Fall Back into Your Space
Misplacing keys in your home is arguably one of the most frustrating things to experience. What would make it worst is losing your keys…on a Monday. This was my reality about two weeks ago when I could not find my keys in my bedroom. After about 5 minutes of spinning in circles and checking underneath the same pile of work documents, the rage set in. I went into a violent fit of cleaning and cleansing my room. The funny thing is, I found my keys within 15 minutes of shuffling things around and clearing space. However, I knew from the moment I decided to grab a trash bag, this wasn’t about the keys.
I felt betrayed and I wanted revenge. Since working from home, I allowed my work-life and traumas of society spill over into my sacred space. I needed my space and peace back. By the end of the cleaning storm, I ended up removing an entire wardrobe and its contents from the room. There were clothes I hadn’t seen or worn for almost a year. I even realized that the position of the furniture contributed to my discomfort.
While being limited in space for the foreseeable future, it is important that we nurture our personal spaces to evolve with us. After that moment where I broke, I realized how cleaning becomes a spiritual process in adulthood. I now understand the necessity of waking early on a Saturday blasting Anita Baker to get the house in order. This month, I wanted to provide you with some tips to help you do the same in your own space.
Reorganizing
Organization can be the one thing that makes or breaks a space. As we welcome the Fall season, now is a perfect time to reorganize your space to be comforting for you during the coming winter months.
- As you’re buying new clothes, donate the old ones to a local consignment retailer or charity
- Check all your jackets, coats, boats, and accessories to see what needs to be cleaned or adjusted
- Organize up, not out. The goal is to increase your space, not box you in more
- Dust/Clean out ventilation
- Buy new pillows
- Clean out the kitchen drawers
- Clean your oven. It’s not clean unless half your body is hanging out the door, and your left should reaches the back right burner. Don’t debate it. It’s science.
Lighting
How many times have you changed light bulbs since being home? I can honestly say that before I used this time to reorganize, I had not. Fall means shorter days and less natural lighting, so this season, the lights in your home will be seeing significantly more use than they have in the past. To begin this project, start with high traffic areas in your home. Communal areas, bathrooms, and bedroom lighting should all be exchanged for more efficient bulbs. As we transition into the holiday season, your kitchen is going to be getting a lot more use. Switch out the bulbs and don’t forget about the refrigerator, freezer, and overhead lights about the stove.
While you’re choosing your lights, keep in mind that the lighting indoors is artificial. There’s evidence that this change in natural light exposure can affect your mood. A way to combat this is to vary the type of lighting in your home spaces to mimic natural light. Use this time to experiment with different light temperatures, dimmers, lamps, string lights, and lanterns.
Image by Jason Leung
Scents
My favorite part about fall cleaning and organizing is finally being able to enjoy the best scents of the year. No, I am not referring to pumpkin spice, but rather some amazing scents that will make you never allow that outside your kitchen again. Here is a brief list of some of my favorite Fall scents you can enjoy in your home too this season.
Fresh
Oak Moss
Lavender
Honey
Geranium
Fruit
Orange
Fig
Plum
Musk
Ylang Ylang
Golden Frankincense
Tobacco
Fir
Leather
As time goes on and the seasons change, occasionally examining your space can help reduce your stress and anxiety. If you find yourself becoming frustrated with your space, don’t be afraid to get angry. Use the energy to reorganize and fall back into your space this month.