Space.

Something we strive to have the first 18 years of our lives. Something we fight for and believe we are entitled to.

Space is a concept that some of us have had extra education on because we were so infatuated with the idea of space and how we could dedicate our lives to developing incredible spaces.

But, once we’ve acquired those spaces and formed uses for them what do those spaces say?

Each space should tell a story and should have a meaning to it.

Yes, I am a biased interior designer and believe all spaces should be intentional.

The intentions of the spaces we develop are to me, what affirmations are to many spiritual and self encouraging individuals.

According to the Holistic Ingredient:

“Affirmations are short, powerful, yet simple statements designed to manifest a specific goal. … Positive thinking affirmations are designed to encourage a life filled with positivity and gratitude. A daily morning affirmation can be as simple as “I am healthy”, or throughout the day “Money comes easily and effortlessly”

theholisticingredient.com

To me, spaces exist to manifest our goals.

They become reflections of who we are and what we want to be.

As many of you know, I’m participating in an 18-week long program called The MENT Protocol where I’m focusing on fostering a lifestyle that will lead me to freedom from my migraines. Click here to read one individual’s success story with the program.

In the initial stages of this program, they touched on the importance of space and having dedicated chair where we can go to unwind and reflect and truly be mindful.

In my world that translated to – Hey, you’ve got a dinky chair in front of your vanity, you should upgrade that entire space and give it a real purpose… And with the featured photo of the day, you can see my new velvet chair and faux fur footstool accompanying my small vanity.

Drawing upon what was mentioned in my program and my interior design background I put a lot of effort into this space. The idea to simply find a chair that I could use as a space where I dedicate time to myself is fairly easy, but finding a space and chair that truly met my needs for how I would use this space, wasn’t.

I already have my living room close to perfected. I spend most of my time here as I work on my blog and do research from the comfort of my couch. On days when I’m in too much pain to do anything, I make an effort to at least get to my couch and rest there. From the moment I make my coffee until I go to bed, I am primarily in my living room. Since I already spend much of my time here and complete tasks that range from “work” to relaxing to resting, adding in a fourth purpose to the space isn’t appropriate.

In my coffee/shoe closet space, I have my comfy papasan chair and everything needed to make a good cup of coffee or a warm cup of chai. This is a space where in the morning I stretch as my coffee is being made, or sit in the chair and slowly wake up. During the summer months, it is much warmer as it is an attic space not an insulated room. Initially, I thought this would be the space I would dedicate to being my mindful space, but the heat and the harsher overhead spotlights made me rethink that.

Which brings me to my bedroom. I have dedicated a large amount of time since being home to truly making this space an oasis. The black walls contrasting with white details, paired with subtle curtain lights creates a unique space. Black is intended to be powerful, elegant, and calming in nature. Interior design guidelines recommend it covering a single wall to add a more dramatic effect, but in covering each wall with this deep color, I’ve found a space that feels safe, welcoming and promotes a positive energy.

A bedroom is a place to sleep. The only other items in my bedroom were my small vanity and a bookshelf full of beautiful crystals and books. Being a place to rest and unwind without distraction, made my bedroom the ideal place for this devotional chair to be placed. Placing it in front of my vanity mirror really gave a symbolic meaning to the space I was working to create.

A place of reflection. This encompasses both uses of the new space while promoting a very positive and calming energy.

Often times “vanity” is seen negatively and the idea of spending a bit of time altering how we look is frowned upon. To me, the time I spent dedicating to my makeup is a time of peace and allows me to make myself up to be whoever I want, regardless of how I’m feeling. Being able to freely do my makeup and feel good throughout the entire process is empowering. Having a comfier chair, allows me to truly tune into this time and put meaning behind the action of applying makeup. I can be reflective with this time and use it to see myself positively.

