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Meditation: Why Five Minutes a Day Beats “Going Deep” Once a Week

Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash

Meditation is an ancient practice dating back thousands of years, and it has the backing of science for decades now. Even if you’re not a meditator, you’re probably aware of all the benefits it can bring to your life.

What you might not know, however, is that consistent practice is the most important thing. Even if that’s only five minutes most days. Of course, twenty to thirty minutes a day will yield better results. And twice a day is even better. But if you only do five minutes a day, it’s still worth it and can be of benefit to you.

Consider a meditation practice to be a mental and emotional fitness regime, which works similarly to a physical fitness regime. The fitness builds gradually over time, and short daily exercise gets you there quicker than ad hoc longer sessions.

So if you only have a few minutes to spare a day, it’s better to use them to meditate than to wait until the weekend when you can give yourself a longer session. (Although, feel free to have the longer sessions when you do have the time.)

In your short daily sessions, you give your body a chance to release some of the stress that it’s harboring. Often we have no conscious awareness of this happening, but with regular practice and some hindsight, most people see that they have experienced and benefitted from this.

Even though your mind will probably remain quite busy throughout, do not be discouraged or deterred. It doesn’t mean it’s not working or that you’re not doing it right. It’s our mind’s nature to be busy, and it’s normal for thoughts to continuously intrude while we’re trying to focus on our breath or mantra.

The point of meditation is to notice our wandering minds and bring them back to our chosen focal point. And to notice when they wander again and bring them back once more. And to notice this over and over until the time is up.

Don’t expect yourself to be perfect. It’s called a practice for a reason.

Every time we practice, we give ourselves a chance to release a little of what isn’t serving us well. A little released every day is a good thing. If you only showered or took a bath once a week, you’d still wash your smelly parts on the days in between. Just like washing, meditation is a cleansing, self-care practice.

And like physical fitness, the benefits are cumulative. So five minutes today can be built upon with five more minutes tomorrow and the next day. Add to this, a few minutes each day increases the likelihood that you’ll keep it up for the long haul. Longer ad hoc sessions run the risk of being abandoned altogether.

None of this is to say that a longer daily sit isn’t recommended. As with anything, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. So, if you can, it is ideal to do 20 to 30 minutes in the morning and again in the early evening. All I’m saying is if your lifestyle currently makes that feel too challenging, then start with five minutes daily until you’re able to give it longer.

As a meditation teacher, it’s the biggest excuse I hear from people as to why they can’t or won’t develop a meditation practice. “I don’t have time.” But you can definitely find five minutes somewhere in your day. (Cut it out of your Medium reading time if you have to.)

You’ll probably even find yourself a little invigorated and more focussed when you resume whatever task you’ve taken a break from. And again, noticing the difference these few minutes makes can further encourage you to do it daily and maybe even carve out ten or fifteen minutes.

The magic of taking five minutes for ourselves is self-care in the present and improved well-being in the future. Surely that’s worth it?

Please be aware: while meditation is generally deemed safe for most people to practice, if you have an existing mental health problem, you should consult with your doctor before taking it up. And your instructor needs to be informed of your condition.

January 29, 2021
Tips to Make a Small Space Feel Bigger.

It’s not all about painting it white.

Photo by Malik Shibly on Unsplash

The most common advice when it comes to decorating a small space is to paint it white. And while this has its merits, it won’t always work.

White reflects light, and this can help a room to feel more spacious. But if the light coming in is northern (in the northern hemisphere), the room will never be bright enough.

Not to worry, because there are several other tricks we can use to create the illusion of spaciousness.

And many of them relate to furniture choice.

Let’s start with the obvious: avoid over-sized furniture.

All pieces need to be correctly proportioned for the space available. It’s frustrating to be in a small room that is over-crowded with extra-large furniture. And, of course, it sucks the space out of the room, thereby over-emphasizing its small size.

That said, the converse is also true: don’t kit your room out in under-sized furniture either.

Compensating for the lack of space by choosing smaller furniture is a common mistake. It has a sound logic: a two-seater sofa will take up less space in a small living room than a three-seater. Similarly, a casual chair is often thought a better option than an armchair.

But these smaller pieces tend to highlight the smallness of the room. And while you’ll have more physical space, you won’t have a sense of spaciousness. And that is important.

Of course, if a two-seater is needed to keep everything in proportion, that is the right choice. But if you have the space for a three-seater, then this is something to consider.

The real trick is in the volume of the piece rather than its length or width.

You want to choose slimline furniture. Chunky furniture is going to take up visual space as well as actual space. So avoid the marshmallow pieces and choose something with slim (or no) armrests. The backrest should have enough cushioning to be comfortable, but not so much that it’s adding more than necessary to the depth.

