Trend Report: Finding Inner Peace in 2016
Living in the now is being touted as the antidote to busyness, and a few tweaks to your home and habits could help you embrace this trend
Our lives have never been as busy as they are today, so one of the biggest trends of 2016 – mindfulness – has evolved out of a need to slow down, de-stress and take a breath. Mindfulness is a state of conscious awareness that allows us to live in the moment and enjoy the therapeutic benefits that result – inner peace being one of them.
So how does being mindful relate to interiors? Uncluttered, calming surrounds can counteract the disorder and lack of control many people feel in the fast pace of modern-day living. See how many of these antidotes to stressful living you could adopt in your own life.
So how does being mindful relate to interiors? Uncluttered, calming surrounds can counteract the disorder and lack of control many people feel in the fast pace of modern-day living. See how many of these antidotes to stressful living you could adopt in your own life.
Add a chair that makes relaxing easy
Often called ‘the love stone’, rose quartz is said to open up the heart. Wrap the colour around a comfortable chair with a new throw, or add an armchair that makes you switch off the minute you sit down. A hue this soft and soothing will prompt instant relaxation.
Often called ‘the love stone’, rose quartz is said to open up the heart. Wrap the colour around a comfortable chair with a new throw, or add an armchair that makes you switch off the minute you sit down. A hue this soft and soothing will prompt instant relaxation.
Make blue your new neutral
This shade of blue goes with a whole swathe of colours. Why does it work? Serene blue is a calm and neutral backdrop that can induce a more relaxed state of being, no matter what kind of furnishings you add to the room.
This shade of blue goes with a whole swathe of colours. Why does it work? Serene blue is a calm and neutral backdrop that can induce a more relaxed state of being, no matter what kind of furnishings you add to the room.
Soft blue is also the hue that could help you drift off to sleep and slumber peacefully until morning. Creating a comfortable haven using a colour that transforms how we feel is an easy way to counter the sleep deprivation many of us suffer, which is often a result of too much stress (and too much screen time).
Design a morning routine for positivity
Every morning we have the opportunity to press the reset button and set the tone for a new day. A good way to start every day off in a positive mood is to set up a cosy rug or fluffy sheepskin near your bed, and use this as your spot for 10 minutes of meditation.
Follow this up with a cool shower or a splash of cold water on your face before getting on with the rest of your day.
Every morning we have the opportunity to press the reset button and set the tone for a new day. A good way to start every day off in a positive mood is to set up a cosy rug or fluffy sheepskin near your bed, and use this as your spot for 10 minutes of meditation.
Follow this up with a cool shower or a splash of cold water on your face before getting on with the rest of your day.
Meditate outdoors
Meditation activates the rest-and-digest part of our nervous system, helping with stress management and our ability to focus. Even squeezing in one to two minutes per day can make a difference to your mindset. And when you meditate outdoors, you also get the stress-reducing effects of being in nature. Compared with people who don’t meditate, researchers have found that “those trained in meditation stayed on tasks longer and made fewer task switches”.
TIP: Even if you have the smallest outdoor space, pull up a cushion or stool and sit still. The aim is to switch off your mind for at least 10 minutes every day.
Set up a meditation space at home
Meditation activates the rest-and-digest part of our nervous system, helping with stress management and our ability to focus. Even squeezing in one to two minutes per day can make a difference to your mindset. And when you meditate outdoors, you also get the stress-reducing effects of being in nature. Compared with people who don’t meditate, researchers have found that “those trained in meditation stayed on tasks longer and made fewer task switches”.
TIP: Even if you have the smallest outdoor space, pull up a cushion or stool and sit still. The aim is to switch off your mind for at least 10 minutes every day.
Set up a meditation space at home
Step away from the digital devices
That little glowing screen of your phone or tablet can be seductive, but take the time to switch off your devices and live in the moment, and your working hours will become more productive. The mind needs a rest to perform at its best.
Try a digital detox
That little glowing screen of your phone or tablet can be seductive, but take the time to switch off your devices and live in the moment, and your working hours will become more productive. The mind needs a rest to perform at its best.
Try a digital detox
Take a soothing soak
Think you’re not good at meditating? Try soaking in a bath with your eyes closed and focus on what you can feel and hear. There, you’re meditating! Add some candles and aromatherapy to make the space extra relaxing.
Think you’re not good at meditating? Try soaking in a bath with your eyes closed and focus on what you can feel and hear. There, you’re meditating! Add some candles and aromatherapy to make the space extra relaxing.
Does it Spark Joy?
‘Spark Joy’ is the title of de-cluttering expert Marie Kwondo’s new book. Does it have relevance in today’s culture? Yes, it does! A clutter-free home makes for a clutter-free mind, so if you don’t love an object in your home, it might be time for it to go. Take this bookshelf, for example – not every space has to be filled with books or accessories.
‘Spark Joy’ is the title of de-cluttering expert Marie Kwondo’s new book. Does it have relevance in today’s culture? Yes, it does! A clutter-free home makes for a clutter-free mind, so if you don’t love an object in your home, it might be time for it to go. Take this bookshelf, for example – not every space has to be filled with books or accessories.
Join the green family
Indoor plants filter the air and increase oxygen, but they also bring a greater sense of calm to any room in the house. For an optimum result, allow one large plant or two small ones for every 10 square metres of space.
TELL US
How do you try to be more mindful at home? Share your tips in the comments section.
MORE
Chill Out: 17 Ideas to Create More Relaxation Zones at Home
Mindful Living Made Easy
7 Useful Things to Keep in Mind When Decluttering Your Home
Indoor plants filter the air and increase oxygen, but they also bring a greater sense of calm to any room in the house. For an optimum result, allow one large plant or two small ones for every 10 square metres of space.
TELL US
How do you try to be more mindful at home? Share your tips in the comments section.
MORE
Chill Out: 17 Ideas to Create More Relaxation Zones at Home
Mindful Living Made Easy
7 Useful Things to Keep in Mind When Decluttering Your Home
Pantone’s colours of the year for 2016 are ‘Serenity’ and ‘Rose Quartz’. Lie on the grass and look up at the clear blue sky. Do you feel the tranquility? If you like what you see, then Serenity could be just the colour you need for your front door. Pair it with soft grey and you’ll be feeling calm before you even walk into the house.