Learning How to Create :

A Healthy & Restful Living Space

Both A Home & Haven:

How to Establish a Prayerful &
Restful Living Space

Establishing a restful living space can help with the stress and strains of everyday living. If not careful, the stress can take a cumulative toll on the mind and body. Whether it's getting the kids ready for school or taking the daily commute to work, along with dealing with the demands of a job that's more about pressure than rewards, it can easily create an unhealthy obsession with problems, therefore leaving little time, for contemplating the things that really matter in life.

Faith and family keep us going, but we often lose sight of them, and all that's important. That's why it's necessary to create a stress-free environment at home, a restful living space just for meditation and prayer.

Preparing a peaceful space :

Have you thought about praying more? In my opinion, there’s nothing better than relaxing one’s mind. If you’re open to it, start by finding a quiet and secluded place from within your home where you would be comfortable meditating. Try improving the atmosphere from within the room by lighting scented candles or decorating it with green plants and flowers. May I also suggest playing some soft Christian meditation music in the background? If you’re uncomfortable with doing that, perhaps you could have your favorite audio bible playing softly nearby. Now, I know none of this is necessary when it comes to spending some private time with God. Understand, these are helpful suggestions that could make getting into a prayerful mood a little bit easier.

Sleep environments :

Did you know that maintaining a healthy perspective every day is much easier if you and those around you are well-rested? If you assess everyone's sleep environment, you'll likely find several improvements that could help you have a better sleep experience. I suggest a few things when it comes to creating a better sleep environment.

First, the room should be completely dark, with no light from outside or from a TV or computer screen. Doing this will help prevent one from having proper sleep. I suggest having the temperature of the room around 72 degrees or lower. Doing this will help to keep your body temperature down, which also aids in helping you to have proper sleep. Try using some steady, calming background sounds from a white noise smartphone app to make the room more relaxing. A fan left on low could also help.

Getting proper sleep :

Proper sleep is essential; it affords you so many benefits. For starters, it helps you to concentrate better during the day, improving your cognitive function. Proper sleep also helps boost your immune system, allowing your body to better ward off sickness and keep it healthy and strong. Hopefully, you can now see how beneficial it is to take the time to set up a genuinely restful space.

Also, don't overlook your mattress; it's one of the most important features of any sleep environment. It's best to replace your mattresses every seven to 10 years if you want to have the best quality sleep for your entire family. Over the years, the mattresses' core material starts to decline in quality, especially when you fail to rotate it. As a result, the wear and tear on a mattress might cause you to wake up with aches and pains, therefore feeling unrested in the purest sense.

Indoor air :

Did you know that healthy breathing is essential for creating a stress-free home? Did you also know that being able to experience this type of breathing depends, to a large degree, on being able to assess your indoor air quality and maintaining your heating and cooling system with simple routine maintenance? This is why replacing or cleaning out air filters regularly is essential to keep your HVAC performing correctly. Also, by doing this, you'll benefit greatly by being able to maintain a healthy respiratory system. It's essential to keep track of this, as the older an air filter is, the less bacteria and dirt it removes from the air, leading to poorer indoor air quality and higher energy costs.

Declutter :

And finally, did you know it's easier to relax and de-stress in an orderly home? This is why it helps to take the time to get rid of all the loose objects and papers that so quickly clutter your living space. Start by going room to room, organizing everything, based on whether it's to be thrown out, organized, or donated to charity.

Sometimes, praying for guidance and giving thanks for what we have can be tremendously empowering and reassuring. Your home should be a sanctuary where you can rest properly and find the peace you need to joyfully manage the trials and tribulations of a very long week.

Jennifer McGregor