A slimline three-seater sofa — that isn’t crammed into the space — can help the room to look and feel larger than it is. The extra length, compared to a two-seater, tricks the eye into thinking the space is wider.

The other key thing with furniture choice is to opt for pieces that are on legs.

From your seating to your coffee tables and sideboards. You want as much of it as possible raised off the floor. The more floor space you can see, the greater the illusion of space.

Use reflective surfaces.

You may already know about the mirror trick. Mirrors reflect light and can be your best friend in a small space. Hang one opposite or near a window to help increase the natural light.

And you can get similar benefits from glass tabletops, metallic finishes, and glazed ceramics. All can help reflect and bounce light around the room. And the more natural light there is, the more spacious it can feel.

Tricks with paint.

Choosing a paler color is a good idea. Lighter colors appear to recede from us. And darker colors appear to advance towards us. This is why darker-colored rooms tend to feel smaller.

You could paint the ceiling the same color as the wall (if you’re not doing white walls). A contrasting ceiling clearly defines the height of the room. So if your ceilings are on the low side, removing that boundary creates an illusion of added height.

And you could do the same with the doors, architraves, and baseboards. Again, if they blend in with the walls, you blur the boundaries of the room. The starker the boundaries are, the clearer the size of the room is.

Don’t breakup the flooring.

If you have an open-plan layout, choose the same flooring throughout. If you have tiling in the kitchen-dining area, then wood or carpet in the living area, you visually break up the space. Of course, you do want to zone different areas for their different functions. But you want to do it without interrupting the visual flow.

Instead of using different flooring, use a rug to zone the living area. And go as large as you can. A rug that all your seating sits on (even if only partially) will help to trick the eye. It draws it under the (raised) furniture, again giving the illusion of more floor space. A rug that sits in front of your seating, with only a coffee table on it, will make space visually contract.

Storage and shelving.

In a small space, it’s vital to keep visual clutter to a minimum. The fewer items vying for your eyes’ attention, the more spacious it will feel.

Closed storage will help with this, for sure. But if you love the look of open shelving, keep it simple. Don’t cram every inch — allow space. Heavily laden bookshelves can make a room feel closed in. Thinning out your collection can bright a surprising lightness to the space.

And if you’re storing more functional pieces that don’t add to the décor, use baskets or other attractive containers to keep them out of sight when you’re not using them.

While we can’t create more physical space without knocking down walls, there is plenty we can do to create the feeling of spaciousness. And a comfortable, nurturing home is all about how it feels.

Start with a declutter and see the difference that makes. Then, over time, add in other elements that will help create the effect you want.

Originally published at https://www.newsbreak.com.

You might also be interested in:

Key Colour Effects to Consider before Hitting the DIY Stores.

January 29, 2021
The Limitations of Positive Thinking & Why we Need to Feel our Feelings.

Photo by Amin Moshrefi on Unsplash

There is an interconnection between our thoughts and our feelings. And science fully endorses the healthy effect positive thinking can have on us.

“Positive” thoughts generate “good” feelings. And “negative” thoughts generate “bad” feelings. The positive thinking movement encourages us to reframe our negative thoughts to change how we feel.

And there is a lot of sense to this approach. In fact, studies show that positive thinking can improve immunity, reduce anxiety and encourage healthy habits.

I would argue, though, that positive thinking can be unhelpful if it becomes our habitual go-to practice without first allowing ourselves to feel our uncomfortable emotions.

Our suppressed emotions don’t go anywhere.

They are stored within our bodies, lying in wait to re-emerge at another time. Our issues are in our tissues, and they will be triggered repeatedly until we stop fearing them and take the time to feel them.

And while positive thinking definitely does have a place in shifting our mindsets, maybe this shouldn’t be our first port of call. Maybe we should learn to first take the time to sit with and feel our uncomfortable emotions.

This concept is probably easier for people who cry regularly to grasp than for those who never do. After a good cry, we feel better. The energy of whatever upset us has moved through our bodies and been released. And we feel lighter, although maybe a bit shattered too.

Trying to positively think our way out of upsetting circumstances is like putting a sticky plaster on a festering wound. If we don’t allow the icky feelings to disperse first of all, we’re not cleansing the wound. Suppressing the feelings is a short-term coping mechanism, while over the longer term there is still something hurting us that we’re trying our best to ignore.

If we move to reframe our thoughts too quickly, we’re burying land-mines within our psyche that could potentially explode at a future date. Often with just the mildest of triggers.

