PANDEMIC WINTER HEALTH HACKS

Make a Cozy Corner

Create a space for quiet and contemplation

My children spent their earliest school days ambling around carefully organized Montessori classrooms, shelves mindfully stocked with tactile materials. Each room was anchored by a “cozy corner,” a nook draped with a tapestry over top of cushions and blankets — just the right size for one or two small people — where reading, napping, or finding calm was encouraged. This design always struck me as brilliant and indeed necessary for little kids whose emotions can bounce in all manner of directions throughout the course of a day.

I recognize the same need for a cozy corner in my life these days — as emotions in the midst of a pandemic are extra prone to bouncing. So I built one, and can’t help but suggest that you try the same. Space becomes a curious thing when all dimensions of life take place under one roof. See if you can locate a favorite spot that offers warmth (and sunlight if possible). My spot is by the fireplace. When I need to get the wiggles out, I move my body. But when I need to go deep, the cozy corner is there. I sit on a beanbag (which was, admittedly, an Instagram impulse buy) and watch the flames, stare out the window, read, or breathe.

If I were 5 instead of 45, I might imagine my nursery school teacher wandering past in those moments and complimenting me for quieting down and tuning in. Instead, I compliment myself for doing what can so often feel counterintuitive in the scope of a busy life: absolutely nothing.

Illustration: Sophi Gullbrants