Landscaping this weekend made me appreciate, once again, the impact physical environment can have on our mental headspace.
There are things I would see daily that, in retrospect, would cause me daily irritation. Things like overgrown weeds, sunken landscaping bricks, and grass creeping onto concrete. It wasn’t an irritation I would really notice consciously though—this was the retrospective realization—it was something that kind of irritated me in the background of my mind as I continued with other thoughts.
…And I think the same thing happens in reverse when these things are cleaned up and have a nice aesthetic. It’s almost as though I can feel a background sigh of relief that calms me as I soak it all in while I continue with other thoughts. I’m sure this is why meditation centers, spiritual facilities, and religious organizations place such a high emphasis on the physical environment aesthetics…
It’s a subconscious means of communication that lets you breathe a sigh of relief as you process your conscious thoughts.
…And until we visit those types of places, maybe we can take our own physical environments a little more seriously, eh?