But positive thinking has more appeal than sitting with murky feelings for a while. We prefer to avoid discomfort and move to quash those feelings. When we sit with them for a while and allow them to move through us, we honor our true selves.

It’s more appropriate to explore the thoughts that may have contributed to these feelings after they’ve dispersed. When we’re not struggling to suppress our discomfort, it’s easier to get some clarity.

And with that clarity, then we can set about reframing our thoughts. And when we start to think differently, we will feel differently.

It’s a paradox worth exploring: to feel happy, we must also allow ourselves to feel sad.

And frustrated, fearful, or whatever else arises. We need to feel our feelings and make peace with them to understand where they arise from.

There is no happy-ever-after. Life is a series of ups and downs. And overall, we’ll be happier if we develop emotional resilience rather than desperately trying to avoid all negative experiences. We need to learn how to ride the waves while also paying attention to our mindset.

Before rushing to reframe negative thoughts, make it a priority to release the emotion they’ve triggered.

And for old traumas that may be deeply embedded and causing physical, mental or emotional distress, consider exploring somatic experiencing to help release it. Studies to support this approach are in the early stages, but initial results suggest it can help people suffering from PTSD and other issues.

It comes back to the premise that our suppressed emotions are held within us, and to heal the effects on our minds and bodies, we need to find ways to release them gently.

There is no denying that our mental attitude impacts how we experience the world around us. But we cannot positively think our way out of a traumatic experience. If we rely on that technique alone, we live in denial of what is stored within us.

We need to be real with ourselves to facilitate true healing. For best results, consider combining both approaches.

January 25, 2021
Treating your Home Like a Temple.

Why it matters and how to do it.

Our homes have always been inextricably linked to our wellbeing. And that is especially true in this Covid era. Required to spend almost all our days within our homes, it’s time to start treating them as temples.

Maybe this concept is new and seems a bit wacky to you. But if you’re familiar with Feng Shui, or the Indian equivalent Vastu Shastra, this is the fundamental philosophy behind the traditions and guidelines.

Our homes should be a haven for our minds, bodies, and spirits. They are the containers for our energy, and we have a symbiotic relationship with them. The energy we emit impacts our homes’ energy, and the energy in our homes impacts how we feel.

It’s helpful to our wellbeing to be mindful of this and regard our homes as sacred spaces. They are, after all, where we recover and refresh our bodies and minds.

So we do need to put in a little effort to create and maintain a sense of sanctuary. Generally speaking, though, that doesn’t have to be anything overwhelming. For the most part, simple steps will achieve the effect we need.

As the world moved into lockdown last year, many people started redecorating their homes. Both as a distraction and because switching up the look of our homes can also help us feel better about them and within them. The two quickest, and most cost-effective ways to do this, are to paint the walls and to change the room layout. I recommend both if you’re feeling the need for a visual change in your home.

But in terms of creating sacred space, our tasks are more basic.

To set your home up as a true sanctuary — a place that nourishes your wellbeing on all levels — think more along the lines of a temple than a magazine cover.

Whether you align with a religion or not, thinking about how temples are used and cared for will help you set your own home up as your (and your family’s) personal sanctuary:

It will be clean and clutter-free. Yeah, I know, not fun! It is the fundamental step though, like washing our bodies before we put on clean clothes. Of course, different clearing levels are possible in different households, depending on the age and needs of everyone living there.

Where mess is completely unavoidable, is it possible to zone it? Or could you organize your storage better to create pockets of temporary calm when the necessities aren’t in use? And clear out what’s definitely past being loved and used — even if it’s only to the car boot until the charity shops can reopen.

Use sound, mindfully chosen to raise spirits. Sing, chant, play instruments. Turn off the news and play Mozart in the background as you go about your day-to-day activities.

Smudge the space by burning incense or herbs. Make sure your incense has natural ingredients, not synthetic ones. And set an intention of what kind of energy you want your home to support before smudging. Do this regularly, especially after a household member has been sick or after an argument.

Create a little altar. This doesn’t have to carry any religious connotations whatsoever. Instead, dedicate a space to symbolically showcase what matters most to you right now. It can act as a reminder when the small things start to get you down and be a reminder that your home itself is a sacred space.

Fresh Air, Greenery, and Symbolism

Other simple steps include opening the windows as much as possible to allow fresh air (energy, chi) to circulate through your home.

And while we don’t see plants in religious temples, they make a great addition to a home. This is especially true if you have no outside space, as plants bring vital living energy into our space.

Review the art and other knick-knacks around your home. Do they reflect you and your life? Do they symbolically support the journey you wish to take going forwards? If you want your home to feel peaceful and happy, does the art you’re looking at daily evoke those feelings?

