“Self-care” seems to be a consistent topic in the health and wellness industry that suggests we take little moments out of our day-to-day lives to make space for peace, tranquility and pause. No matter what your source of inner peace is, it is universally agreeable that knowing how to find it is the most profound way to heal and stay uplifted in daily life.
There are many ways to change a workspace or home to accommodate self-care and little moments of peace for just about anyone. During the busy holiday season, remember to take pause and create a beautiful space in which you can recharge again.
In a recent book titled The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, the author focuses on the idea of “biophilia” which suggests that all humans possess the innate need to connect with other forms of life. There are studies that find practically anyone can be uplifted by a walk outside in nature in some form or another. Another example of connecting with living things around us are our pets, who recharge us on our hardest days. This sense of biophilia is changing the way we build, create and live in our interior environments. There is a recent craze to bring nature indoors with us — and not many are contesting it.
Because it isn’t feasible for most to walk outside in nature as they need to every day or always be with their dog or cat, there is more creativity due to make space for those moments of pause and nature indoors, too — in our office, in our kitchen or community workspace. While this certainly doesn’t mean that everyone enjoys a clutter of plants around them (although some most certainly do!), it does mean that just about anyone can appreciate some sort of green in their space in one form or another. A touch of green absolutely does provide a moment of tranquility.
Many new and updated commercial office spaces in Utah are offering lounges, open seating and “mothers’ rooms” to take that moment of pause. It’s encouraging to see employers prioritize privacy and quiet hours for their staff and understand the value of providing that space.
Introducing live green plants into an office further adds to that sense of health and wellness for employees as well. Moss walls, interior plant walls and acoustic moss panels are integrated into current designs to reinstate that sense of biophilia right in the workplace. Plants can dampen noise while literally cleansing the air of free radicals, VOCs and toxicities that cause depression and fatigue. Employers who introduce these moments of greenery for their employees are subtly creating that space for wellness, which has great benefits to both parties, as it is generally uplifting for everyone.
Create that clean and healthy environment for yourself even if it is in a cubicle or a corner of your desk by adding a small air plant, a moss terrarium or bud vase with fresh floral. You’ll find that having that sense of something living, green and alive will uplift you in the most subtle ways. You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy this simple pleasure. Even if you are not the best at care, just treat yourself to a few sprigs of cut flowers per week or purchase a new small plant every few weeks to enjoy. It is a small gesture to yourself to enjoy something from nature amid the hectic work environment.
If you’d really like to treat yourself, consider a weekly floral or plant service to keep your plants vibrant and green without worry. Offices often consider this to sustain the greenery they invested in, which is wise to keep the plants alive and fresh.
The best part of self-care is that it should be easy — not a goal to be attained or another notch to tick out of your already full day, and certainly not an expensive spa day or a distant tropical vacation or new car. Self-care should be easy and attainable for us all, and it starts with the space we live in. While our busy work and home lives can be the source of stress, simple adjustments to our surroundings can ease the discomfort, providing an emotionally and physically healthy space.
So, do yourself a favor this holiday and take opportunity to “stop and smell the roses.” And remember to enjoy the moment.
Aja Macheel is an interiorscape design specialist with 20 years’ horticultural experience across the Wasatch Front, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. She is currently sales manager at Salt Lake City’s Cactus & Tropicals.