What Does The Environment Have To Do With ME?!

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When it comes to toddler behavior, one of the areas that I spend a considerable amount of time discussing and focusing on is the environment. 

What is going on in the environment that gives rise to those unwanted toddler behaviors?

What factors are contributing to those behaviors?

What can we add to the environment or take away from the environment to help your child and prevent those unwanted behaviors?

How you respond, the supports you add in (like a timer or clear communication), and the things that you take out of the environment (like too many choices or the yelling) can actually affect behavior. 

The same is true for our own personal behaviors. 

What is contributing to me yelling at my kids?

What is going on in my world that is giving rise to stress and anxiety?

What types of things are influencing my behaviors?

What can I add to my environment or take away from my environment to help me? 

If you’ve never asked yourself these questions before and if you’ve never looked at your world in this way, I challenge you to do so. I believe you’ll find that you can become a master on how you respond to that which is going on around you.

Creating an environment that suits you, that lifts you up, and that helps you be successful is one thing I love talking about. 

I’m – what you call – a BIG environment person. What is going on around me can greatly affect me, good or bad. What is going on around me – the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings – can, potentially, mean a lot to me. 

I naturally love being in an environment that means a lot and says a lot to me. Once I started spending all of my days in my own house, I honed in on the skill of creating an environment that speaks to me. 

It’s been two years since I’ve fully left the “corporate” world and transitioned into stay-at-home mom, business owner, and entrepreneur. And let me tell you, creating a “me” environment has never meant so much.

For some, it may sound silly that I focus on this little environment world of mine so much, but when you eat, sleep, cook, clean, mom, exercise, and work in the same place, under the same roof, you have to create your little slice of heaven otherwise this so called “home” will eat you up alive.

Now, I’ve kept it simple. I need my space – my home – to be practical, functional, and tidy (as much as possible with two toddlers running around), but I also need a space that speaks peace and calm to me (again, as much as possible). 

The things I’ve added to my environment that have helped me create a space that brought calm and peace to me are candles, succulent plants, living flowers, soft music, softly-lit lamps, and better organization. 

The things I’ve removed (or reduced) in my environment that have helped keep my space functional, tidy, and peaceful are clutter, too much stuff, and negative thoughts. All of these are, of course, ongoing works in progress. 

You can take me to the best restaurant with the best food but if the environment and the ambience doesn’t speak to me, the yummy food won’t do anything for me. For me, it’s the lighting, the mood, the atmosphere, the decor that speaks to me. I want the experience, not just a full tummy. 

If you spend all of your days – or most of your days – at home, does your home environment help you, hurt you, or have no affect on you? 

What can you add in or take out to create a space in which you can thrive?