Guest Writer

Guest Writer... Detoxing Your Space

By: Crystal Cobert-Giddens

Before 2020, we spent the majority of our time in our office or work environment. Most Americans work between 36 and 48 hours a week. Actually, we spent most of our waking hours in our work environment. Now that we’re dealing with a global pandemic, many of us are working from home and our children are being home schooled. We are home all the time!

Those amazing OPEN floor plans that we once loved are now a little too open. Everything thing seems to feel cluttered and there’s too much going on. School work, Zoom calls, graphs, charts and who is using my printer and phone calls, oops it’s lunch time and we’re eating at our desk that used to be our kitchen table or counter…We can’t hide our stuff anymore and it’s all a little stressful…right?

Let’s get from feeling stressed out to feeling relaxed, shall we? Take a moment to evaluate your work situation, schedule and how many humans are in your home all day. Are you able to concentrate?

Let’s look at your office or office area. Is your desk cluttered? Do you have a desk or office? If not, you may need to create an area where you feel you can concentrate without being distracted by everything else that’s happening in your home. One of my favorite DJs on Sirius Radio set up her on-air studio in her daughter’s closet. Everyone was home working or going to school and there was no room for her to go, so she chose a closet. She has since converted her dining room into a studio, but she was in that closet for over 6 months!

If you’re lucky enough to already have a home office, let’s take a look at your desk. Do you have sticky notes everywhere? Do you have window blinds with two years of built up dust and yuck on them? Do you have an organized work area? One where you can spread out, be creative and concentrate? If not, organizing your space will help you organize your thoughts.

Getting started is the hardest part, so I’ll help. Ready?

BEFORE

Remove everything from your desk. Put it in a pile somewhere to address after a good, deep clean. Now clean your desk area with a non-toxic cleaner. Remove the blinds from your windows and toss them or clean them with a healthy alternative cleaner.

Now step back and take a look at your work space. What inspires you? What brings you peace? What helps you focus? What would you like to see everyday? I like having a photo or two, an inspirational saying, and a couple of beautiful handmade pots in my home office. One pot was made by a AFTER friend, the other was given to me by a client that knows I love pottery. Maybe fresh flowers are your thing? Keep a small vase with fresh flowers on your desk.

Create storage possibilities. Everything can be put away and stored in labeled containers. Many stores carry organization and storage solutions so you should be able to find something to work for you and your space. If everything has a place, you will quickly and easily find whatever it is you are looking for, when you need it.

Now, take a deep breath. What is the air like in your home office space? Does it smell clean or stale? Fresh or like your lunch leftovers? Did you know that back in the 1980’s, NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America studied houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities? They found several plants that filter out volatile organic compounds (gasses emitted into the air from products or processes) In fact, studies have proven that plants trap and absorb many pollutants from our home and work environment. Here is a list of low maintenance plants that will beautify your work place and help keep the air in your home or office clean and fresh:

• Aloe Vera • English Ivy • Peace Lily • Weeping Fig or Ficus • Chinese Evergreen • Gerbera Daisy • Red-edged Dracaena • Bamboo Palm • Chrysanthemum • Golden Pothos • Snake Plant • Spider Plant

Another option is to burn sage or other cleansing herbs in your home or work area. Have you ever tried smudging or burning sage? The Greeks, Vikings, and Turks have burned sage for thousands of years. Sage is said to cleanse an area or space and is also used to help protect your space from negative energy. An interesting fact is that the popular (and controversial) white sage used as a holistic remedy is only grown in a small area in Southern California, not throughout the world.

Native Americans have burned various herbs, spices, plants, resins etc. for thousands of years. Some for religious ceremonies, others for cleansing or protection. It is not only a Native American tradition—it is a worldwide tradition. In fact, hyssop is mentioned 12 times in the bible as being burned in religious ceremonies, as well as frankincense and myrrh, and many other plants and resins. ALL cultures all over the world have done this for thousands and thousands of years. They just used what they had locally, and traded when traveling. Most Native American tribal members on the west coast used what was found growing wild, and that included blue sage, a mix of juniper and some cedar.

One of my favorite mixes is rosemary, lavender, thyme, lemon or orange. I love juniper too! You can use these dried herbs to cleanse the air and your energy. Just light the dried herbs, let the flame die down and allow the smoke to curl above your herb bundle and walk from room to room. You can also sage yourself by taking the herb bundle and swirling it around your head.

You don’t need a bundle of sage to accomplish the cleansing of an area. You can also take a few leaves or sprigs of your favorite herbs, layer them in a ceramic or pottery dish and light them with a match or lighter. Let the flame die down and carry the dish from room to room. You’ll notice the yummy, spice smell and you should notice a cleanliness and calm in the air when you’re finished.