Art depicting stormy scenarios or sadness might be better swapped out for more joyful scenes. And in the bedroom, be sure you’re displaying symbols of happy couples and not sad or lonely-looking people.

We want our homes to symbolically represent joy, health, love, compassion, and all the other good stuff we wish for ourselves and our loved ones. When we walk through the doors, we want to feel uplifted by the space.

And we want that sense of harmony to stay with us as we move through our homes. So, after we’ve completed any necessary decluttering, it’s important to be thorough with our maintenance cleaning.

I don’t love cleaning, but reframing the idea that it is a chore to being a spiritual practice helps me. I consider my home to be a temple for my body, mind, and spirit, and I treat it accordingly. It has helped me tremendously throughout the past year.

I invite you to see your own home as a similarly sacred space and see how that shift in perception might change how you feel.

Thank you for reading. You might also be interested in:

Create a Home Altar to bring the Sacred into your Everyday Life.

January 23, 2021
Meditation isn’t for Everyone.

Here’s what you need to know.

For most people, meditation is a safe practice that can bring many benefits to our wellbeing. And the internet is a plethora of resources to help people get started with the practice.

What we don’t see so often, though, are warnings that meditation is not for everyone. Or it might not be for some people at given periods of their lives.

For example, people with schizophrenia or who are experiencing psychosis should not meditate without medical supervision, if at all. If you have been diagnosed with a psychiatric or personality disorder, it is crucial to check with your doctor.

Additionally, meditation can sometimes trigger negative experiences, even in people with no history of mental illness.

There is no need to for alarm if you’re considering taking up the practice, as most of the population experience positive effects. But it is important to bear this in mind and proceed cautiously.

Following are some helpful guidelines for people at different stages of mental health.

For those suffering mild to moderate anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues:

There is plenty of evidence that meditation can help ease anxiety and depression. Yet, it is wise to consult your doctor before you decide to take it up.

Your doctor may suggest psychotherapy alongside meditation (or other self-care practices). If so, look for a therapist also certified in meditation or mindfulness instruction. Many therapists now offer this, and they can help you develop a practice that works best for you.

For those with good mental and emotional health:

Meditation helps us release stress held in our bodies. That can be physical, mental, or emotional stress. We may have been holding onto some of this stress for many years. The safest way to release it is gently and gradually — and daily practice can help us do this.

Opt for regular classes rather than an intense retreat to learn and settle into the practice. A silent retreat is not an appropriate experience for someone new to the practice. (More on that below.)

With regular meditation, most people notice an improvement in their moods, reduced anxiety, and greater resilience in the face of stressful situations. If you notice the opposite effects, it is best to stop the practice and seek medical help.

If traumatic memories resurface, it is important to address these with appropriate professional support, rather than ignoring them or attempting to re-suppress them.

For those suffering from a serious mental health condition or brain-related issue:

Consultation with your doctor is vital. In some cases, meditation is best avoided rather than practiced. That will depend on the nature of your illness.

A regular meditation practice can alter our consciousness. We can find ourselves moving into the “witnessing” state. This enables us to observe our own actions while we’re attending to our daily business. For most people, this is an interesting and positive experience. And it can help our personal growth.

But this is not the case for those who have an alternative experience of reality than those around them. Instead, this state can be unhelpful and add to the confusion.

You should also check with your doctor if you suffer from seizures or any brain-related condition.

The benefits of meditation are amplified when people meditate together in groups.

This is mostly a beneficial effect, but it’s important to be aware of it. If you’re going through a traumatic period or have significant past trauma you have yet to heal from, group meditations may intensify the release of your stress.

It’s not unusual, in large groups, to hear some people sobbing. And while that’s generally a good sign (something suppressed is being released), it can be an uncomfortable experience, especially in a public setting.

This is why you should be wary of intense retreats unless you’re a seasoned meditator. Avoid the temptation to take part in a ten-day silent retreat, despite the “life-changing” benefits you may have heard or read about.

Silent retreats are hardcore, even for experienced meditators. Usually, there are several group meditations daily — often long in periods. And you’ll have zero breaks from your own thoughts for the entire duration.

There’ll be no chats with the other retreat participants to distract you. With just our own thoughts to engage with over a prolonged period of time, we’re pretty much guaranteed that lots of stuff will come to the surface for examination.

And we need to be sure we’re resilient enough to deal with it and have the proper support in place to help us with that.

So don’t be in a rush to engage in an intense experience in the hopes of releasing all your baggage in one go. It’s far better to do a little every day and heal slowly and gently.

