The deep winter months can feel isolating for many of us – shuttered up indoors, trying desperately to keep warm; venturing out only out of necessity, during the briefest of daylight hours. As human beings, we crave connection. And, though February plays host to Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love, the month can nonetheless — or sometimes, as a result! — leave us feeling a bit lonely.
Often, we feel that our homes are not conducive spaces for socializing or nurturing our relationships. Just think, how many times have you wanted to invite guests over, but the living room was buried under a pile of clutter too time consuming to tackle? Or wanted to sit down and relax with your partner after a long day, but there was nowhere for you to just sit and be without your eye being drawn to a screen or something to clean?
The good news is, you don’t have to reorganize your whole home until it looks like a perfectly manicured Pinterest board in order to create a space for connecting. In fact, all you really need is one or two spots dedicated to peaceful retreat. The elements that make up your space can be completely personal — the key is simply that the space be instantly relaxing, functional, and easy to maintain.
Claim your spot
Pick a location in your home that you want to dedicate as a space for connecting with others. This may be a cozy living room, a place to kick back and relax with friends over cups of hot cocoa — or Moscow Mules. It could be your kitchen — a place people have long been gathering for warmth and stimulating conversation over food and drink. The key is to choose a place that is appropriate for and facilitates the type of connections you’re seeking to make — whether that’s with yourself, your S.O., family, or guests.
Remove all unnecessary objects
Creating a space that facilitates connections is about removing any potential distractions or barriers that might stand in the way. To quickly reclaim your space, create a “belongs elsewhere” box. Gather anything that isn’t relevant into that box and remove them from the space. Your space should include only those items necessary to achieve the purpose of connection. This will make the space a lot easier to maintain, ensuring that you always have a place to instantly relax and escape into your relationships.
Stimulate your senses
Put the finishing touches on your space by adding a few beautiful, sensory elements. This will truly transform your space by creating an ambience, separate from the rest of your home. Consider adding one element for each of the five senses. A vase of fresh flowers. Candles or aromatherapy oil. A unique piece of art or interesting photographs. A feng shui fountain of water trickling over rocks. A velvet pillow or a soft, fluffy blanket. Tuning into your senses is highly conducive to instant relaxation, allowing your worries to fade away so that you can focus on what’s really important, like the people with whom you’re sharing the space.
Now that you’ve established intentional perches for genuine human connection, all that’s left to do is slip into that cozy sweater, turn on some relaxing music, or prep a meal for the slow-cooker. Invite your friends, family, or partner to join you in your new space for heart-warming relaxation. The memories you make together will far out-live the frosty weather.