Designating Spaces in Your Home

Have you ever looked at those enormous homes on TV and been in awe of how they have a designated room or space for everything from yoga to a coffee and reading nook? Well, the good news is that it doesn't matter how big your home is or isn't...anyone can designate spaces for certain things and honestly, it SHOULD be done because there are so many benefits. And yes, there's a difference between having a space for work and actually utilizing it.  Otherwise, there's no balance.
Types of Spaces 

There are different types of spaces depending on a person's individual needs but here are some common ones: 

• Fitness/Wellness: This type of space allows you the items needed to work on your fitness and wellness whether it's room to stretch, do aerobics, lift weights, meditate, or run on the treadmill.  
• Work: This type of space gives you a designated area to work whether it's teleworking for your job, working on a side hustle, or just sitting down to balance your household budget or work on your tax return. It should have an energy to it that allows you to be comfortable and focus.
  
• Rest: This type of space is for sleeping.  It's where your bed goes and when you're in this space it should have an energy to it that calms you. 
• Eating/Cooking: This type of space is generally the kitchen.  Even if you don't sit down to formally eat meals, it's where they're prepared.  It should have all the tools needed to get the job done.  
• Lounging/Hosting: This type of space is generally used for lounging, hosting, and taking breaks if you work from home.  It has entertainment items in it like books, magazines, and a TV and has comfortable seating. 
  

Yes, it sounds like all the rooms of a house - right? It is...but the problem is that we don't always use those rooms or spaces for those activities.  Eating while watching TV is one thing, but getting comfortable working from home in your living room instead of in your home office makes it become too easy to work outside of office hours in that same space.  So much for work/life balance, right? That's why designating spaces in your home, whether they're rooms or corners of a room, can help you make the best use of your space and keep the balance in your daily life. 

 

How To Designate Spaces 

In order to designate a space for specific use there are a few things that need done.

• Have the necessary items. If it's an exercise or meditation space, make sure you have what you need like a yoga mat, privacy (and quiet), and any workout equipment.  For an office/work space you should have a desk, basic office supplies, and storage space for required paper files. A space for sleep should include a comfortable bed and NO distractions. 
• Set the mood. This can be done by acting decor or an overall space design that promotes the use of the room.  If you want a designated area for eating (that's not a couch), you need a table.  It needs to be big enough to seat your household and should NOT be used as a storage space for piles of papers and other clutter.  A workout or meditation space can have motivational decor, plants, candles, etc. to set the mood for exercise or quiet. If you are a crafter, your crafting space should have adequate lighting because it will make it easier for you to create and that will really get the juices flowing. If you want a nice hosting space and it just so happens to be your living room, make sure it's set up for hosting at a moment's notice.  If you stop using your end tables as storage for your laptop (which should stay housed in the office or work space) and unread mail, you can quickly greet an unexpected guest and offer them a place to sit and chat without having to panic and apologize for the mess.   
• Use the spaces appropriately. This becomes easier over time but you have to get yourself in the habit of using the appropriate spaces for the appropriate things.  If you work from home this is especially important.  Take breaks during the day and leave your work space.  Go sit and decompress in your living room as if it's a break room where you have a comfy seat to zone out for a few minutes.  When it's lunch time, head to the kitchen or dining space to eat rather than at your desk.  This is a form of creating boundaries (literally and figuratively) so the lines don't get blurred. 
  

 

Benefits of Designating Spaces

There are so many benefits to keeping designated spaces in your home for different things AND actually utilizing them for those purposes.  

• The day doesn't run together in a blur where it feels like a giant waste.  There are times when I get done with work for the day and I am just stunned at the fact that I spent 8 hours at my desk with no breaks. But I did have breaks... I just took them AT MY DESK.  When I make the time to stop working and go to a different room to take a break or eat lunch, my day feels more broken up and it doesn't feel like I was locked away and missed everything that happened in the world.  Plus, part of my regular routine is checking my social media on breaks.  If I stay at my desk, I just keep working and don't do that then I always feel flustered at the end of the workday because I am wondering why I have a ton of texts I could have responded to during the day when I took quick breaks. 
• Your home is tidier.  When you keep areas designated for specific things, it can help you keep those spaces tidier. If you aren't letting work items pile up on your coffee table in your living room, guests can stop by and you have a nice tidy spot for them to sit without you having to rush to move the piles off the table.  
• You can focus on goals. It's much easier to focus on work goals or fitness and health goals if your home is conducive to that energy. Meal planning is done more easily in a tidy kitchen without laptops and office files piled on the counters. That means you're more likely to stick with eating healthy meals.  Exercise and meditation is easier to keep up with if your space allows for it. Meeting a quota or deadline for work is more easily done when you have an area to work without distraction and you don't have to worry about misplacing important things.  
• Your home feels larger.  All that room for different activities makes you realize the solution isn't always getting a bigger home - it's just making better use of the space you already have.  This is even true with a garage.  If your garage is more of a workspace for fixing and repairing things or tinkering with your car, you don't want it overtaken as a storage space. So reduce the stuff you need to store, or find a better spot.  And yes, this is an example inspired by real life because my husband loves to use the garage as a workspace.  Aside from the cars parked in it, we have a couple storage cabinet and some things stored on the wall but we don't use it as a dumping ground for everything. Garden stuff goes in the porch which is where I do garden planning, repotting of plants, and hosting people who enjoy looking at my yard and garden.  See how it all flows nice and makes sense? 
  

It's never too late to designate the spaces of your home so that they make the most sense for you and help create a feeling of pride that makes you enjoy being in your home.  

FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA