WELLBEING

Emotional escape rooms: Create your happy space at home

28 February, 2022 . 0

Emotional escape rooms are said to be “safe spaces for feels” and they’re the next interiors-meets-health update you never knew you always needed.

An emotional escape room is a dedicated space in your home designed as a personal retreat where you can do and be what you want.

It might sound a little ethereal, but according to Pinterest, emotional escape rooms are predicted to be a leading wellness trend for 2022.

Based on global Pinterest search data, according to the online platform, “people will plan their great (indoor) escapes and designate rooms in their homes to decompress, vibe and rage.”

Trending searches on the site include inspiration for a massage room (up 190 per cent), a rage room (up 150 per cent), as well as a music room, crystal room and tiny library.

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What’s the appeal of an emotional escape room?

Emily MacAlpine, founder and director of design firm MARG.Studio says that with people spending more time in their homes, she is seeing clients asking for more custom spaces.

“I think a lot of people have had time to take stock of what is important to them and work out the things they like doing that can be done within their own four walls,” Emily says.

“For a lot of people who would have previously spent a lot of their leisure time outside or away from home, they are now considering what their home space can do for them.”

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How an emotional escape room can help wellbeing

Having a sanctuary to retreat to, where you have permission to be yourself and unleash your emotions is something psychologist and founder of Ikigai Psychology, Tunteeya Yamaoka, says could bring several benefits for a person’s health and wellbeing.

“If you have a room that triggers this emotional processing, it can really help you to reflect on what’s going on in your life,” Tunteeya says.

According to Tunteeya, this could mean everything from thinking about what’s missing in your life, to what you want to do more of, to what is making you feel angry.

Having a custom room acts as a cue to feel and connect to those emotions.

“It’s tying your external environment with your internal being, which is your thoughts and your feelings,” Tunteeya explains.

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How to create your own escape room

The beauty in emotional escape rooms is you can customise them however you like, no two have to be the same.

The aim is simply to create a sanctuary that speaks to you and ties into your interests and desires.

Do you want a place to let loose on your guitar or spend an afternoon listening to your favourite record?

Do you want a cozy place to curl up and read, while being surrounded by your book collection?

“By choosing things that honour our needs and likes we are more likely to find enjoyment in a space,” Emily says.

“For example, if there is a particular artwork, object or even colour that makes us happy, chances are that having that in our space will give us plenty of enjoyment and fill our cup each time we see it.”

Not everyone has the luxury of having a spare room to transform into an emotional escape room, and if you don’t, Tunteeya says it’s still possible to create a sanctuary.

You could look to have a dedicated corner in your room or even a little bench in your home or a spot on your desk.

“This is about creating cues within your environment,” Tunteeya says.

“It could just be a little note that you put on your mirror about the things that you love, or a reminder about what to feel grateful for.”

The most important thing is to have a safe space to be and feel, and that’s a trend we don’t see waning any time soon.