Try Creating a Liminal Space
Described as the “waiting areas” between one point in time and space and the next, liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces, real or imagined. Because liminal spaces are conceptual, their creation starts in your own mind. It starts with imagining either a physical space like an empty parking lot, a school during summer break or a place in the woods, or a non-physical spaces, such as: a foggy sunrise, moving to a new place, the time between jobs. Ideally, as you think of your own liminal space, you imbue it with safety.
Framing is a powerful technique in dealing with anxiety, and liminal space can be thought of as conceptual framing, The interesting thing is that we’ve all encountered them in the past. But adding the knowledge that creating liminal spaces can help cope with different problems like anxiety, PTSD, is why this idea really elevates to “experiment” level.
Physical liminal spaces are sometimes created by the structural design of a room, but it’s not the only way it can work. To create a liminal space for yourself without messing with the architectural design of your home you can:
Brighten certain common areas with natural light giving the feeling of a threshold when going from one room to another or through a hallway.
Designating a specific quiet room only to take breaks from daily activities, work, etc. simulating what a cafeteria would do at work or school.
Creating a meditation area where you can relax and focus.
To create a non-physical liminal space, think of positive transitions you’ve experienced in the past. Listening to liminal music or specific songs/genres that you identify with a transition in your life can invoke positive feelings around life changes. Embrace liminal states as a powerful state of becoming.
