Knowing how to create a comfort zone in your life can help you lose the stress you are carrying.  Whether it is holiday stress, work stress, or relationships that are causing you stress the answer is not in mor shopping, more smoking, more drinking or more of any of the other unhealthy habits that you may have.  The answer is in creating a comfort zone in your life.

What do you think of when you think of the phrase “comfort zone?”   Here are some common definitions of comfort zone:

• A place of quiet.
• Restful
• Needs are met
• Not too warm or too cold
• Pleasant to look at

Do those match some of your own thoughts and definitions?  How close are you to having a comfort zone in your life? 

If you are like most people, the answer is not so close.

By creating a comfort zone in your life to lose the stress you are taking control of your life and putting it back into perspective. You are choosing to make positive changes rather than floating along and getting knocked around by the things that happen daily. But how do you create that comfort zone?

1. This will sound simplistic but create an oasis in your home. Make it a place that is comfortable for you. Think of it as the seed of your comfort zone. If you can’t swing a whole room then stake out a corner of the room. Clean it top to bottom;dust bunnies, cobwebs, clutter, and worn out accessories have to go. Put a comfortable chair there and a table to place a favorite book on. Add a candle in your favorite scent. In your line of vision when you are sitting in the chair hang a piece of artwork that makes you smile. This area is not a place to fold laundry or pay bills. It is a small sign to you that you have a place of peace and quiet. Teach your family to respect your need for a comfort zone and not to interrupt needlessly.
2. Give yourself the gift of time. Every day spend at least ten minutes of quiet reflection in your chair. You will probably need to schedule it because it won’t just happen. No, you probably don’t have time to just sit for ten minutes but…do it anyway.
3. Begin to create margins in your life. Rather than scheduling things back to back, start allowing five minutes between appointments or responsibilities. If you work at home “leave the office” at a definite time each day rather than just working constantly.
4. Develop a hobby that is removed from your work. Outdoors activities are especially good because they are a complete change from the ordinary. Go biking, hiking, horseback riding, or skiing on a regular basis. Take a class in pottery, gourmet cooking (unless you are a chef!), or quilting.
5. Get enough sleep, eat right, and take your vitamins.
6. If you have friends that are encouraging a bad attitude in you then reduce the time you spend with them. Bad attitudes, critical attitudes, and anger are all contagious.
7. To create a comfort zone take yourself out of your rut. Many people think that their ruts are comfortable. This is not usually true. It is more likely that your rut is keeping you living with stress. There is something freeing about doing something different, a little bold or edgy, or out of your comfort zone. It builds confidence and adds joy in living.
8. Get a little herbal help with the stress if necessary. Research indicates that St. John’s Wort is as effective on most depression as conventional mediations. Be sure that you take enough. Many people don’t have good results because they take too little. A little research should help you find the dose that it right for your weight and age. Remember that it will take about six weeks to hit maximum effectiveness.

Small steps that can, over time, help you in creating a comfort zone and losing the stress you are under. Once you have taken these steps then begin to use them in other areas of your home and your life.

Room by room and space by space get rid of the mess and clutter. Clean and organize as you can even if that means only working on it ten minutes a day. Replace things that are worn out with things that are beautiful and colorful.

Little by little your comfort zone will encompass your whole environment.