What is it that you want people to feel when they walk into your home? What impact does your environment have on your relationships? Creating an intentional space in your home can have a big impact on the way that the home feels and can you’re your relationships flourish.
The image above is of my Swinton Counseling therapy office in Sandy. I have incorporated nourishing elements into that space that appeal to the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, temperature, and even taste because I know that human senses create human awareness. When there is a sense of peace that the body receives from the environment, it can help create a feeling of safety, which is essential for growth in relationships. I frequently see couples walk into this space with a tendency toward tension and blame and leave this space softer and able to see the beauty in their relationships.
Fall is a beautiful time of year with the changing colors, abundance of the nature’s harvest, and the cooling down of temperatures. There is research that suggests that there are evidence-based ways to incorporate nature into places where you spend time that are helpful in cultivating relationships. Here is 12 ways to use nature to nourish your relationships:
- Cultivate grounds for viewing at your home
- Maintain a garden
- Use wooded parks and green spaces in your community
- Enjoy and advocate to preserve pristine wilderness
- Welcome animals indoors
- Provide a plethora of potted plants within view
- Light rooms with natural light
- Provide a clear view of nature outside
- Allow outside air and sounds in
- Display nature photography and realistic nature art
- Watch nature on TV or videos
- Listen to recorded sounds of nature
If you are in need of one of these intentional healing spaces, do your best to create it in your home. It can help your relationship. If you need additional support, we invite you to consider receiving couples therapy at Swinton Counseling.
