Our lives are filled with connections to a diverse range of other humans. This is fantastic, as we can thrive by our social experiences and be enriched by the perspectives of others. Yet, it’s important to understand that moments of solitude are vital for our well-being. They give us a little breathing space from the noise of the world and provide opportunities to recharge.
Gaining the power of solitude can be challenging in a busy life. Finding ways to create sanctuaries for alone time throughout your home is well worth it. With a little planning and consideration, you’ll develop spaces that boost your wellness and support your introspection.
Adapting Space Inside Your Home
Certainly, the ideal situation is you have a spare room in your home that you can make into your sanctuary. For most people, a spare room dedicated to quiet time isn’t practical. The good news is that you can adapt current spaces to make them into your personal haven, even if only temporarily.
First, find areas where you can realistically be alone when you need to, even for a short time. Your bedroom can be a natural choice. However, if you’d prefer something less associated with sleep, a dining room or home office can be suitable if you can shut out the rest of the household. It can even be good to find a sign you can hang on the door to ensure that you aren’t to be disturbed.
From here you can implement adaptive lighting solutions. While your day-to-day needs may call for stronger or brighter lighting, your relaxation may be better served by something more subdued or in a calmer hue. You can install light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that enable you to change colors and brightnesses as needed. Doing so lets you create the right atmosphere quickly and easily. You may also prefer a digital detox zone to get away from our screen-reliant world. If so, consider finding a spot for your electronics separate from your solitude.
If you have a young family, it’s also worth considering that simply shutting the door may not block out the sounds of your children and their activities. There are some relatively simple solutions that help you to reduce the noise without making permanent structural changes. Hang a heavy curtain across the door to dampen the sound from within. Invest in a white noise machine or some noise-canceling headphones. There are many ways to soundproof your solitary space.
Transforming Your Garage
You might prefer to build your sanctuary away from the immediate home space. If you’re fortunate enough to have a garage that isn’t currently housing your vehicles, you can transform it into a quiet space.
This begins with a little planning. It can help to look around your garage and establish what hurdles to creating a sanctuary are present. It might be the case that some of your garage is being used for storage, and you can’t put those items elsewhere. In this case, you may need to choose a section of the space to dedicate to your sanctuary. This can still work! Plan a little reorganization of the items in your garage, perhaps installing extra shelving or buying trunks to place these in. From here, you can start to develop a cozy corner.
For instance, an indoor reading nook can be a peaceful area to spend time alone while also perfect for fitting into a relatively small garage space. Selecting a couple of comfortable pieces — such as an armchair or some bean bags — and perhaps laying down a plush rug is a good start. Bordering your corner with a couple of bookshelves not only provides a practical space to keep your novels but also makes it feel more like a personal reading area.
One of the keys to a quiet space is to minimize noise that may come from not just the house but also the world outside. If possible, soundproof your garage. Doing so involves a few relatively simple steps, but these often depend on what the space is made from. Metal and wooden garages carry sound differently, which may mean you’ll need different amounts and types of soundproofing materials. In general, though, adding insulation to the walls, ceiling, and the inside of the garage door can help absorb the majority of noise.
Designing a Peaceful Yard
Having a yard, particularly if it’s away from traffic, can be a wonderful space of solitude. You get to connect with nature while enjoying a sense of tranquility away from the stresses of the world.
It’s worth considering some backyard design ideas that can influence a healthier and happier lifestyle. If you tend to seek sanctuary in the evenings, a backyard fire pit can add a little coziness to your serene escape while providing relaxing sounds of crackling flames. Installing a few wellness features, like a hydrotherapy hot tub or cold plunge, may also help you to achieve a zen state at the end of a stressful day.
Wherever possible, though, aim to prioritize natural features in your outdoor sanctuary. Not only does this bring you closer to the natural world around you, which can be great for your peace of mind, but it also ensures your choices don’t negatively impact the delicate ecosystem your yard is a part of. Using reclaimed materials for furniture is kinder on the planet than plastics while also giving your space a more natural feel. Creating vertical gardens of native plants offers habitats to local pollinators, but it can also give you an added element of privacy in your sanctuary.
Conclusion
Creating spaces at home for all-important moments of solitude can help improve your quality of life. This can be adapting parts of rooms in your home or converting your garage, depending on what space you have available. Remember that other members of your family also deserve some alone time. Consider collaborating to make spaces that everyone can enjoy and benefit from.
Photo Credit
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Guest Author Bio
Charlie Fletcher
Charlie Fletcher is a freelance writer from the lovely “city of trees”- Boise, Idaho. Her love of writing pairs with her passion for social activism and search for the truth. When not writing she spends her time doodling and embroidering. And yes, she does love all kinds of potatoes!
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