Even if you’re an experienced meditator, it’s still important to bear these safety guidelines in mind.

Like our physical health, our mental health can fluctuate. It’s important always to be mindful and respectful of that. A history of mental health issues is not a prerequisite to developing an illness.

Know what to look out for and how to deal with issues that arise, as we also learn to do with our physical health.

In summary — some general guidelines useful for all:

· Start with 20–30 minute sessions (or shorter). When you feel more confident processing any discomfort that arises, feel free to prolong your sits.

· Meditate once or twice per day, and no more. Even as you become more experienced, do not be tempted to meditate several times daily. The ideal times are early morning and early evening, but find a time that you can easily integrate into your daily routine.

· At the end of each meditation session, take a minute to ground yourself. This means bringing your full attention to your physical body in its physical setting. Even with five-minute sits, it’s important to complete with grounding.

· Avoid week-long or 10-day retreats while new to meditation.

· If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or another mental illness, check in with your doctor before starting. And choose a class that offers live interaction with a qualified instructor rather than a self-paced online course.

· Inform your teacher of all health issues.

· Inform your teacher of any uncomfortable experiences that arise during meditation.

· If you find yourself becoming obsessive about your practice — what you experience, how long, and how often you’re practicing — scale everything back to five minutes a day.

· If you know you have trauma, don’t turn to meditation as a means of avoiding therapy. Instead, look for a therapist who can also guide you in meditation if they deem it appropriate in your treatment.

· Pay attention to how you feel during and after meditation. Hopefully, you will have the common experience of increased well-being. If do you have any reason for concern, stop the practice and seek medical advice.

You might also be interested in:

Simple Meditation Guidelines for Beginners.

January 22, 2021
Japandi: The Design Trend that will Soothe your Senses.
Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash

The Scandi style has been popular outside of Scandinavia for so long now, it feels like a classic that’s here to stay.

And it’s no wonder really, given how well it acts as an antidote to our busy lives. It’s calming colour palettes and minimal décor help us to create serene spaces in which to decompress.

This year we’re set to see a new twist on it, with the style being increasingly mixed with Japanese style to further enhance its wellbeing qualities.

While the stand-alone looks are easily distinguishable, Japanese design does have some common traits with Scandinavian design. Both lean towards natural materials, comfortable functionality and simplicity.

All of these values lend themselves to creating a relaxing environment, and it’s the perfect blend to soothe our senses during these very trying times.

To create a Japandi aesthetic in your own home, following are some helpful guidelines:
- Choose a calming colour palette in muted tones. Scandi typically opts for light neutrals, while Japanese often has dark saturated backdrops. For your Japandi effect, go for warm neutrals…something of a middle ground between the two.
- Add natural textures, in the forms of rugs, throws and cushions. You definitely want to get your Hygge on here. Keep patterns to a minimum, opting for simplicity and favouring a variety in textures. Maybe you could use some Japanese lacquered wallpaper on one wall, for a high quality luxe finish that still honours the principles of simplicity.
- Keep décor low key, with no extraneous ornaments. We’re not talking sparse minimalism – decorative items do have a place in this style. However, they should be intentional and follow the-less-is-more principle. Those items selected for simple adornment will ideally also serve a functional purpose, such as a vase for fresh flowers.
- Add in live plants in beautiful pots, but not too many. Japandi seeks to highlight the elements of nature, but to allow each piece to shine by not overcrowding it with competitors.
- Choose high quality furniture made from natural materials. Mix and match some pieces from both styles – clean lines and light wood for Scandi, and low curved pieces for Japanese. If you already have a lot of Scandi-inspired pieces, try adding some round floor cushions in muted colours to lend a Japanese vibe.
- Keep your space as uncluttered as possible. And for all the everyday stuff of life that you need to hang on to, but will disturb the calm vibe you’re aiming for, use baskets or other containers made of natural materials to both organise and keep them out of sight when not in use. You could also use an elegant screen to section off your work-from-home corner from the rest of your living room.
And most importantly, favour sustainability in all your choices. The Japandi style speaks to and of our natural environment and everything about it should be eco-friendly. Keeping this top of mind, you’re aiming to create a simple and functional space that also oozes cosiness and comfort.

If you can strike a nice balance between these design styles, you’ll create a sense of peace and harmony within your home. And this is both the objective and the appeal of Japandi.
January 10, 2021
2021’s Colours of the Year, and Why you Should Ignore Them.
Each year the Pantone Colour Institute announces a colour for the year ahead. And many leading paint manufacturers have taken to announcing their own choice too.

