Have you ever wondered how to create your safe space? Many of us are so used to the rush of our everyday lives that we have forgotten to consider our own sacred space.
A safe space can be defined in many ways. Basically, it is a place where we can feel safe, free from judgment and where we can do whatever we love doing. It is a place where we can hold open dialogues with those who are most important to us, or even with ourselves. In this safe space, we can feel free to express our innermost thoughts, hopes and dreams. It is also where we can vent out our negative emotions if necessary, without fear of the consequences. Your safe space is your very own magic shop.
Each one of us needs to create our own safe space to help us create balance in our lives. As we go about our daily lives; we move through spaces and places where we need to follow rules and restrictions. We are able to live in this environment because of our personas. But what about our creative, shadow selves? Ideally, our safe space is where we can come home, let go of stress and find comfort in the things we love.
1. Create a Space of Inner Safety
Feeling safe starts from within. Learning how to face the storms of life calmly is a rare trait but one we must learn. Before we can successfully challenge anything outside of ourselves, we need to calm our own hearts and minds. Create your own safe space for inner safety to start feeling calm and assured in your daily life.
Learn to practice meditation to calm your thoughts at the start of the day. Then, throughout the day; try practicing mindfulness. Knowing yourself first and what triggers your positive and negative emotions gives you more control of your reactions to certain situations. Make ritual of your self-care routine. A gratitude journal also helps you to appreciate the positive things in your life.
Another important factor to consider for inner calmness is how you talk to yourself. Smile at yourself in the mirror instead of frowning. This way, you are more encouraged to say something positive about the morning or yourself. Talk to yourself and learn to appreciate what’s positive or good about you. Let your good side shine through by freely expressing your good feelings towards other people as well.
2. Organize Your Physical Safe Space
The next space where you can create safety is in your home. Usually, your bedroom is the first place that comes to mind but you can make your whole home feel safe too. Just like how meditation helps you calm down your chattering mind; you need to create a tranquil atmosphere in your home. This is also where you can display your vision board.
The first step is to declutter your space. Start with your room. Make your bed as soon as you wake up. Inspect your cabinets and drawers and organize what’s inside. Get rid of things you don’t use anymore and give them to someone else or to recycling centers. Keep only the things you love and use. Then, clean your whole room or clean your whole house too. Afterwards, put your cabinets, drawers and desk in order. This is the time where you can decorate or redecorate. Finally, cleanse and refresh the energy of your space by doing an energy clearing routine.
Make sure there’s a place for everything in your room. Don’t forget to return things to their proper places once you’re done using them. Put out the stuffed toys or quirky pillow cases you’ve been hiding and display them on your bed or chair. Put some fresh flowers on your favorite vase or add some plants to your desk. You can even use candles or diffusers as well as warm lights and music to create the calm and comfy atmosphere that will help you relax. Here, you can read your favorite books, write in your journal, do your meditation or yoga or enjoy a restful sleep.
3. Maintain an Emotionally Safe Space
Your social relationships can be your safe space. Even the calmest individual needs their family, best buddies, mentors, team mates to support them through their ups and downs in life. Having a group of people that you can turn to for the different obstacles that you may face is an important part of your life.
These are the people who provide you with the emotional safe space where you can express your feelings without being judged. Instead, they are there to help you solve whatever challenge you are facing. They provide you with the emotional support you need just by listening to you rant about your toxic work mate or how you want to quit your job but you’re too scared to do it.
Surround yourself with people who give you the emotional space to be who you truly are. With them, you can be silly and funny. You can bicker and disagree but you can still enjoy laughing at each other’s stupid mistakes afterwards. They can get serious with you if you need them to or enjoy being spontaneous with you. They give you the truth even if it hurts but they help you wipe away your tears and nurse your wounds as well.
4. Develop Your Financial Safety Net
Our jobs are a major part of our lives. Our main reason for staying in our jobs is the salary we get in return for our services. However, many of us become unhappy in our jobs because we find that our salaries are not enough to allow us to live the life we want. This is why creating a financially safe space is important. Saving money and reducing debt and expenses should be common sense but most of us don’t do this. Many books on wealth can help you transform your mindset about money and change your life for the better.
The first thing you need to do is to track your expenses. This helps you find out where your money leaks are and where you can reduce your spending so you can save more. Next is to create a budget so you can plan exactly where your money goes. This prevents you from missing any payment deadlines as well as helps you prepare for unplanned expenses. Make sure to include “savings” and “tithe” in your budget. If you know about the Law of Attraction, you know that it is important to give back in order to receive more. Whatever you receive, make sure to pay yourself first by putting it into your savings account.
In order to feel financially safe, you should aim to have at least 3-6 months worth of your monthly income in your savings account. This way, you have expenses to cover you if you decide to leave your job and look for something new. You should also aim to pay off your loans and credit card debts. During this process, learn how to manage your credit cards wisely to enjoy their benefits. Another thing you need to learn is how to invest your money so you can grow them slowly but steadily. Investments can provide you peace of mind that you can retire comfortably in the future.
There are other aspects of your life where you can create your own safe space. The best way is to focus on doing things gradually and consistently. By creating safe spaces for yourself, you can also help other people feel safe when they are interacting with you.
Feature Image: Original Photo by Emily Rudolph on Unsplash.