The lighting in the room is also a huge part of why I chose it. The primary use of the chair is for journaling and reflecting on how I start and end my day. As a migraineur, there’s no telling how easy this task will be so I’ve allowed this space to exist where the light can be tailored to my needs. I can have the soft glow of the lights casting just enough to fill in the journals, or I can have my vanity lights on to give me a focal light. On days where I’m feeling great and am not negatively impacted by light, I can open up my blinds and enjoy the natural sunlight casting into the space.

This place of reflection serves me really well and truly represents the goals I have for the future and fosters them. Journaling is something I am still growing accustomed to, but I’ve found on days where I feel overwhelmed or caught up in my thoughts I can simply pause, go to this space and write down what it is I’m feeling, why I’m feeling it and then strive to understand how I can overcome it or move forward. Sometimes simply writing down my thoughts is enough to let them go and create new thoughts. Other times, writing them down allows me to see where my perspective is incorrect or the order I need to tackle my tasks in.

I’ve been pushing myself to really move slowly this last month. I have goals and actual lists of what I want to accomplish, but my focus is on listening to my body and working at the pace it demands.

This is a bit of a barrier for me as I don’t take breaks, I don’t slow down. I power through one task and start in on the next one under the guise that if I don’t get them done as quickly as possible, the pain or brain fog will set back in and I won’t accomplish them at all. Except, these tasks don’t have deadlines so that line of thinking doesn’t serve me anymore.

Having this space will give me a space to retreat to and allow myself to unwind throughout the day. And having this space where I focus my daily goals and reflections, allows me to keep them separate from the rest of my daily life.

In this new space of reflection, what do I have and how do they represent my affirmations?

Soft, hanging curtain lights ~ these lights serve as the backdrop for the space. While sitting in my chair, I can see them reflecting behind me in the mirror. Ambiance lighting promotes a sense of calm and is soothing. I am able to find peace and a sense of calm wherever I go.

Antique, large mirror ~ this mirror serves as a literal symbol of reflection. It is the purpose of the entire space and represents the energy we put into the world. It works to mirror what I am trying to achieve and reinforces that the effort I put in to healing and to myself will return to me. I am worthy of receiving the abundant love and support that I put into those around me.

Plush, velvet chair ~ this is a soft, slightly over-sized chair that serves as an invitation to sit and be present in the moment. It doesn’t allow me to fully sink into the chair, but provides me with support. I am sturdy and am supporting efforts that positively serve me.

Faux fur footstool ~ although it is sturdy on a flat surface, the carpet prevents it from staying upright when nudged. This piece gives me a place to put my feet up and truly feel relaxed but serves to remind me that I am capable of supporting myself and cannot rely on the unpredictable support of others.

Golden mason jar of pens ~ a bright array of pens fill this mason jar and are used to fill out my journals and diaries to aid in reflecting on my journey each day. These bright pens are used to remind me of the bright future I have and the positive ways I can learn from the information I am documenting. I am able to see the good in the bad and learn from it.

Journals ~ I have three journals that live in this space that allow me to track my head pain, symptoms, sleep and stress habits, IBS, and my day to day goals, tasks and reflections. I have a 4th journal that comes and goes that allows me to sit back and truly reflect on what I need in that moment and address my thoughts and concerns. I am dedicated and have the knowledge at my fingertips to make the right decisions for myself.

Decor ~ The decor I have in this space is all has meaning. I have a fake cactus to remind me of the importance of plants and nature. I have a small trinket dish with my name done in vinyl letters that was a gift to me from my boss in the Dean’s office. This dish represents the incredible people I have worked alongside and the faith they have in me for my future endeavors. Lastly, I have a drawing done by my good friend Kae that reminds me of all the support I have around me and the strength that can come from creativity and art. I am surrounded by love and encouragement.

This space is a safe space and it truly helps reinforce the purposes given to all of my other spaces.

I am constantly reminded to move with intention and always make decisions that help to ground me while allowing me to grow.

A.

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To learn a bit more about The MENT Protocol that I mentioned, you can visit their website here or follow them on Instagram @headhealthco