Self-Care in Small Spaces (Part 1)
Living with family, friends, and travel companions of any sort is a dream that many are striving toward. And while the lifestyle of full- or part-time travel together in small spaces is full of incredible high points, it has some inevitable challenges at times, too. One of those is how a person manages personal, peace-reaching self-care while on the move. It’s not always possible to get away for a day, but here are some ways to tend your patience, peace, and serenity for the duration.
Let’s start outward and move inward:
The Environment Around Us. Consider the place that surrounds you. All the things you see and touch every day. If you live with other people, some of it is yours and some is likely another person’s. Do you feel relaxed and peaceful in your living and working places? If you don’t, try this quick exercise: sit down in a place that you normally do. Close your eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. Keeping your eyes shut, imagine the space around you and what fills it. First, ask about what you really love and what makes you feel good in that place: objects, people, feelings. Then, ask yourself which objects around you don’t feel like they belong, or they don’t make you feel good. Get up, take those objects, and just move them outside for the rest of this exercise. Once you’ve done that, sit back down in the same spot. Close your eyes again and note how it feels now. Now, notice if there are feelings in that space that make you feel less than good. Is there a way to change that now? Music, lighting a candle, having a conversation, opening the windows, or just tidying up might help. Maybe those objects sitting outside just belong in different places, put away completely, or let go once and for all. This is a quick way to refresh the environments you spend the most time in and can make a huge difference in how you feel, how your relationships connect, how productive or creative you are, and especially how you rest.
Social Sprucing-Up. Is there a person you who you look forward to visiting with because you always walk away feeling energized? Or perhaps there’s a setting that surrounds you with a bustle of people and interactions that inspires you when you go? Take a break (away from those you live with) to connect with that person. Self-care in the social realm is just this: pick up the phone, buy the ticket, go to the class. Whatever that might be for you, taking the time to connect with another person is sometimes even more refreshing than a meditation for the day. They’re just different and both quite potent. It starts with the act of reserving time and taking the first step.
Getting Physical. In small spaces like an RV, boat, or tiny home (or, let’s face it, during self-quarantine, any space can start to feel small…), getting some exercise can be a challenge unless you go outside. But that’s good! Spending time in nature has been found to have a plethora of benefits on all levels of our well-being. In an article covering ecopsychology by Yale University, studies focused on the health effects of nature on people is “about to pass 1,000 studies, and they point in one direction: Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive functioning.” (Check out the article here). If you have a regular workout, take it outside for some fresh air and sunshine. If you don’t, just going on a walk around the neighborhood or on a local trail is perfect. When you’re not feeling up for active movement, take a towel or blanket outside for some slow easy stretching. You’ll be amazed at the difference this can make. Weather doesn’t always like to cooperate, so if this is a consideration, getting some movement might take creativity. Walling off a small corner of your space and declaring it as a temporary 10-minute fortress might be the best option. Or, if getting physical with your family is the only option, consider a dance party for a few songs, followed by a quick stretch.
Letting the Monkey Mind Out of Its Cage. Your mental and emotional health can be complex. Consider all of the moments in a day or a week that linger on your mind and affect how you feel, not to mention the longer-term stress we may shoulder or future what-ifs that swirl. Journal all that. Write it down, put it on paper, so it can sit somewhere besides in your brain. You’ll be amazed how good it feels to take off the weight of mental analysis or desire to remember something and let the paper have it. Additionally, you could find it’s not nearly as burdensome the next day! Reading something, especially fiction or a light non-fiction that gets your mind focused on something away from what you’re currently in the midst of dealing with - even just temporarily - can be the breath of fresh air your mind needs. Finally, music. Turn up some favorite songs, jam out, and even dance your way out of your funk. By the way, when I say “dance,” that’s a very loose term. Sure, dancing is great, but wiggling, flinging, head throwing, arm flailing, fast footed jumping… move to those tunes until you feel better.
Lifting Your Spirit. I once heard someone say “prayer is speaking to the Higher Power/God/Great Spirit; meditation is listening.” Have you sat somewhere silently and listened lately? Sacred silence, or meditation, is considered by many people to be a part of their spiritual hygiene; essential and necessary every day. For those of us who have a hard time either committing to meditating or finding a quiet time/place to do that, we have to find alternatives. Again, nature and music are great places to start. Staying up late or waking up earlier than other people in our family can be a good solution, yet not always sustainable for everyone. A quick meditation method I’ve learned (I wish I knew the source - if I discover it, I’ll attach a link), is the single sound meditation: sit somewhere comfortably, close your eyes and take 5-10 deep breaths to slow yourself down, and in the hum of life around you, single out a sound that is consistent and focus only on that. It might be the sound of the refrigerator or a wind chime. When your mind begins to wander or thoughts appear, come back to that single sound. For this meditation, the point is not about catapulting into a guru’s empty mindedness for all the answers to life; it’s only about guiding a busy mind to focus on one single thing for a few minutes while giving your soul some relief from all the multitasking.
We hope your travels take you on many new adventures with people you love being with. Taking some time to take care of yourself will extend your travels, expand your happiness, and feed the longevity of your journey. Do you have any self-care tips you’d like to add? What are you challenges around sharing small quarters with other people?
And part two of this list - 5 More Roads - can be found here!
