When you’ve occupied the same space 24/7 for weeks on end, the big and small things about your home that bother you become magnified: the disheveled heaps of clutter on your desk that you’ve been meaning to organize, the sofa inherited from a previous relationship that you haven’t gotten around to selling, the excessive amount of Blender Bottle accoutrements left over from your last round of gains that never seem to find a proper place in your kitchen cabinets.
They are aesthetic nuisances, most definitely, but taking a closer look, is it possible that they are actually hampering our ability to fully thrive and be our own best versions? Beyond that, are these minor sticking-points actually physical manifestations of what’s going on inside of our minds?
Whether you’re new to working remotely and creating content from your at-home studio or a seasoned pro, the ‘Stay at Home’ experience has probably forced you to assess the spaces that are sustaining you.
Whether you’re new to working remotely and creating content from your at-home studio or a seasoned pro, the “Stay at Home” experience has, at some point, probably forced you to assess the spaces that are sustaining you through this time of uncertainty, down to the nooks and crannies: how they’re making you feel, if they’re serving their intended purpose and whether they’re supporting or stifling your ability to be creative, productive and content.
According to design psychology coach and “Happy Starts at Home: Change Your Space, Transform Your Life” (CICO Books) author, Rebecca West, our personal living spaces are anything but neutral territories. Conversely, Rebecca advises that the environments that we are surrounded by are closely tied to our emotional well-being, and act in either one of two ways: they either bring us down or lift us up. Rebecca illuminates, “What we see around us is either making us feel more calm, or more chaotic. When we have a lot of chaos around us, sometimes it’s actually a reflection of inner-turmoil and inner-chaos that we’re feeling. When we feel really low about ourselves, we also tend to neglect the things around us. So, if we're seeing a lot of external chaos, it might actually be a reflection of how we're feeling internally.”
On the reverse end, Rebecca explains that allowing the state of our environment to get away from us can eventually cause parallel effects on our state of mind. “We might actually be doing okay mentally, but because of circumstances, things get out of control and we don't have enough time to keep things tidy, up to date or repaired. Over time, that takes a toll. Even if we started out in a good place, it can really start to wear on us, especially when we work from home and that surrounding is all we see, and it can really get frustrating.”
When your energy and your creative ability hinge in part on your mood and mental clarity, especially as a performer or content creator working from home, allowing potential mood-killers to fester cannot be left to chance. Kind of like that one toxic friend in your group that ruins the night for everyone; if you continue to invite them, you can guarantee that your night will be spoiled each time you get together. To that end, Rebecca suggests that taking small steps by addressing the areas within your space that you feel are bringing you down (like that heaping pile of laundry that’s been staring you in the face for a couple of weeks) has the ability to yield larger positive effects on your mood and how you feel overall. She assures, “If you take care of your home environment, it will take care of you.”
As we continue to pivot during and after the wake of COVID-19, many of us are still acclimating to new routines and the ways in which we operate, possibly for the longer-term. This may inevitably include spending even more time creating and performing from our home spaces. Rebecca encourages stars who are making these adjustments to take an active part in ensuring that their spaces continue to lift them up by offering a few suggestions on how to effectively and proactively do so.
1. Take control of your space. Consider cutting loose those pieces of furniture or pieces of décor that are tied to negative memories or put a damper on your mood. If not possible, then consider altering them with a fresh coat of paint or interchanging new hardware. According to Rebecca, small changes make a big effect, so even swapping out the bedding in your performance space can make a world of difference in terms of lifting your mood. To take it a step further, Rebecca suggests even going the holistic route; burn sage if that’s what you need to do. “Whatever you decide,” she says, “be intentional, and don’t let your space control how you’re feeling.”
2. Keep up on cleaning. Treat your workspace with the respect it deserves, and in turn, you will be treating yourself with respect as a professional in that space. To that point, don’t let things get out of control. Rebecca proposes creating an end-of-day or end-of-workweek cleaning ritual. Give everything a good vacuuming, dusting and a scrub so you feel the room is still alive.
3. Give your room life. Bring active, living energy into your room by introducing plant life or beautiful fresh flowers. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, simply opening the windows and letting fresh air circulate throughout the room will freshen the mood when it’s nice outside.
4. Surround yourself by things you love. As far as the design of your direct workspace, Rebecca suggests painting the walls colors that you love (if you are able) and including textures that you resonate with. She stresses, “Make sure the textures of the things you are sitting on and touching are things you want to sit on and touch. Don’t have anything in your room that makes you feel badly or connects you to old stories. Life is too short to be surrounded by that, especially when you are working long hours each week.”
5. Establish boundaries between work and home life. This is especially important when the two worlds are melded into one space. “Is your space making you feel like you’re still at work even when you’re not?” Rebecca asks. She proposes creating a simple routine that will allow your brain to switch over from one mode to another to create some distinction, especially when you live in smaller spaces. For example, lighting a certain candle or placing certain bedding or a designated blanket on your bed if you’re shooting from your bedroom when it’s work time, then putting them away when work is done for the day. Additionally, clue your household members in on your work routine (when appropriate). In doing so, they will learn to honor you as a professional when you are on the clock, and enjoy personal time with you when you are not. It’s not uncommon for our work and home lives to bleed into one another in general, let alone when we are in the throes of a global crisis. Rebecca maintains, “the more we work from home, the harder it is to make those distinctions, so we have to be much more in charge of that intentionality.”
Rebecca encourages that performers and professionals alike should do what they feel is right for themselves and within reason for their space. “If this sparks an idea for somebody and all they can do is change the bedding from an old relationship, that’s enough,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be a grand house makeover. It’s just a matter of doing what you can.”
Learn more about Rebecca West by visiting her website, seriouslyhappyhomes.com. “Happy Starts at Home: Change Your Space, Transform Your Life” (CICO Books) by Rebecca West is now available on Amazon.
Vanessa Eve is the Director of Talent Recruiting for the Streamate Network. You can watch the full interview with design psychology coach Rebecca West at streamaterecruiting.com/RebeccaWest.
