Photo: www.sarasota-ymca.org
We all want to experience peace and tranquility in our home environment. Children and adults need to feel the home is a safe place to be seen, heard and valued. We thrive when our love tanks are full, so how can we create a home that fosters that healthy emotional atmosphere? These three trusted tips will help you take powerful steps towards that goal.
The power of authenticity
Keep it real. We all want a home in which we can just chill out, let it all hang out and have everyone around us be OK with that. Learn to identify your emotions and take responsibility for them. Your feelings are your feelings. Don’t blame them on your family members. Let your children witness you accepting this responsibility and it will be very easy to teach them to do the same.
When we attempt to bury our heavy feelings, it only bleeds out into our relationships and causes disease. Kids know when something is wrong because they can feel our energy. If you’re feeling angry or sad, say so. And be sure to let them know it has nothing to do with them, that your feelings are just that…your feelings and therefore your responsibility. Create a habit of feeling your feelings, communicating them and releasing them. Children feel safer in a home with adults who navigate through their lives authentically.
The power of peace
Make your home a haven. Sometimes we put more thought into decorating our homes than we do in cultivating its emotional climate. Be intentional. Let your home be a place that restores you, recharges your battery and nurtures your soul. Simple props such as live plants, candles, incense, beautiful music and art can enhance feelings of harmony. Hang something on your wall only if it inspires you. Enlarge photos of your family having fun together. Make collages and let your kids join in. Let your walls remind you of the good times and fun your family has enjoyed together. Surround yourself with images of love, peace and happiness. Visuals are powerful.
If there is conflict in a relationship, have heavy conversations outside. Differences are human, but the energy of argument can linger in your home a long time. Your family deserves to feel safe and peaceful in your home. Cultivating these habits communicates a strong intention to have peace in your home.
The Power of Play
The family that plays together stays together. Studies show this to be true. Not only is play one of the best stress-reducers, it’s also a powerful bonding experience and trust builder. When is the last time you crawled around on the floor pretending to be a kitty-cat with your preschooler (or your spouse, for that matter)? How about charging through the backyard with a wooden sword in your hand and your son chasing close behind? These are the kind of priceless experiences that build emotionally healthy families. When your child asks you to play, they are inviting you into the magical realm of imagination. Entering into this world with them actually frees your own mind, which enables you to be more productive in your work. When you’re more productive in your work, you have more time and energy for the people you love. It’s a win-win! So we’ve come full circle.
Just one of these practices will help you create greater emotional health in your home. All three will likely give you one of the healthiest homes in your community. The good news is that emotional health and happiness have ripple effects. Happy homes make for happy communities. Happy communities make for happy countries. You have the power to create the home you’ve always wanted and bless the rest of us with your harmony.
About Lisa Gale
"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.
Web | More Posts (66)