Creating a Minimalistic Sanctuary
If you have been working towards a simpler life, you may already be in the habit of clearing the clutter. While it is great to work on your entire home, it is important to mindfully approach certain areas. You can create beautiful, simple spaces in your home, especially after most of the clutter is gone.
Start with your nightstand and the area next to your bed. This is typically the last thing you see just before you go to bed, as you reach over to turn off the light, and as soon as you wake up in the morning when you hit the snooze button. With that in mind, it should be an area of your house that is relaxing and calming.
While the drawers in my nightstand used to be filled with things I never used, they are now almost empty. If your nightstand has drawers or shelves, I recommend following the method I posted earlier this week. Once you have the space cleared and clean, think about what you need or want there, if anything.
While you don’t need anything on your nightstand, or even the nightstand itself, if you do have one, make it a great space to be around. If you are simplifying with a family, it might be challenging to change your entire home, but you can transform this small corner of your life.
When creating this minimalistic santuary do not include:
- anything work related
- piles of books
- clutter
- cell phone
- any phone
- tv or needless electronics
Items that make sense for this space:
- one book you might read before you fall asleep
- chapstick
- candle
- lamp
- alarm clock
- pen and paper or journal
You might include some of these items, or none of them, depending on what works best for you. I always keep a glass of water on my nightstand before I go to bed. I rarely drink it, but if it’s not there, I wake up thirsty. Maybe I should explore that another time!
Creating a minimalistic sanctuary in your home, will inspire you to transform more of your space. The state of the space will also be a good reflection of how calm or crazy your life is. When books and papers start to pile up, it might be time to address what is piling up in other areas of your life.
What’s on your nightstand?
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18 Responses to “Creating a Minimalistic Sanctuary”
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On my nightstand now is a big stack of magazines I’ll never read, a lamp, an alarm clock and my container of nail polish from the last time I did my nails. And don’t get me started on what’s in the drawer and on the floor around it. I’ll be cleaning it off tonight. Great advice!
Amy, I would love to see before and after pics!
I just discovered your blog and I’m really excited! Our nightstand is pretty clear (I hate piles especially in the bedroom). Just a book/magazine to read, alarm clock, lamp… and a glass of water! (for the same reason as you! haha!) We have a drawer on the nightstand but it basically holds nothing… what else do you need before you sleep?!
Make sanctuary is actually a walk in closet! All it has is a desk and my laptop. I just leave it open with a text editor and write away.
Chris, That sounds like an amazing space!
Thanks for a great post. Sometimes I want to do too much at once. Your comment about mindfully considering each area is important. I did a bedroom clean out a while back, but need to go at it again. It does need to be a restful place of calm and quiet. Thanks.
I’ve tried to take this very concept outside. While the famed “Man Cave” is traditionally a chock-a-clock full space of virility and testosterone, my family created a simple space in a once unused portion of our yard as a Father’s Day present. Calling it “Dadtopia” and overlooking our vegetable garden, they outfitted it with a homemade hammock, some Tibetan prayer flags, and a few pieces of wooden artwork that the kids made. While I can’t get out there as often as I like, when I do, I simply swing in the breeze, gaze out at the sky and garden and just contemplate the awesomeness of Life.
Sure, it doesn’t fit the traditional Man Cave mold, but it is a sanctuary nonetheless. We all need one of these spaces. Thanks for helping to motivate their creation! Be well.
Bill, I love it! I hope you will be posting pics on your blog!
We have managed to do without nightstands for the past couple of years, and it is great. There’s a windowsill on one side of the bed, and a sort of built-in ledge in the wall on the other side, so there’s a place to set a glass of water and a watch. We used to have nightstands that gathered every sort of useless clutter, plus a digital clock. The clock’s numbers were so bright that it was hard to get back to sleep if we happened to wake up in the middle of the night. Now we use the illuminating button on our watches. My watch has a vibrating alarm so I wear it if I need to get up at a set time, which is a gentle way to have an alarm, but waking naturally by daylight is best. There is an architect’s lamp affixed to the wall on each side of the bed for reading, and we each only have one book at a time, plus a crossword puzzle book. It’s simple and peaceful, and easy to keep that way.
Meg, I have been thinking about an alarm clock alternative but don’t know if I could sleep with a watch. I also wish I could train my body to just wake up but after 41 years, not sure that is going to happen!
I don’t have a nightstand myself and I’ve been attempting to simplify our bedroom. The real sanctuary for me though is our extra bedroom that has nothing but my yoga mat, meditation cushion, incense, and windows looking out into our lush back yard. I’m so grateful to have this room for unwinding. It’s been amazing!
Vanessa, your yoga room sounds heavenly!