Your Health
Soothe Your Senses
Indulge yourself at home with a personalized ‘spa’ experience.


Exhausted, you slip the key into the lock, kick off your shoes and drop your bag on the floor. It’s dark, the house is stuffy, and you could devour a dinosaur. Welcome to the poison hour…that otherworldly moment between shedding the workday mantle and dissolving into your sanctuary.  

“Some sanctuary,” you shrug, because that notion doesn’t fit the domain you’ve just entered. What should be a place of serenity suddenly resembles a bat cave — dim, with an uncomfortable ambiance.

In order to stave off a beeline to the fridge or rifle through stacks of junk mail, a benevolent re-entry to your home is at your fingertips. Utilizing the gifts of your senses will allow you to slow down and reorder what you’ll feel inherently good about: your personal space.

We often take for granted what we smell, see, feel, hear and taste. Here are ways to make them a priority.

Smell
Starting the moment you enter your home, engaging your sense of smell is the first thing you’ll notice. Even before the lights are clicked on, if the smell is unpleasant, you will be too. Realtors routinely tip off sellers to bake cookies or simmer spices on the stove before a showing.

Think aromatherapy. A bowl of potpourri or a quick spray of home fragrance will convey a pleasurable atmosphere. Just as a Yogi lights a favorite candle or stick of incense to increase awareness, adding good smells within your home will boost your mood. Particularly during the holidays, the fresh clean scents of pine, holly, juniper and cinnamon offer tantalizing essences to fill your home.

Sight
Your eyes are open, but you can’t see…through the clutter that is. The ancient art of Feng Shui has a strong message to create order within your personal space. Clutter is considered a definite obstacle for the positive flow of nurturing energy or ‘ch’i.’ Living with objects you love, instead of what you despise, enhances the life you live. 

In tandem with the positive flow of energy, take off your shoes and pad around barefoot. Designer Gail Morse recommends installing cork floors. “They’re amazingly resilient, muffle sound and are a green solution to rooms where you don’t want carpet,” she says.

With clutter comes chaos, which begets negativity. If you aren’t inspired by all the ‘stuff’ you fail to throw away, you hamper your potential for comfort and happiness. Short of sounding like your mother, get organized. Rid your home of clutter and you will feel energized with far more clarity. 

Shed some light on your space. Flood your rooms with natural light from unadorned windows. Squinting, even with your glasses on, means your home has poor lighting. You probably already know that working in a cubicle under harsh fluorescence can turn your view a sickly green. While you might not be able to change your workday environment, use soft white or pink incandescence at home. When you need to soothe your frazzled psyche, try candlelight, which evokes a sense of immediate calmness.

Touch
Interior designer Anita Starke, Allied Member ASID, understands that having a pampering evening in the comfort of your own home is deliciously rewarding. Cue the candles, fill the tub and turn down the lights. “Everyone needs time to unwind,” she says. “It’s not selfish, it’s a necessity.”

Barbara French agrees. When she leaves her stressful job, she comes home and turns to massage. “I learned to do massage therapy and give facials, which I find incredibly relaxing,” she says. “I enjoy making someone happy, and this is one of the best ways to bring instant satisfaction to the weary.” 

One homeowner even insists that her massages happen outside on her patio. When the weather permits, she advocates having the sunset, a crisp white sheet and soft breezes as the only accompaniment to an hour of bliss.

Sound
Some folks enter their home and switch on the television. The chatter and drone can be annoying. Sound, like sight and smell, works on our internal radar. Gentle music is more comforting than incessant babble.

Gail heaps praise on the soothing sounds of nature. “If you don’t have windows that open onto green space, purchase a sound machine,” she suggests. “A babbling brook, ocean waves, sounds of the meadow, even a thunderstorm are available on these inexpensive devices.” Better yet, seek silence, which is often accompanied by its partner, reflection.

Taste
Candles are glowing, music is wafting, and smells are simmering. You are anticipating the perfect meal. Yet suddenly there’s something very familiar, albeit wrong with this picture. You are eating standing up. To savor a meal is a pleasure. Why not take the time to delight in the flavors you deserve? Please sit down. Leave the haste and delight in the taste.

As you slip into your shelter, your senses offer solutions. Hearten each and you will surround yourself with a feel-good, nurturing sanctuary.