Sanctuary Spaces - What are they and who are they for?
Updated: May 25
Hello and Welcome to this weekly blog post! How is life treating you this week? If you are one that has a full time working schedule but gets the summers off, I wonder how you are faring so far...are you on the downside yet, in this current school year? If you are qualified retired, you may just be getting back from a morning walk. If you have young children under your feet, I bet you are ready for a nap! Still, what is your routine to "recharge your batteries"? I am qualified retired (sans that I have a business) and I have no little children under my feel, but I would love to fast forward to the summer today. As I sit to write, I have a view of my backyard and, at the moment, about 5 inches of snow and all the branches on our tree look as if they need a break. Or maybe they are going to...the snow is heavy and the drooping branches look like they are now permanently curved downward! Oh, that summer would come a little earlier this year!!!
I digress! This actually is the perfect time to talk about sanctuary spaces and just what are they! To begin with, both men and women could use one. Initially, I felt that women needed a special space to find rest and a little down time. However, after talking to my own man, it wouldn't be right to discount that men also could use a space to decompress. And, let me clarify, I am not talking about a man cave. This, I believe, is something different, with an altogether different motive.
So to define a sanctuary space, I believe it is a space where one could go to disconnect from their world for a time. The purpose is to rest and recharge. Some other descriptive words might be: rest, restoration, rejuvenation, recharge and the feelings one might experience would be: restored, rejuvenated, a feeling of tranquility, as well as refreshed. The feeling the space emits might lend one to meditate, journal, read, listen to music, enjoy diffusion of essential oils, practice yoga. Does any of this resonate with you so far? As you can see, the feelings, descriptions and experiences apply to both men and women. I have met a few men that could really benefit from some time alone, to ponder, dream or decompress, as I mentioned earlier.
This so called space could be an entire room or space in a room. It could also be a nook upstairs or in the attic. It could be in a She Shed (wouldn't that be fabulous?). It could be in the sunroom! The point is that it's a definitive space for you. Even if this space is in a room used by others, carve out some time (maybe schedule it) and keep that appointment with yourself to retreat. This might take a lot for some to seize the time and space, considering how your family operates within the home. But, that is really the catalyst for that underlying reason you need this space. This could get really long, but I hope the message to you here is that you find that your sanity, your self care, your wellbeing is paramount to having a quality of life and being better able to care for those around you.
This is a really important piece of life's puzzle. Our wellbeing is directly connected to how we cope in our lives. No one is immune to a sudden onslaught of "change in circumstances". And, yet, it seems to me that a lot of us just keep going until we are forced to make adjustments in our schedule, etc. when the unexpected happens. There, in fact, is the urgency I sense that compels met to want to get into the trenches with those that are in need of some self care/wellbeing lift, if you will.
If this sounds like something you might want to have for yourself, take a walk through your house and see what "space" might work for you. Consider if you can have it all to yourself and then next week's post will surely be encouraging to you OR if you know you will have to share the space with other people, then start thinking how you might carve out some territory and how you might be able to schedule your "wellness time". This is a lot isn't it?
I just re-read this and I think I will stop there. Maybe something to think about for you, though?
So I will end this little post to say that I will be back to "drip" some more thoughts and ideas you might consider for your own personal wellness journey.
Until then, enjoy your week...wherever you are and whatever you are doing...Jeanine
25 May 2023 If you are in need of your own sanctuary space, consider my online course to help you do so...it is a free course and you can just click the button below and it will take you to my website page and the link to join is under "online course". Hope to see you there...