Creating Positive Environments for Home and Office

Home
>
Interior Design & Decorating
>
Creating Positive Environments for Home and Office

Creating Positive Environments for Home and Office

From the office cubicle to the executive penthouse suite and from apartments to mansions, people are trying to carve out spaces to call their own. Outside, the world may be a stressful place but inside these spaces, people strive to create positive environments where they can live and work happily and peacefully. It may seem like a fairy tale to some. However, for others, it is a way to survive many of the negative effects of stressful living.

In the book, Future Shock, Alvin Toffler prophesized that the speed at which technology would develop and be introduced would in the end overwhelm many people. He foretold a future where human's inability to keep up would cause stress and depression. Here we are over twenty years later and his words have come to pass. Even greeting card companies study the trends and in Karen Moore's book, You Can Write Creating Cards she cites these trends forecasted by lifestyle trend researchers that people would:

-make their homes more comfortable places in order to avoid the outside world.

-buy affordable little luxuries for themselves or for their homes.

-seek broader awareness of spiritual things.

-desire to be seen as unique and special.

-feel somewhat overwhelmed by responsibilities.

-like alternative medicines and holistic health.

-question belief systems of previous generations.

-be genuinely interested in caring for the environment.

So, how would one describe a positive place? Appealing? Attractive? Humans are complex beings, even if they cannot keep up with nanotechnology and super computers. For an environment to feel positive or attractive, it needs to be appealing to the senses, particularly - sight, sound, smell, or touch. The more senses that are stimulated simultaneously, the more appealing, attractive, and positive the situation is perceived. Any thing that detracts from that perception is usually judged as negative, instead.

Although some architects, space planners, interior designers, and Feng Shui consultants have been addressing the issue of creating positive environments over the past years, most of the general public is just beginning to investigate the possibilities. Ways to turn up the 'positivity' of a space, that appeal to one or more senses at time, might include:

-a fountain made of various materials.(sight-sound-touch)

-a contemporary, mixed media painting or sculpture.

(sight-touch-smell, if oil paints are used)

-chimes or bells.(sight, sound, touch)

-incense, potpourri, and aromatherapy.(smell, sight,touch)

-Instruments.(sight-touch-sound)

-Plants and flowers. (sight, touch, smell)

Situations perceived by the brain as positive gives people a sense of well-being and happiness. When in this state, sometimes called euphoria, the domino effect occurs.

-People become open to more positive stimuli.

-Concentration and performance improves.

-Self-confidence and self-assurance soars.

-Creativity blossoms.

-Handling stress becomes easier.

In today's environment, more and more people will be searching for ways to reduce stress. By creating positive environments, they will be able to do that no matter where they live or work. In doing so, how they live and work will be better, too.

Kathy Iwanowski, a former cancer nurse and manager, creates art, speaks, and writes about creative living and work. Her articles, editorials, and reviews on art, business, creativity, and nursing subjects have been published in newsletters, ezines, and books in the United States.

To arrange for Kathy as a speaker for your next event or to find out more about her work, visit her website at http://www.kathyiwanowski.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Obama OKs modest tax changes after seeking ideas (AP)

AP - Pushed by fellow Democrats, President-elect Barack Obama agreed to modest changes in his proposed tax cuts on Friday after inviting lawmakers to "just show me" ideas for fixing an economy shedding jobs at an alarming rate. Democratic congressional officials said that Obama aides came under pressure in closed-door talks to jettison or significantly alter a proposed tax credit for creating jobs.

Ill. House impeaches governor, who vows to fight (AP)

AP - Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.

Israel and Hamas ignore UN call for cease-fire (AP)

AP - Israeli jets and ground troops hammered at Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Islamic militants fired barrages of rockets at southern Israeli cities Friday, ignoring a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire after two weeks of combat.

5 people shot after Chicago high school ball game (AP)

AP - At least five people were shot Friday as spectators left a crowded basketball game at a high school on the city's South Side, scattering panicked students.

Citigroup director Robert Rubin resigns as adviser (AP)

AP - Citigroup board member Robert Rubin, who has drawn heavy criticism for his role at the embattled bank, has resigned as a senior adviser.

Pastor in gay scandal: I'm back from 'wilderness' (AP)

AP - Speaking out two years after being embroiled in a gay sex scandal, former evangelical pastor Ted Haggard said Friday his sexual identity is complex and can't be put into "stereotypical boxes," but that his relationship with his wife is stronger than ever.

Texas death row inmate pulls out eye, eats it (AP)

AP - A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it. Andre Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.

Rare 'dinky' bird migrates to US for first time (AP)

AP - Birders with binoculars and cameras are flocking to a remote state park in search of a small yellow-chested bird that apparently crossed the U.S. border for the first time from its high-mountain habitat to the south.

Patrick Swayze checks into hospital with pneumonia (AP)

AP - Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital for observation after contracting pneumonia, A&E President Abbe Raven announced Friday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association. Swayze was scheduled to appear to discuss his upcoming drama "The Beast."

Stimulant exemptions in baseball on the rise (AP)

AP - Baseball authorized nearly 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to major leaguers claiming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the end of the 2007 season until the end of the 2008 season, according to a report released Friday by the sport's independent drug-testing administrator.

Israel, Hamas press on with Gaza war (Reuters)

Reuters - Israel pressed on with a punishing Gaza offensive and Hamas sent more rocket salvoes into southern Israeli towns in a two-week-old war that continued to defy international efforts to stop it.

Citi, Morgan Stanley in brokerage talks; Rubin quits (Reuters)

Reuters - Citigroup Inc is in advanced talks to sell its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, in a move that would further dismantle the financial supermarket that has been bailed out by the U.S. government.

Illinois House votes to impeach Gov. Blagojevich (Reuters)

Reuters - The Illinois House of Representatives impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday for abuse of power, including a charge that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.

Obama team, Rep. Frank eye bailout fund overhaul (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and a key Democratic lawmaker revealed plans on Friday to overhaul the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund as a way to aid struggling homeowners and speed the flow of credit.

Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter (Reuters)

Reuters - Minnesota health officials issued a product alert for peanut butter on Friday after finding a jar that was contaminated with a strain of salmonella linked to an outbreak across the United States.

Jobless rate at 16-year high as payrolls plunge (Reuters)

Reuters - The unemployment rate surged to the highest in nearly 16 years last month as a deepening year-long recession forced companies to axe more than half a million jobs, government data showed on Friday.

Supreme court to decide voting rights law challenge (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday it would consider a challenge to a central provision of the 44-year-old voting rights law aimed at preventing states and local governments from making it harder for minorities to vote.

Bank industry slams lawmaker-Citi mortgage deal (Reuters)

Reuters - A top bank industry group said on Friday that it opposes an agreement between Citigroup Inc and Democratic senators that would rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, saying it could make home loans more expensive.

Gaza conflict set to enter third week as ceasefire appeal ignored (AFP)

AFP - Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip was set to enter its third week on Saturday, with both sides brushing off a UN appeal to halt devastating attacks that have claimed over 800 lives.

Somali pirates say they have released Saudi supertanker (AFP)

AFP - Somali pirates said Friday they had freed a Saudi-owned supertanker, whose capture nearly two months ago caused panic in international shipping and spurred the world into tougher anti-piracy action.

Creating Positive Environments for Home and Office

Interior Design & Decorating Interior Design & Decorating