Whatever the source, each is presenting to us a colour that they’re predicting home-makers will be embracing.

Needless to say, they won’t all be on the same hymn sheet. But between them they are likely to influence the two or three leading colors that will dominate our Pinterest and Instagram feeds as the year unfolds.

It’s interesting to be aware of this. And it’s also important to remember that it’s a trend with a limited timeline. Just twelve months, in fact, as a new color will be chosen for the following year.

The Pantone Colour Institute is recognised as a global leader in predicting color trends. According to their tagline, they unite the science and emotion of color. For this coming year, Pantone has actually selected a pair rather than a single color: Ultimate Gray and Illumuninating.

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating

“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant Illimunating expresses a message of positivity, supported by fortitude. Practical and rock solid, but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.” ~ Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute

I get that, absolutely. And if this message resonates with you, then this color pairing is something to consider if you’re thinking about redecorating.

Just remember, next year this pairing will be so 2021.

The fact that trends change quickly isn’t the only reason to be wary of being overly influenced by them though.

When it comes to choosing the color palette for your home, there are a few important questions to mull over. And the current trends shouldn’t even make it onto that list.

Absolutely, yellow is an uplifting colour. And grey is a grounding one. And both of those qualities could be more than helpful to many of us right now.

But that aspect of color psychology alone isn’t enough to ensure you end up feeling the way you want and need to feel in your space.

The primary considerations can be boiled down to three inter-related questions:
- What is the function of the space?
- What mood do you wish to create in the space?
- What colors appeal to you?
Colors have a significant impact on how we feel, which in turn influence how we engage with a space.

Those on the warmer side of the color wheel (reds, oranges, yellows) are recommended for use in rooms where we plan on being more lively. While those on the cooler side (blues and greens) are suggested for rooms in which we want to relax.

Therefore, whatever the color of the year is – in any given year – it will be limited in how useful it can be in helping us achieve these objectives.

Not to mention the fact, we just might hate all versions of the current color du jour.

Although I personally used a lemon and gray combination to decorate my bedroom in 1989, I wouldn’t be doing so now. A deep mustard hall would be more to my taste.

If this pairing appeals to you though, it could be a lovely choice for a kitchen or entryway. Or if you think too much yellow in your hallway woudl be overpowering, how about using it on the exterior of your front door?

Whatever your decision, personal taste should always trump the taste of the trend-makers.

As it turns out, Benjamin Moore’s color for 2021 is personally more appealing to me: Aegean Teal.

Agean Teal 2136-40

Teal is a color that I’m generally a fan of in most tints or shades. For me, this is a colour I could live with for a long time – in the right room.

Remember to ask yourself that: can you love it when it’s not the colour of the moment?

Teal leans from green-blue to blue-green, and any version of green or blue is a great choice for the times we’re living through too. The colors that dominate nature, they both help us to relax. So, it’s a great colour to use in a living room, bedroom, or even a study.

However, you do want to be mindful of the light in whatever room you’re thinking of using it in.

In the northern hemisphere, northerly-facing rooms have cooler light. This will bring out the cooler aspect of the colour.

You may need to find a more green, less blue-leaning teal. And before you make your final decision, get a few samples of teals that you like, and try them out in the room. On every wall.

Check how they appear and feel to you at different times of the day, but most particularly the time of day when you’ll use that room the most.

It can – and often does – turn out that a colour you theoretically love just doesn’t work for you in the room in question. In which case you’ll be back to the drawing board.

Which brings us back to the fundamental premise: forget the trend setters and choose for you.

First published on Newsbreak.com

You might also be interested in:

Key Colour Effects to Consider before Hitting the DIY Stores.
January 6, 2021
Get your Home in Order and your Life will Follow.
Photo by Volha Flaxeco on Unsplash

One of the best things you can do for yourself over the month of January is to clean, declutter, organise and Feng Shui your home.

Seriously, get your home in order and it will reap benefits in other areas of your life.

I know that sounds like a lot of work, but you do have a full month to do it. A month when there’s often not a lot of exciting social activities to distract you (even pre-Covid times).

And if you’re looking to bring about meaningful change in your life over the coming year, this work is a perfect foundation. Because spring cleaning is emotional clearing.

It has this magical, alchemical effect on our energy. It’s as if clearing out the physical debris in our homes has a metaphysical correlation on the mental and emotional stuff that’s been weighing us down.

It’s amazing how many people report an upturn in their mood, their creativity and the opportunities coming their way after a thorough decluttering of their homes.

So while spring cleaning might not be a traditional January activity, this year more than ever, it’s a great time to focus on sorting out your home.

