Pinterest Predicts: Emotional Escape Rooms

Time for more 2022 trend prediction fun!

Safe spaces for feels: Emotions, so hot right now. If you need a place to go to feel all the feels, there’s a room for that. People will plan their great (indoor) escapes and designate rooms in their homes to decompress, vibe and rage. All age groups are driving searches for music-themed rooms, crystal rooms and even rage rooms (!).

Pinterest Predicts

I have a few thoughts on this.

First, Pinterest is definitely targeted at those who have money to spare. Having an entire extra room available to dedicate to emotional self-care? Wow!

Second, emotional self-care has got to involve physical exercise, good nutrition and spiritual discipline. Without these fundamentals, the effort is going to fall far short of expectations no matter how nice this special space is.

I don’t know about you, but life is more than what I happen to be feeling one day! Strong emotions may rank high now and then, but they are not all that life is about. Feelings ebb and flow as a natural part of living, and they are affected by many different factors.

Third, even those of us who do not have an entire room to spare can create even a small space where we take care of ourselves emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Self-Care Space

I’ll share a few ideas on creating this space, and you can take it whatever direction you like (or ignore it all completely, that’s fine, too 🙃).

1. Pick a comfortable chair or couch where you love to sit. That feeling of comfort will welcome you and over time begin to draw you every day.
2. Gather supplies in a basket or small side table drawer: Bible, journal, pens, highlighters, nice candle, coaster for your hot coffee mug or teacup, something to prop your feet up on if you like, and a blanket for chilly mornings (or evenings). You may even add a source of soft background music.
3. Pick a time of day that you’ll regularly visit this space, whether you feel the need or not. Taking care of your spiritual, emotional and mental health is important before things get ugly!

Self-Care Routine

1. Pray

Begin with prayer. God created you, and knows you even better than you know yourself. He knows what you’ve faced, and what’s coming down the road that you haven’t seen yet. Ask Him to meet with you, speak to you, and give you what you need to face the day ahead.

The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.

Psalm 33:13-15

2. Journal

What are you thinking about? What are you feeling? What are your worries, pains and plans? Write it down! Getting them out of your head and onto paper helps give you a more objective view of things. As you write these things out, talk to God about them and how they’re affecting you.

3. Read and Study

Read your Bible! God’s Word is alive, and it will speak to you if you’re willing and able to listen. Use your pens and highlighters to mark what sticks out to you as you read. After you’ve read and studied a Bible passage, take your journal out again. How does what you’ve read relate to what you initially wrote concerning your thoughts and feelings?

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT

4. Pray again!

Thank God for His Word to you. Ask Him to help you apply what you’ve read to your life, and ask Him to work in and through your life throughout the day ahead. Ask Him to help you see His hand at work in your life and in the lives of those around you.

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Psalm 37:23

Now it’s your turn! Do you have a favorite cozy spot? How is it different from what I described above? What does it have that I failed to mention? Help us out, and share in the comments below!

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Featured Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash