Caring for Your Indoor Environments

Committing to tidy up your environment and life is the first step. Visualize or imagine the life you want to live and what you need to get there. What seems to be getting in the way or blocking the flow of energy? What thoughts, objects, or relationships seem toxic, draining, or heavy? You may want to ask your belongings whether they are happy where they are and how you treat them.

Physical clutter impedes you from developing clarity of thought and weighs you down emotionally. When you remove unnecessary items from your environment, situations tend to unfold more often in your favor.

Just as the flight attendant instructs you to put on your oxygen mask before helping others put on theirs, you must feel peaceful and content in your environment before you can help others do the same.

In general, you want to maximize natural light and airflow. Consider adding natural elements like fresh flowers and plants to your indoor spaces. In addition to providing more oxygen flow, these living beings can remind you to connect more with nature.

The stillness and aliveness help to balance the forces of technology conditioning your mind to think in linear and analytical ways. As much as possible, you want your indoor space to be an extension of your favorite outdoor environments.  

After your psychedelic journey, you may awaken to or remember the value of open space. You may find yourself resonating less with material objects.

Kon Mari, a Japanese organizing consultant, recommends tidying by category rather than location. She suggests starting with clothes and then moving to books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items such as family artifacts and old photographs. To be most effective, stick with a plan instead of going down rabbit holes of nostalgia and procrastination.

You want to keep only those items that speak to the heart and discard those that no longer spark joy. Hold every item and ask, “Does this bring me joy?” If it does, keep it. If it doesn’t, either donate, recycle, or throw it away.

Like in a psychedelic journey, it’s a joy (although it may initially feel scary) to let go of old energy and things from your past that no longer serve you. Plus, when you give, you allow your former possessions an opportunity to find a new home and provide happiness for someone else. When you discard items, you want to thank each item for serving its purpose.

Once you have only your most joy-giving belongings, try putting each item in a place that is visible, accessible, and easy to grab and then put back. Spending time at a home or office full of things that spark joy and bring value to your life feels good.

Feng shui (literally, “wind-water”) is a Chinese philosophy and practice of aligning a space with natural laws. An essential part of creating an environment where you flow and thrive is balancing the five elements -- earth, wood, fire, water, and metal. You can create an environment that balances your natural personality. For example, a fiery, aggressive person may want to limit the kinds of objects (e.g., books on war) and colors (e.g., red) in her environment and add more watery or woody elements.

Think about the challenges you’re facing. How do these manifest symbolically in your space? If you are unclear of your direction in life, are your shelves filled with objects and dust clouding your vision? If you feel blocked at work, how does the energy flow in your home? What items feel toxic or draining? When you replace them with things you want to attract, life seems to unfold more pleasantly.

You may desire not to replace items at all—to create more space in your life instead. Minimalism is learning to live with as few possessions as necessary or possible. After your psychedelic journey, you may awaken to or remember the value of open space. You may find yourself resonating less with material objects.

Spending Time in Nature

Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to integrate after a psychedelic journey. Feeling connected to and a part of the world around you is one of many benefits that can surface during a trip, and immersing yourself in nature following the experience can feel like the best medicine.

You can often find what you seek in forests, mountains, oceans, or rivers. Lying beneath a canopy of trees, gazing across a valley at a sweeping mountain range, or swimming in natural bodies of water can help you feel grounded, secure, and calm. Being with nature can strengthen a sense of connectedness, help us think embodied, inspire awe, and encourage you to move forward with confidence. ‍

Spending a few days soaking up the sun and fresh air helps refresh your perspectives.

Hiking

If you can access trails, mountains, or hills, hiking is a beneficial way to integrate your journey. It doesn’t have to be a steep, multi-mile climb; even walking on a trail with trees and plants can be calming. You may find the mind and body are more in tune with your surroundings. Discovering the different species of trees, plants, and wildlife on a hike can invigorate a sense of awe and a deep appreciation for how interconnected life is.

If you happen to find yourself on a trail isolated from urban areas, pay attention to the sounds you hear. You may listen to sounds and signs of life you’ve never noticed. Being quiet and setting aside time to listen can help you use an often underutilized sense.

Camping

Sometimes, getting away from the usual grind is enough to recharge your system. When the brain is in “vacation mode,” it’s often easier to treat your days as unique and approach them more positively. You may find that getting up at five to watch the sunrise seems easier when you don’t have the usual daily distractions to hold you back.

Camping can also provide an excellent, distraction-free atmosphere for journaling, which is a helpful integration practice. Spending a few days soaking up the sun and fresh air helps refresh your perspectives.

Gardening

Many mainstream societies are disconnected from plant life and food sources, and gardening is an excellent way to renew your connection to nature. Learning how to care for plants can help shape a mindset more aligned with natural laws and provide a more concrete understanding of humanity’s role in the web of life. After your psychedelic journey, you may wonder what steps you can take to preserve the feeling of connection and appreciation of nature.

Gardening can be a way to maintain these feelings and is an excellent option for those who want to practice self-care. Community gardens are an excellent resource, as they connect you to a community of veteran gardeners, newbies, and everyone in between. They also provide a valuable learning experience in caring for a small garden.  

Parks

If a more isolated nature experience isn’t feasible, parks are another option. The juxtaposition of nature and the city can provide a unique lens for introspection and integration. The oxygen provided by the greenery can offer fresh, clean air that may not be as easy to find in the heart of a city. Take a blanket and a journal and lie in the shade, or pull off your shoes and walk barefoot through the grass.

A park environment can be a great outlet if you have any moving meditation practice, like yoga or calisthenics. Whether you move your body or sit and breathe in the breeze, a park can provide a convenient integration environment.

However you choose to spend your time in nature, know that you are serving your body and your mind. Exposure to natural Vitamin D is one of the best ways to develop a robust immune system. Gardening helps prevent dementia and combat loneliness. Hiking reduces stress levels. These activities provide an excellent atmosphere to dive inward, learn, listen, and grow after a psychedelic journey.