Home Care: Why do you want to treat your home like a sanctuary?

Your home is more than a crash pad; it is the cocoon you need to restore, share, learn and expand.

My home was more of a crash pad than a home for the past six months. It changed accommodation just a month before getting the key to the in-life My Tiny Sanctuary Shop in Agia Marina, Aegina, Greece.

Needless to say, all my energy and attention have been focused on decorating the shop, experiencing my first tourist season as a shop owner and using the little time I had left to sleep. As a result, my home still lacks soul. 

Maybe you just moved and feel the same way; perhaps you are so busy with work or kids that you don't have the energy to take care of your home, or maybe your home doesn't feel like home yet. If that is your case, I won't judge you; I've been there many times.

Yet, I noticed that if I was not practising home care, taking the time to connect with my home by adding some decorations or bringing a bit of my spirit into it, I was not restoring it properly. I would sleep for sure, but it was not good quality sleep.

Treating your home like a sanctuary means creating a space where you feel safe to be, learn, express, and love.

Your commitment to home care affects more than just sleep. If you feel embarrassed by the mess or lack of comfort in your space and find yourself apologising whenever someone visits, you will likely invite people over only when necessary. 

As a result, you may avoid spontaneous invitations altogether, resulting in fewer opportunities to share laughter, engage in deep conversations, or enjoy the company of others or increasing your restaurant budget allocation :-)

Therefore, if you, like me, always apologise for having only a small, low table, forcing people to sit on the carpet to eat, it is time to invest in a proper table.

Let me tell you a secret about home care and treating your home like a sanctuary.

Transforming your home into a sanctuary means infusing it with your heart vibration so that when you come home, you can recenter, tune back in with yourself, and relax.

When connecting with other beings, humans and animals alike, you connect with someone else's energy. Whether speaking with these beings or not, your respective energies have a dialogue. As a result, you might find yourself suddenly feeling heavier, grumpy, or more joyful through that contact.

For example, when I lived in a city, taking the bus at peak hours often left me stressed and tired. A bus or metro is moving containers packed with people still stressed from their day; therefore, rather than letting you decompress your stress, passengers silently and unknowingly tune into the same stress frequency, making it stronger and more present. 

Think about it: Have you ever jumped on a packed bus with some of your stress, and the discomfort of being so close to others just increased your nervousness, anxiety, or grumpiness? Then, you experience first-hand how humans impact each other without knowing it.

Treating your home like a sanctuary will help you decompress, tune back in, and reconnect with your energy and truth.

How could your home be your sanctuary when sharing it with others?

If you live with others, creating your sanctuary may feel impossible due to the need to compromise with their decorating preferences, needs, and moods. One person might require tidiness, while another may be fine with a mess and not even notice it. One might love loud music, while another craves silence. If you have kids, they may enjoy playing in the living room, leaving you without a space designated for adults.

However, you can find ways to carve out your sanctuary space and make shared areas work for everyone in the household. It might mean accepting some messiness in certain areas while keeping one room tidy where you can retreat when you need calm or regrouping. It could also involve defining specific play zones or times so that you have a chance to breathe. Additionally, you might ask your partner, teenager, or flatmate to wear headphones to help create a quieter environment.

Some will use shower time as their daily "me time" and bubble to unpack and let go of others' energy. Others will make the most of the morning hour before everyone wakes up. And some will use tending to their garden as their reconnection space. (Gardening is really potent as it allows you to ground, connect with nature, and receive support and recalibration from Mother Earth, even if it is working on planting pots on your balcony.)

You don't need a complete home makeover to transform it into a sanctuary.

Transforming your home into a sanctuary does not mean turning it into a Greek Temple, filling it with macrame and all the boho-chic trends, or piling up stones and other energetic and spiritual accessories. You can if you want to, but the point is that you want to feel good whatever decoration you pick.

For instance, when I lived in Geneva, I used to decorate my walls with colourful plants and paintings to compensate for the grey sky and the amount of concrete. Today, white walls with some plants are enough for me. The view and spectacle of nature around me are nurturing enough.

When you start considering your home a sanctuary, the first question you should ask yourself is: What do I need to feel comfortable, relaxed, or recharge?

• Do I need colours? Should they be vibrant or pastel? Would white or another tone feel more calming? Do I need a colour scheme that counterbalances my environment?
• Do I need more wood, metal, or textiles in my home? Do I miss the presence of mountains or water, and if so, how could I bring that into my home?
• Do I need to declutter and adopt a more minimalistic lifestyle, or do I feel safer in a home filled with books and objects? If I enjoy having a cosy, filled house, are there certain items, paintings, or books that I should remove because they carry heavy memories and block space for new things? If I need more visual space, how can I create that space?

What makes your home a sanctuary is the little details. The plant or flower bouquet that makes you feel like nature is inside your home, too. The throw pillow that makes you smile or feels so comfy when you take a nap or watch TV. The carpet, vase, or piece of furniture that reminds you of one of your travels.

So, how could you care for your home sanctuary today?