How Cultivating Connection Can Create A More Fulfilling Home
Our homes are not merely physical spaces; they are the nurturing ground for the relationships that define and enrich our lives.
But in today's fast-paced world, where screens + scrolling replace face-to-face interactions and busy calendars dominate our time, cultivating deep meaningful connections with those we love has never been more crucial.
And what better place to do that, than the sacredness of the space we call our home?
“To cultivate something is to devote one’s attention to it. And we can cultivate something in two ways: either to make what is cultivated better, as we cultivate a field… or to make ourselves better by the cultivating, and in this way we cultivate wisdom.”
Cultivating Connection For The Betterment Of Others
How can the environment we create in our home positively influence and improve the well-being and personal development of everyone?
“... to devote ones attention to make what is cultivated better.”
Inviting Empathy + Understanding In Your Home
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of cultivating connection is fostering empathy + understanding. Encouraging family, whether that be our spouse, our children or someone else to share their feelings and experiences. It is our responsibility to create a space where being vulnerable + sharing feels frictionless.
But just as important as inviting others is to model the empathy + consciousness we want in our home. In order to create a space where connection is truly cultivated, we ourselves must embody understanding, respecting and listening to the perspectives of others. When someones talking, are we listening with our eyes or scrolling on our phones? Are we listening with our heart or simply hearing for the sake of rebuttal?
Cultivating connection in our home is about nurturing relationships that enrich our lives + we should do so with the utmost care.
Supporting Growth, Celebrating Development + Nurturing In Your Home
Much like inviting empathy, in order for connection to really exist in our home we have to create space where each person feels secure enough to explore and express their interests and talents. We often grow the most, outside our comfort zone. But in order to do so, we have to know that we’ll be celebrated for our attempt at accomplishing something new or great — not merely from our level of achievement alone.
When you think about your partner, your children, or anyone else that matters to you — have you created physical space (i.e. time in your day) and also emotional space to truly acknowledge, support or celebrate them?
This world can be hard, but nurturing + supporting their development cultivates true connection in your home.
Positive Communication + Sense Of Service
In a sports environment, we’d call communicating teamwork *wink*
But in the home encouraging positive communication ensures that honest + open dialogue can exist while maintaining respect + kindness. Sometimes we talk loud but it’s positive, sometimes we talk under our breath and it’s negative — a conscious approach to communicating is both talking + listening so everyone feels heard + valued.
And this is where a sense of service comes into play in cultivating connection. Whether that’s between spouses or parent and child, if each side is working together + approaching the dialogue as if they have a responsibility to serve the other person, then a common goal has the ability to surface.
In a home that’s truly Elegant Simplicity, a sense of service is any action (speaking, listening or doing) that is serving someone else before yourself.
Cultivating Connection With Self
“... to devote ones attention to make ourselves better by the cultivating.”
How does cultivating connection with self affect the home environment? Well, we’re so glad you asked.
Encouraging Mindfulness + Modeling The Relationships You Desire
When you establish practices like prayer, meditation, journaling, reading, walks in nature, exercise or simply sitting in a quiet place for a few moments, your personal self care routine creates space in your day-to-day life to support you, first.
Much like the flight attendant at the beginning of a new flight, put on your own oxygen mask first, then someone else's, if you’re filling up your own cup first and then serving your spouse, your children, your friends + family you’re more prepared and in tune with yourself to do so.
Not to mention, your self care routine encourages mindfulness in others in your home. And that’s really what modeling the relationships you desire to have in your home is all about — encouraging others by doing it first.
Put down your phone, first.
Listen, first.
Engage with your eyes, first.
Model mindfulness + the relationships you desire, first.
Create Personal Space For Passions + Hobbies
We’re a discerning interior design + luxury organizing firm + we believe home is everything you need + nothing more® but in order to create a home + a life that’s Elegant Simplicity® personal space has to exist.
You have to assess + not only know what you want, but why it’s important to you in order to create a home, a room or an area that truly reflects your story. Home isn’t merely about interests, fads or trends — home is a mirror reflection of self. And we should treat curating the things in our home + in our lives with the same level of personal self care we desire.
Our homes are not merely physical spaces; they are the nurturing ground for the relationships that define and enrich our lives.
Don’t let screens + scrolling replace face-to-face interactions or busy calendars dominate your time friend. Instead, cultivate deep meaningful connections with those you love + what better place to do that, than home?
Friend — go on, comment below with your biggest takeaway for cultivating connection in your home.
If you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.