This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 1805. Is your home a sinkhole by Allison Carman of Allison Carman Dotcom and I'm Justin Molick. Welcome back to Optimal Living Daily or the OLD podcast or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is where I read you from some of the best blogs I can find and get permission from, mostly covering personal development and minimalism on this show.
For now, let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. Is your home a sinkhole by Allison Carman of Allison Carman Dotcom. Lately, I've been thinking about how we use our homes. Sure, we spend time decorating them and filling them up with stuff.
But how do we actually use them? Do we use our homes as places to strengthen our foundations, find inner peace and share love with friends and family? Or do we use our homes as a place to escape, to drown out the noise of our days and let our thoughts of stress and anxiety get the best of us? Some of us get home from work or school and put on the computer or television to decompress from the day and forget all that happened.
Certainly, our homes should be a place of comfort and ease, but sometimes we may use them to avoid what we are feeling from the outside world. While relaxing is great, I noticed that sometimes we try to ignore the emotions we are feeling from our day instead of learning to process them. Other times we may binge on food at home to numb feelings of stress or deal with emotions like sadness or loneliness. Many of us use our homes as a place we can rely on for immediate comfort, but what about our long-term growth?
Could it be that we are using our homes to create a sinkhole within ourselves? I think we can change how we use our homes and start to view them as a place to grow and heal as well as a place of comfort. Here's a list that I use for myself and my clients to create awareness of how we utilize our homes and put steps in place to build our internal foundations. Number one, when we first enter our homes, maybe we can try not to run to the television or grab something to eat.
We could even try to avoid immediate long conversations with our spouses and our children. We could enter our homes with a few deep, mindful breaths. And if possible, sit down and share and breathe for a few minutes. This can create some presence in your mind instead of going towards avoidance mode.
Number two, as you move about your home and interact with anyone there, stay with your breath and try to be mindful of your attention to the ones you love. Try to hold a realization that all that matters is the moment you are in. Life fools us to think that the moments at work are more important than our sacred moments at home. Every moment matters, so try to allow yourself the joy of what is in front of you.
Number three, think about whether something is nagging you that triggers your impulse to binge on some unhealthy food or turn the television on. Recognize that you have maybe. Life will change and maybe whatever is bothering you will not be as bad as you are projecting. Maybe it will ultimately be good, get better, or you will find a way to be okay.
Don't expect to have all the answers the minute you have a problem. Let maybe comfort you and bring you back to the moment where you can use your sacred home to build strength. Number four, make a list of things that make you feel good and alive. Maybe enjoy reading, physical activity, crafts, or just spending time with your family.
When you wake in the morning, try to commit to these activities when you get home at the end of the day. Make sure what you need is available in order to enjoy the time. There's nothing wrong with some computer or television time, just be mindful whether you were avoiding your thoughts or just enjoying the moment. Number five, don't let papers accumulate and try to pay bills on time.
Coming home to clutter and late bills creates a burden in the home that can be an obstacle to a happy and energetic household. And number six, before you go to sleep and when you wake up, try to follow your breath for five to 10 minutes. I like to use a mantra maybe on my outgoing breath to remind me of what is possible. Don't worry if you're mind wanders.
Stay with it. Over time, this practice will help you find a calm piece within to return to no matter what is happening in your life and that'll become your most sacred home. With this practice, maybe we can stop seeing our homes as a place to hide from the world and rest our tired souls instead as a place where we can gain insight and strength and enjoy our lives. Our homes can become a beautiful sanctuary to grow, explore, and share with loved ones.
You just listen to the post titled is your home a single by Alison Carmen of Alison Carmen dot com. This episode is brought to you by Samsung, Canada. You work on your phone all day, but as your phone working for you, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the AI phone built to help businesses, so teams can move smarter and get more done with built-in privacy display, security from the chip up and battery for busy schedules. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra works as hard as you do.
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It's just $199 and head to superpower.com and use code old at checkout for an additional $20 off your membership. Great tips here. Our environment is so impactful on our daily habits and how we feel over time. And that's what she's talking about in this post really crafting your environment so that you're living your best possible life.
Maybe you can really think about that environment more carefully. Like if you walk in the front door, what's the first thing you see? Is it a pile of clutter or is it open space? Maybe you take a walk around with beginner's mind like you're seeing it for the first time and really think about if your environment is really helping here in your life.
If you like to make a change, but it sounds daunting because you live with others and have a completely different lifestyle, you can still make a difference. You can always start decluttering. You can dedicate one little space as a sanctuary. There are options.
So try not to feel defeated, but in either case, thinking about this every once in a while and trying a quick walkthrough can go a long way. So let me know how it goes. Thank you for being here and listening to me and for subscribing to the show. That's the only way I've been able to continue doing this is by you subscribing and coming back to listen every day.
So thank you. It means a lot. I'll be back tomorrow reading to you where your optimal life awaits.