Well, a bed, obviously. But what else? And more to the point, why?

A Zimbabwean friend of mine used to refer to 'Katunda' – originally, a word used by Rhodesian soldiers to refer to their personal belongings, or kit. However, its meaning has morphed into covering all kinds of 'stuff', 'bits and bobs', life's trappings. So in a bedroom this might include clothes (clean or dirty, folded or flung), loose change, correspondence (some open, some still waiting to be opened), contents of pockets, paraphernalia, books, magazines, newspapers, suitcases, shoes, more shoes, possibly a television, a laptop or tablet, ornaments, photos, mirrors, make up, more shoes, etc...

Absolutely none of which are required for a good night's sleep. None. And so I decided to re-invent my bedroom, and make it the one room in the house which contains only that which is either beautiful or of proven relevance to a tranquil sleep. And with the exception of a few loved photos, a couple of candles, and some beautiful and extremely comfortable bedding, my katunda has been moved either out of sight, or to another room in the house.

The difference that this makes is huge. No longer is the last thing I see before a fall asleep the pile of papers, bills, junk mail and nonsense that I used to leave on my table in my room. In fact, no longer is there a table in my room. No longer is there an overflowing laundry basket, untidily decorated with badly discarded shirts. No longer is there a shelf full of dust collecting ornaments, bottles of after shave, business cards that were once in pockets long since emptied, and something bought on a holiday years ago that seemed nice at the time.

I allow myself music, as that can be conducive to sleep, a few books – but only a few, and possibly a cut flower if the season allows (the roses this year have been fabulous.)

And so when I enter this space, my body and mind know that it is a space for rest. Nothing is there to distract me, to alter the course of my thoughts, to detain from my intended purpose – to breathe, to rest, to sleep, and to refresh.

OK, so I admit, the rest of the house is a bit of a tip sometimes, and there is still a great deal of katunda I could and should discard – but my bedroom has become my own personal oasis of calm and placidity. I highly recommend this - you will be surprised what a difference it makes.

Andrew

A Moodscope member.