So tidy up the coat and boot mess in your entryway. Clean and reorganise your kitchen cupboards. On a dry day, wash your windows, even if there’s still plenty more rain to come in the weeks ahead.

Go through your home room by room and remove anything that you don’t actively love, or use. Stop holding onto ornaments, artwork and knick knacks that were gifted to you by loved ones, unless you love the actual gift as much as the gesture.

At the same time, make a list of any repairs that need to be made. Undone tasks are a form of mental clutter, and they drain our energy on a subconscious level every time we notice them. So make that list, and start ticking the items off it as you move through the month.

Learn about the Feng Shui bagua, which divides your home into nine equal zones that energetically correspond with different aspects of your life: health and wellbeing, relationships, finances, career path, personal development, family and community, reputation, travel and helpful people.

When you regard a corner of your home as being reflective of your financial situation, it will motivate you to keep it in good order.

There are a lot of rules and guidelines that Westerners may not resonate with, but the important lesson we can all benefit is to create homes where the energy can circulate freely.

This is why decluttering can have such a powerful effect on our lives, not just our homes.

Piles of stuff that need to be sorted through, cleared away, or moved around when we need to get to whatever they’re blocking, is a constant drain on our energy—even if we’re not consciously aware of it.

When we declutter and clean, we also cleanse the space on an energetic level and leave room for that energy to move unhindered around our homes. On the contrary, clutter causes stagnation in our homes’ energy, and also in our lives.

And quite apart from the Feng Shui benefits, a decluttered home helps us in other, simple ways which generally improve our day to day experiences in our homes:
- Less items to accumulate dust makes it easier to clean and improves respiratory health issues.
- Precious time is saved when we no longer need to hunt for items.
- Decluttered spaces are calm spaces, and calm spaces are easier to relax in than busy ones.
- We can use our space and furniture properly, for example sitting to eat at the dining table instead of balancing a plate on our lap because the table is buried under books, paperwork and ironing.
- We can see all the clothes we own and access them more easily. Although the quantity of our clothes will decrease, the variety of what we now wear will probably improve.
When our homes only contain what we need for the day-to-day functioning of our lives, and just enough artistic and decorative pieces to give us a lift, we gift ourselves with a home that is so much more than a shelter from the world.

It becomes a true sanctuary for our bodies, minds and souls.

Instead of draining our energy, our decluttered homes gives it a boost. And that empowers us in all the other areas we’re hoping to make changes.

If we didn’t know it before, 2020 taught us that our home is our castle. And it’s in our best interests to enable the energy to flow easily and make it as uplifting a space as possible.

So, let’s use this oft-maligned first month of the new year to get our houses in order.

First published on Newsbreak.com
January 4, 2021
Why Choosing a Word for the Year is More Effective than Resolutions.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Man plans. God laughs. ~ Yiddish proverb

2020 was a rollercoaster year, chocabloc with life lessons. And top of the list for many of us was the truth of this proverb.

Our life can be turned upside down in a heartbeat, without warning.

And it’s hard enough to stick to new year resolutions when we have a reasonably clear view of the way ahead. How on earth are we supposed to stay focused when we can’t predict from one day to the next what’s going to happen in our immediate, or wider world?

So, how are your resolutions for 2021 working out so far?

If you’re already wavering, then you’re not alone. But rather than chastise yourself for that, I have an alternative suggestion. It could solve all your new year resolution dilemmas, forevermore. Not just in these particularly uncertain times.

And that is, to choose a word for the year instead.

Reflect on, and blend all your intended resolutions. Cogitate on them until you can find a single word that encapsulates the core motivation underlying all we want to achieve in the coming year.

The Word for the Year has been growing in popularity as a replacement for new year’s intentions for over a decade. It’s about getting clarity on the one thing that would make the biggest difference to your life right now.

It’s a word that will anchor your awareness and direct your actions. In time, this anchor will take root at a subconscious level and you won’t need to make as much effort to align your thoughts and deeds with it.

When we have our word, it focuses our energy and acts as a constant reminder of who it is we’d like to be.

How do you find your perfect word for the coming year?

If something is popping into your head right now, trust that. Write it down and sit with it over the coming ten days. If it continues to feel right, stick with it.

Most people, however, will need to do a little reflection to find theirs. Here are some questions to consider:
- What went well for you this past year, and what not so well? How much of that was within your control, or not? If you could encapsulate what didn’t work in one word, what would be its opposite? Try that word on for size and see how it feels. Does that carry the energy of what you most need right now?
- What do you want more of in your life? What single word best encapsulates that?
- What do you want less of? What positive word is the opposite, and does it resonate?
- If you have more of what you want, less of what you don’t want, achieve all your goals — how will you feel? Is that your word?
- How do you want to show up in the world? If 2021 were your final year, how would you want to be remembered? What word best encapsulates the underlying motivation for this desire?
Journal your answers to these questions and circle any words that feel like they may be contenders. Note them on a separate list.

