a physical book and reading under a bedside lamp. I personally like a bedside table that has some storage to keep the top clear.

Breaking up with late night scrolling probably sounds about as fun as giving up coffee but after a good night sleep you will feel the difference straight away.

Speaking from both research and personal experience.

LIGHT

Low light in the evening is like a gentle hug. I'm a huge fan of considering low light in the evenings so that you can perform simple tasks without shocking your eyesight into day light level brightness. I'm a very big fan of a low light in the bathroom for evening baths or showers.

As per the paragraph above, bright lights disrupt the circadian rhythm, so low light in the evenings winds your body down, allows you to make an evening warm drink or use the bathroom, whilst informing your body that it yes it is time to rest.

SOFTNESS Soft textures create a sense of calm and warmth which sooth the nervous system and help it wind down.

They also provide sound absorption quieting echoes, create a nest like feel and therefore a sense of safety too, also attributing to a calmed nervous system and encouragement for rest.

PALETTE Colour and contrast play a big role in how a space feels.

Contrast stimulates the eye and awakens the senses, so a low contrast and calming colour palette helps create a more soothing environment.

If you like some contrast, try softening it by introducing mid tones and using the contrast as 10% of the colour palette rather than 50/50 or more. This will create an overall more peaceful environment without looking and feeling too placid as well.

Personal taste plays a big role with colour and contrast too so it's important to be aware of these effects and work with your own sense of what feels right.

Hopefully at this point you are feeling a little calm yourself.

As any athlete knows, rest is just as important as work, the recovery is required in order to integrate the work and be ready for the next round, faster, stronger, balanced.

May you cultivate rest in your home, to reap the benefits of our own natural design.

Have a fabulous day designing your life x

Lauren Shiels - The Healing Spaces Project.