When was the last time you noticed that your home was stressed 
out?  I notice this kind of stress in my home sometimes.  I woke 
up yesterday and realized that my house felt burdened.  This 
isn't the first time this has happened.  I'll often come home 
from a long day and notice that my house looks out of control, 
as if someone threw a party in my absence. 

This kind of burdened, out-of-control environment is contagious. 
When my house is stressed, I feel stressed, too.

My friend Cheryl says, "If we don't create our environments, 
they will be created for us."  This month, take the time to 
lovingly cultivate your home environment.  Get ready to lighten 
its burden, release its true spirit, and create a haven that 
makes your soul sing!

Take a few minutes right now to walk around your house and look 
for simmering stress pockets.  Take a small notebook with you to 
write down your observations.  Don't put this exercise off until 
tomorrow - it will only take a few minutes.

First, use your eyes as your guide.  Notice which areas are 
offensive to your eyes.  Visual stress zones will make your eyes 
glance away quickly. Note: just because an area is cluttered does 
not mean that it's a stress zone.  You may really like the 
clutter in certain parts of your home.  

In contrast, notice the areas that attract you and call to your 
soul.  What is about these areas that is so sweet and gorgeous?

Second, rely on your ears.  Listen for the sounds that cause 
stress to percolate in your home. 

In contrast, notice the sounds that soothe you.

Third, call on your sense of touch.  Be very conscious of the 
fabrics, surfaces, and materials that do not fully embrace your 
body.  

In contrast, notice the touch experiences that you look forward 
to and love.

Fourth, ask your nose to lead the way.  Go around and do a 
sniff-test on your home.  See what scents attract you and which 
ones repel you.

When I did this exercise today in my home, I noticed several 
stressors: 

Using my eyes:  My biggest visual stress zone was actually my 
bedroom.  Not because it's cluttered, but because it's too 
masculine.  There aren't enough soft edges, delicate details, 
and "cozy spots" to suit my feminine soul.

The sights I loved were: the light streaming through my windows, 
the plants in my kitchen and dining room, and the color on the 
walls of my office.

Using my ears:  Since my apartment is usually very quiet, I was 
in for quite a surprise today! Since it was the first nice day in 
weeks, I opened the windows up.  The open windows brought in all 
kinds of stressful sounds: a power trimmer, a vacuum downstairs, 
kids cursing outside, and cars passing.  I also noticed that the 
buzzing of my laptop was rather bothersome (how had I never 
noticed that before?), as was the sound of the TV at night.  

The noises that I loved were: the birds chirping, the church 
bells ringing, and the sound of the breeze coming in through 
the windows.  

Using my touch: I realized I really don't enjoy my hard 
dining room chairs that are too painful to sit in for more 
than 5 minutes. The dishes piled in the sink created a tactile 
discomfort for me because there was no room for me to fill up 
my water bottle. 

The touches that soothed me were my soft couch, velvet bed 
comforter, and clean countertops.

Using my smell: This was interesting.  When it came to smells, 
I didn't notice anything!  No good smells... but no unpleasant 
smells either.  There's obviously room for me to play and 
experiment.

What did you find in your home?

Now that you've identified the sources of stress for you and your 
home, use the beauty of this week to make some changes that will 
truly support your health and relieve your stress.

Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

For your eyes:

 * Take curtains off your windows to allow the summer sunlight 
   through

 * Add a new plant to an austere corner of your house for an 
   instant 'life-lift'

 * Hang a new piece of artwork on the wall

 * Get rid of a pile of clutter


For your ears:

 * Create a media-free zone for an evening by turning off the 
   TV, radio, and phone. Enjoy the blissful silence.  

 * Put a small stereo in a room that is plagued by neighborhood 
   noises.

 * Make sure your CD collection includes music for all of your 
   moods.  Be picky about the music you listen to - only the 
   very best will do!

 * If noise disrupts your sleep at night, get a noisemaker for 
   your bedroom.  You can buy a fancy one that plays nature 
   noises, or you can use a $10 fan from Target.


For your touch:

 * Put soft, smooth all-cotton sheets on your bed

 * Remove your heavy winter duvet cover and replace it with 
   a soft, light summer blanket

 * Buy a soft, lush kitchen towel 

 * Invest in all-natural cleaners (like Seventh Generation) 
   so that you can clean your countertops and dishes with 
   chemical-free materials


For your nose:

 * Put peppermint or lavender essential oil in a bowl of water 
   and leave these fragrance-filled treasures around the house

 * Dab a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillowcase 
   to relax you at night

 * Place scented sachets into your dresser drawers and closet 
   shelves

 * Light candles that will release sensational scents into your 
   home


This month, select just one change that will make your home less 
stressful, and have fun making it happen! 

Christi Lehner, H.H.C., AADP Certified Holistic Health Counselor
http://www.bostonhealthcoach.com ; 617.492.6450
Based in Boston, but inspiring people everywhere to fall in love
with healthy eating, juicy living, and guilt-free self-care!
Author of the forthcoming book "You Don't Have to Be Superwoman
To Be Healthy: 50 Ways to Reclaim Your Health"
Do you sabotage your health?  Take this quiz to find out:
http://www.bostonhealthcoach.com/special_offer.html

Copyright © 2005, Christi Lehner