We’ve all heard of escape rooms that challenge or scare you, but did you know there’s a new trend happening in the wellness space called ‘emotional escape rooms’? Unlike their active counterparts, emotional escape rooms are those places you can go to get away from the world, relax and build up your emotional strength surrounded by comfort, calm and relaxation. If you’ve been in the RainRider world for some time, you’ll know that this is exactly the sort of thing we love!
For me, it’s not just about creating cozy and comfortable spaces, it’s about creating sanctuaries where you can go to completely switch off from the outside world, rejuvenate your senses, rest your emotions and emerge stronger, calmer and more connected to yourself. So, of course, as soon as I heard of the concept of emotional escape rooms, I knew I had to share it with you all. I’m going to take you through some of my top tips for creating one and also share some reasons why it’s a great idea to do so. I have shared another article that can help you create a cozy space in your home here, so make sure to also check that post out for more tips and tricks for total comfort and relaxation.
Why is an emotional escape room a good idea?
As you know, I love to help people create an atmosphere of calm relaxation, whether that’s through my ambience videos or the amazing home decor products I sell here, and I do all this because I know the power of having a space that helps you to decompress. The world we live in is busy. More than that, it’s hectic and draining, and having a space to retreat to that you know is going to be filled with things you love, is calm and will help you to reconnect with yourself is so important. I know this, in particular, having lived on my own from a young age and always being drawn to creating my own personal space to be cozy and warm. It’s incredible the difference it can make to your mindset and overall wellness, and so I’m excited to share this with you today.
We often have to put on personas when we’re out living our lives, whether it’s your work persona, social persona or family persona, it’s rarer than not to be completely yourself, 100% of the time. And this isn’t something to be ashamed of. We all have to do this in order to get through life and succeed and, whilst it would be a potentially better world if we could all be authentically ourselves all the time, this simply isn’t the world we live in. As such, having a space to retreat to where you can be fully, without reservation, yourself is one of the main benefits of your escape room.
It’s a place you can cry, shout, laugh, scream, sit quietly, dance wildly, stretch, yawn, moan, giggle - you can be you. And how you use it will change, one day you might feel overwhelmed and need to sit and cry, other times you might be unsure how you feel but by giving yourself the space to simply sit and think on your own, be more easily able to figure it out and emerge an even better version of you.
How to create an emotional escape room
Now, this can be different for different people. If you are currently going through a very emotional time that’s perhaps in relation to people in your life, then I would suggest not placing any images or reminders that could trigger negative feelings within you. While I never advocate covering up your negative emotions, and if you want to use your emotional escape room to express these feelings away from prying eyes then absolutely go for it, the key to a successful emotional escape room is to create a space you absolutely love being in. It should feel inviting, relaxed, warm and comforting and so keeping it free from potential triggers is a great place to start.
Your emotional escape room should be individual to you - so have a think about what it is that makes you feel calm and relaxed because this is different for everyone. Do you love the clean, modern aesthetic? Perhaps you love to have lots of your things around you and pattern and texture brings you joy? Or maybe you find plants and flowers really relaxing? Whatever it is that you love, note them down and start to create the foundations for your emotional escape room.
What colors make you feel relaxed? Some people love bright colors, others neutral, so pick what lights you up and paint your room with it. Or, choose a fantastically patterned wallpaper that shouts your personality – it’s your room to play with so don’t hold back!
The important thing about an emotional escape room is that it makes you feel safe. Much like being in a safe cocoon, you want your escape room to be a true place you can retreat into and away from the prying eyes of the outside world. For me, cozy blankets, cushions and fabrics really help me to feel safe as I can wrap myself up or sink into the blankets, close my eyes and feel myself gently drift away for as long as I like. Remember, this isn’t about creating something ‘Instagrammable’, it’s about creating a space that makes you feel like YOU.
I really recommend putting some sort of mindful activity in your escape room as it can be really helpful to calm you down and give you something to focus on when you're in there. While sitting in silence meditating can sometimes be just what’s needed, I find that having a mindful activity - knitting, painting, a puzzle, coloring - really helps me to think clearly. Something monotonous that doesn't take too much brainpower is perfect so you can allow your mind to wander and begin figuring things out. Your emotional escape room isn’t somewhere to come to binge-watch Netflix or YouTube (although you can definitely have my videos on in the background to create a great ambience!), it’s a place to switch off and reconnect.
I also recommended keeping a notebook and pen in your escape room as it’s likely you’ll begin to feel the creative juices flowing again when you’re in there. The escape room should be a place of expansion into self - a place you can come to and allow your fullest expression to be felt. It doesn’t matter if, once you step out of the room, you feel yourself shrink a bit again. The important thing is you’re taking the time, in a beautiful space, to connect back with your most authentic self. At the end of the day, as long as you’re being authentic to yourself when you’re alone, then that’s sometimes as much as we can ask.
In truth, a lot of what I do is helping you to create these spaces in your home, I am something of an emotional escape room advocate because I know the true power held in having a safe space to go to. If you don’t have a whole room that you can dedicate to your escape, then you can create an emotional escape area. Perhaps you have a cupboard in your room that you can fit into, or a corner where you could create a den? Think back to childhood and building forts and dens out of bedding and cushions, this is what you’re looking to create. Something to be proud of, something that is inherently you and a place you can go to and release the emotions within.
I hope you love the process of creating your emotional escape room, I have lots of lovely products here that might be just the thing you’re looking for to add to your space so have a browse and let me know how you get on in the comments.