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After sponsoring StapletOM Yoga & Music Festival, I wanted to find a way for our real estate and property management company to relate with the StapletOM audience in a different manner than that which is stereotypical in our industry. True, people loved our complimentary yoga towels, but being able to contribute a sense of peace that could benefit us all (not just those in the market for a home) is important. The crazy, fast paced momentum does not just pertain to that of the real estate market, but explains many of our lives as well. With that being said, it would behoove us all to adopt that fabulous ZEN energy that we all felt at StapletOM.
There are many areas that we can ZEN our life besides the space on our yoga mat or our breathe when meditating. What about our work space, parenting technique, relationships, the way we cook and eat and last, but not least, our hOMe?
A ZEN home is one that:
- Promotes relaxation
- Offers mindful space
In turn, your home will be:
- Easier to clean
- More aesthetically pleasing
- More environmentally friendly
- More organized
How does your hOMe reach ZEN status?
Think of relaxing on the beach, hiking through the forest, climbing a mountain or taking a drive through the plains. Take your favorite elements of these grounding places and incorporate them into your home.
If you have lived in your house for a while, it may be easier to take on one room at a time. If you are moving into or building a new home, keep all of these items in mind when creating your new space.
- Minimize and eliminate. If it is not a necessity, it is a luxury. Keep only a few luxuries in your hOMe and make sure that everything has a purpose. This will help you keep some of your non essential goods and turn them into necessities within your decor.
- To maximize the minimalist look, make sure that everything has a place and store as much as you can neatly out of sight.
- This will not always happen overnight! Try to scour your home once a month and donate everything that you do not feel is necessary. This is a great technique if you have difficulty letting go all at once. Plus, the simplicity factor is contagious and it is amazing how you become more minimalist over time once you initiate the process
- Bring the outside in. Choose colors of the elements such as blue, earth tones, orange and yellow. Most of your colors should be subdued and then add a splash of brighter tones within these same color shades for accents to promote calmness, relaxation and a hint of excitement. Another great technique to add a splash of color is to liven up your space with plants. These can also help improve your indoor air quality.
- Clean air, ZEN space. To maximize air quality (besides adding a HEPA filter on your furnace, which is also a great tool), use as many natural materials in your hOMe as possible. Wood floors, wool rugs, linen curtains, etc. Organic materials have a natural grounding effect!
- Aesthetically clutter-free. Clean surfaces (floors, tables, and counter) spaces can be a difficult practice, but has a genuine effect on stress levels. This goes back to the first tip of minimizing and eliminating, but it also stresses the importance of everything having a place (that is not on the floor, table or counters).
- A great example of this is creating a pleasant entry space. Many minimalists (and clean freaks alike), will take off there shoes off at the front door. This is great, but then you have a clutter fest of shoes (no matter how neatly you line them up on your shoe mat). What about a shoe cabinet? Even a shoe rack for a family of four can organize your shoes, get them off the floor and make your home’s entrance less cluttered, therefore less visually chaotic.
- Make space for YOU. Ensure that you have space that makes you elated. After all, your happiness is what this is all about.
- Do you like reading? Have a place that is comfy and calm with great natural light for this favorite past time. Maybe this can be outside on a porch swing or by a water feature?
- What about meditation? Can you set aside a space for a pillow and a simple alter that will allow you to decompress without too much effort?
- Are you a gardener? Even if it is something mobile like gardening, you can make sure that all your tools are neatly organized and readily available when the urge or need arises to do some weeding.
Do you feel less stressed yet? If you feel overwhelmed after you realize all that it takes to make your hOMe more peaceful, don’t let this turn into a burden, but instead a new adventure. With a little contemplation and orderly tasking, you too can live more ZEN like a true yogi.
Brought to you by Sondra Lockett-Cameron, Marketing Coordinator for TJC Real Estate and Management Services.
TJC Real Estate & Management Services • 303.324.6988 • info@tjcrealestate.com
Your Neighborhood Realtors® Since 2005
© 2016
*Thanks to Bruce Winhold, one of our home owners, for letting us photograph his ZEN home as well as the below resources for their infinite wisdom and insight.*
http://freshome.com/2012/12/31/how-to-make-your-home-totally-zen-in-10-steps/
http://zenhabits.net/a-guide-to-creating-a-minimalist-home/
http://www.houzz.com.au/ideabooks/49967986/list/11-simple-tricks-to-make-your-house-feel-more-zen
http://zenhabits.net/on-minimalism/
