Last year, my husband managed to shoehorn a small IKEA desk over a radiator in our bedroom to create my “home office”, my space, my escape.  Ah! What JOY!  I soon added my calendar, my pictures, my stuff.

The demands on women increase daily whether from our relationships, our work or our families and we need to develop personal strategies to incorporate physical and emotional space in our lives.

Physical Space

1. Find a space in your home you can retreat to that makes you feel relaxed.  Maybe you like to hide out in the bathroom to shower or bathe.  Perhaps you enjoy being alone in the kitchen cooking.  Explore places that makes you feel most comfortable and then personalize them.

2.  Find your favorite physical spaces to go to outside the home to clear your head – perhaps the gym, the library or a coffee shop.

Emotional Space

1.  Tell the people around you when you need a break.  If you take a 10 minute break from work to get some fresh air, you will feel better and it will increase your productivity.  Tell the people in your household or outside family that you need some time alone.  Give yourself a “time out” from your kids.

2.   Do you have any hobbies? Lose yourself in playing or listening to music or knitting or painting.  Sports are also a great emotional release.

3.  Become ensconced in a book or movie.

4. Immerse yourself in nature by gardening, hiking or wandering through the park.

5. Practice meditation – as little as ten minutes a day can provide restorative energy to the brain.

Experiment with these strategies and develop new ones.  Don’t be shy about demanding your space, your improved mood will benefit you and those around you.

This article is also published at www.myculturemagazine.com