For inspiration, you’re looking for powerful, expansive words like:

growth, creativity, love, hope, grace, Goddess, connection, nurture, flourish, power, knowing, dream, transformation, courage, truth, ease, expansion

Review the long list and circle any that stir up a bodily response when you consider them. Armed now with a shorter list, you’re getting closer to your word.

Spend some time-even a few days – contemplating each of these words. Keep them in a place where you’ll see them frequently. And wait, patiently, for the sense of knowing to arrive.

The right word will make itself felt in your consciousness. And when it does, embrace it.

Place reminders anywhere it feels right and appropriate to do so – your bathroom mirror, fridge door, car dashboard, inside your hall door.

Make it your screen-saver.

If you have an altar, place it there. You’ll find plenty of stores where you can purchase lovely paraphanalia with your word engraved on it, but it would be better to make your own.

Of course, notes and trinkets aren’t essential. The important thing is that we use our word – all the time. Anytime you’re feeling challenged, use your word as a mantra to help shift and re-focus your energy. Ask yourself, “What would (word) do?”

Words are powerful.

Words consciously injected with specific intentions for growth and expansion can help us shift our energy. Our own words can move us from a place of self-sabotage to a place of self-care, self-worth, and self-love.

As the year progresses, having our word enmeshed in our consciousness makes it easier for us to persist in honoring ourselves when distractions and challenges arise. Its simplicity is genius-and highly effective.

And it’s the perfect antidote to failed resolutions. So forget about setting yourself yard sticks that you’ll end up beating yourself up with when your resolve falters.

Go forth and find your word, and prosper.

A version of this post was first published on Newsbreak.com
January 3, 2021
Prioritise Self Care over Self Improvement when Setting your New Year Resolutions.

Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash

Self-care and self-improvement can be easily confused. There’s some cross-over for sure. And yet, there is an important difference between them.

Self-care has, at its core, the intention of nurturing our wellbeing so that we can function to the best of our abilities.

Self-improvement frequently comes from a place of not feeling good enough.

When there is a healthier motivation, such as striving to be better while still believing we are already good enough, then it has a place within our self-care plan.

But when our motivation for self-improvement is to help us feel better about ourselves, or to seek external validation from others, then it’s not truly self-care.

And I often think that self-improvement is a much weaker motivation than self-care.

Sticking to new year resolutions is notoriously difficult. According to studies, 75% of us will maintain our new year resolutions for the first week of January.

But only 64% of us are still sticking to them by the end of the month, and that number has dropped to 46% by mid-way through the year.

Maybe if our reasons for choosing our resolutions came from a place of loving ourselves more, rather than being unhappy with who we are right now, we might have greater success with them.

This past year especially has shown us how important it is to take care of our health needs, on the mental and emotional levels as well as the physical.

So, for 2021 how about we resolve to focus more on being kind to ourselves and less on “improving” ourselves – and then beating ourselves up when we fall off that wagon.

That doesn’t mean our 2021 resolutions can’t include the typical examples like weight loss, training for a marathon, learning a new skill. Self-care does include exercise, healthy eating, and stress management techniques.

The key issue is the place within us that is choosing the new habits. Are we making these choices for our own personal wellbeing? Or are we making them to project a shinier, “better” impression of ourselves to those around us?

This matters massively.

It’s time to stop sabotaging ourselves and to nurture our wellbeing.

Look at the list of resolutions you may be making in your head. Put them down on paper and examine them. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to integrate this habit into my life? How will it benefit me?”

Also ask, “What might it cost me? And is that a healthy price to pay? Will the ultimate outcome be of true benefit to me?”

Get really honest with yourself. And if you sense you’re coming more from a self-improvement angle than a self-care one, then make some tweaks. Tweak your motivation, not necessarily your resolution.

Get in touch with the part of yourself that knows what will truly serve you well. If that part of you can align with a resolution, then it’s ok to keep it. And you’ll probably succeed better with it.

But if that part of you feels nothing but unease around a resolution, then maybe you need to cross that one off your list.

It never helps to be over-ambitious with them anyway, if you want to be among the 46% at the mid-year point.

Set your resolutions purely from a place of self-love and watch how your habits unfold over the coming year.

First published on Newsbreak.com

December 30, 2020

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