Your space—whether it be an office, your bedroom, a comfy tree branch, the local Starbucks, or anywhere else—is an enormous factor in how you perform. So you should ensure it is a place that creates tranquility in you.
When my room is cluttered, noisy, or too dark, I have difficulty doing anything. Each of us thrive in different settings. For some, a noisy cafe is the perfect place to crank out an essay. For some, their bedroom at 3 am, where everything is silent and dark, is the optimal setting for getting things done. You have to learn what works best for you, what sounds, colors, lighting, etc., give you the best output, not just in being productive but for your mental health.
Clutter
Clutter can be defined as a crowded or confused mass or collection.
1. Physical Clutter
Physical clutter can be wildly distracting. How am I supposed to focus on a 10-page essay if I have 12 other things on my desk? How can I relax and watch a movie when, out of the corner of my eye, there are leftover items from my last task lying around?
Before starting any new task, clear out any old tasks that could be a distraction. Take five minutes to put away any items in your space that are unnecessary for this current task. If you need it for a later task, put it somewhere close by (but not visible) so it won't cause a distraction.
If you’re thinking, “If I put it away, I’ll forget to do ____,” you can take it out right after completing the current task. You can even add it as part of the current task (task-stacking). For added comfort, remind yourself, “I will do [task] and then put [items needed for later task] back in my space so it is ready for [later task].”
Even if your task is just to relax, taking a quick five minutes to put away unneeded items can increase your chance of relaxing!
2. Mental Clutter
Mental clutter is just as bad, if not worse, than physical clutter. Mental clutter can include thoughts, worries, or concerns that are excessive or overwhelming.
For me, mental clutter looks like this: Okay, I’m going to try to work on my journal. Oh, but I still haven’t swept the floor, and it’s looking quite bad. Right, I’m journaling. Oh no! I still need to make dinner. Oh yeah, I need to reschedule dinner with my friend. Is she mad that I haven’t yet? But I want to read today and I have so much to do. Where will I find the time? Gosh, it would be nice to just relax. Ugh, I have to work on that assignment. And I have to remember to set an alarm for the laundry.
When I should be focusing on my current task, I’m thinking about a million other things. My anxieties about cleanliness, getting things done, keeping up with my friendships, and everything else on the long list of forever tasks cloud my brain, keeping me from ever getting a task done.
Here’s where meditation comes in. Just as you take five minutes to clear off your physical space, take five more to clear your mind. And if you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for that,” yes, you do. These 10 crucial minutes can save you hours working on a task mindlessly.
There are many apps that provide meditation guides. Calm is one of the most popular ones, and for good reason. The app provides guided meditation for all levels and situations. Want to improve your sleep? Click on their sleep meditation section to find a plethora of options to help you get better sleep. Getting ready to start a new task? Go into their grounding meditation and focus on resetting your mind to this task.
Meditation has been so immensely helpful in refocusing my mind on the things at hand and just overall being more mindful of my actions and thoughts.
Noise
Just as different locations work for different people, some love being in a populated, noisy area while some need perfect silence to relax. Finding the right situation for you is the key to finding your tranquility.
1. Music vs. Silence
Music can either be extremely helpful or extremely distracting and can cross the line between the two super quickly. I could be getting my tasks done with a calming playlist, and suddenly, a song I love comes on. I become distracted trying to sing the lyrics. A song I don’t know comes on and I want to pause to listen to it fully.
Finding the right music for you (or silence) is all about what makes you feel calm and comfortable. I enjoy softer playlists sprinkled with indie artists, classical music, and the type of music you would hear at a cafe when I am working on getting things done. These sounds put me at peace when I feel stressed out.e.
2. Noise Machines / Apps
As opposed to being productive, white noise or rain sounds are my go-to when I am trying to relax or sleep. As with anything (which I will talk about in the lighting section), separation between productivity and relaxation is made easier when your setting feels completely different between the instances.
If I listen to calming music while being productive, rock and pop music when I am having fun, and rain noises when I am trying to calm my mind to silence, my brain will associate each of the sounds with that specific task. Now, if I put the sound of rain in the background while trying to work, I may find myself sleepy and too at peace for my mind to work. If I put a pop song on while trying to be productive, I may be having fun, but will also probably be distracted from that work.
Many apps offer calming soundscapes to help you relax. TIDE is my personal favorite. The app offers many free sounds, such as rain, a campfire, the forest, the ocean current, a cafe, keyboard clicking, and many more. As a bonus, the app does quick meditations to focus on your breathing. You put in what you want to focus on and the app will curate sounds and meditations to help you with that.
Having a good balance of noise can create a tranquil space that feels easy to move through the cycles of movement and rest.
Lighting
Lighting has a powerful effect on our cognitive functions. A study by the National Library of Medicine tested 16 healthy adults following two nights of sleep restriction (only five hours per night) by exposing half to bright light during the daytime and dim light during the nighttime and the other half to dim light the whole time (the control group).
They found that bright light exposure reduced sleepiness, decreased SEMs (slow eye movements caused by sleep onset), and increased PVT (psychomotor vigilance test, which measures a person’s ability to concentrate attention) performance. This means that daylight is a cure for your sleepy exhaustion and can make you more productive, while dim light is helpful for trying to rest.
Separating work and relaxation can be as simple as dimming your lights when you are off work. This change can help settle you in for the night and cut off your thoughts to other tasks. Dim vs. bright lights is already an association most of us connect to work or rest, so manipulate it to create a tranquil space for you. Use bright lights during working hours and dim lighting during resting hours so that you go into the setting knowing what will occur.
Making the Space Your Own
What creates tranquility is different for everyone, so make the space your own. For me, cute little strawberry-themed items around my room give me peace. Pale colors, lots of books, rain sounds, and lots of open floor space make me feel at peace. Live plants give me energy, so I get fresh flowers from the market each month. Do what will make you feel most peaceful and create a space that is perfect for whatever it is you want to do!
Now it’s your turn to reflect. What makes you feel most at peace in your space? What can you add or remove from your space to give you the highest level of tranquility? What can you do to ensure you transition between work and relaxation smoothly so that their blending won't inhibit your peace? Find what works for you and put it into place. You got this.
About The Author
Sierra is a recent English graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She enjoys writing and reading with a passion. She is especially passionate about sustainability and human rights and she hopes to use her writing to inspire others in these movements. As the Editor-in-Chief at LYF, Sierra is happy for the opportunity to contribute to these topics. When not reading or writing, she can be found playing video games or binge-watching TV. The things she loves most include strawberries, new stationery, and her bed.
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