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The Organized Life archives
NOVEMBER 2006
Volume 3, Issue #11
Master-Bedroom Fundamentals
Dear Subscriber,
Happy Thanksgiving! As we enter the 2006 holiday season, it’s super-important to make sure you're taking care of yourself at home during the annual whirlwind of activities.
Last month I wrote about creating a welcoming Entryway, the area that represents your outer self, your public face in the world. This month we’ll balance that by focusing on your most intimate self, which seeks support and nourishment in your Master Bedroom.
Our deepest needs are addressed in the Bedroom. My study of Feng Shui confirms my personal observation that the Master Bedroom is the most important room in the home, because it is where our innermost lives – dreaming, romancing, resting – are lived. And it needs to be a special haven during the holidays, when much of the rest of your home may be given over to preparations, celebrations and entertaining.
Why the Master Bedroom Gets Shortchanged
But contrary to feeling nurturing and calming, the Master Bedroom often becomes a haven for clutter because it’s in the back, or upstairs, or somehow off limits. It gets short shrift because it’s unseen, and its occupants (you!) don’t spend much time there during a typical day. In fact, though, we spend over one-third of our lives here.
There are lots of hiding places in a Bedroom for “stuff”: in the closet, under the bed, on an overloaded bookshelf, in a trunk at the foot of the bed…. We’re a very inventive species when it comes to hiding stuff that we’re trying to avoid thinking about!
Unfortunately, out of sight is never really out of mind. We carry the burden of our clutter whether we’re looking at it or not. And even if the Bedroom doesn’t look cluttered, it’s easy to unthinkingly overload it with things like clothes or books or laundry.
A Mindful Look at the Bedroom
So let’s take a good look at your Master Bedroom and come up with a plan for it that serves your deepest needs. Mindful looking means observing without judgment, so you can bring greater clarity to achieving your goal: creating a Master Bedroom that nourishes and supports you.
1. First, ask yourself, what is the purpose of my Master Bedroom? This may seem like a strange question to be asking in your bedroom, but take a look around. Are you using it solely for sleeping and relaxing, or has it taken on the characteristics of some other activity – as an office, an exercise room, a library or a playroom?
Rest and relaxation come first here. If your desk or exercise equipment really must remain, set up a partition so they’re screened from the bed. Bookshelves in the bedroom often contain books that aren’t “active” and also attract other types of clutter; either move them out of the room altogether or use the shelves for things you truly love and use.
2. Declutter! By decluttering you will discover how your Bedroom has really been functioning. Eliminate the psychic “noise” that comes with disorderly stuff, and give yourself the gift of a calming environment.
Organize your closets and bureaus; make sure doors and drawers open and close freely. Edit kids’ toys and other belongings down to a bare minimum and put the rest where they belong. If under-bed storage space is essential, make sure it’s orderly and contains bedroom-related items like linens and blankets.
A TV in the bedroom is a common “disturber of the peace.” The best possible option is to remove it from the bedroom altogether, but if this is impossible cover it up so it can’t beg quite so insistently to be turned on.
3. Be aware of the symbolism of artwork and photos. A bedroom needs particularly soothing and uplifting art and other images, so surround yourself with things that make you feel great. Minimize the number of mirrors; they cause energy to bounce around in unpredictable ways and can diminish our feeling of relaxation.
4. Arrange the furniture with your bed in the “command position”. Place the headboard against the wall farthest from the door and slightly off to one side so that your feet don’t face the door directly. Arrange it so it can be approached from either side equally easily.
Set up good lighting, perhaps a small music system, and bring in sensuous colors and luxurious textures. Make sure, if you’re sharing this space with a partner, that each of you has personally significant items to enjoy here.
Caring for your Bedroom = Caring for Yourself
The key, always, is to surround yourself only with things you love. Taking care of your Master Bedroom will help you stay grounded during the stresses of the holiday season, and best of all, keep that good chi energy flowing!
Until next month, Happy Thanksgiving – and Happy Organizing!
Sincerely,
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
ORGANIZING DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH
One of my favorite clients recently turned me on to a fun new website, See Jane Work. You’ll find office supplies, stationery and small gift ideas here, with an emphasis on color and interesting design. Brighten up your office with some red polka-dot file folders!
IN THE NEWS
Woman's Day magazine featured a few of my ideas in The New Organizing Rules in the November 14, 2006 issue. You can check it out here.
NOVEMBER REMINDER
It’s time start getting organized for next year, and where better to start than with a good calendar. Once again I’d like to recommend Planner Pads, which come in three different sizes and several configurations to fit your personal style. I love them because they easily hold all the information I need to carry with me every day, and provide plenty of room and flexibility, too.
GETTING IN TOUCH
Call or write to schedule an Organizing or Feng Shui consultation for your home or office in the New York City area.
And please drop me a line with comments, questions, or suggestions for future newsletters.
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
646-382-3878
ann@theorganizedlife.net
www.theorganizedlife.net
Copyright 2006, Ann Bingley Gallops
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