Ready to transform your living space into a holistic sanctuary?
In this episode, I sit down with Nicole Rivers, the founder of Brave Heron Studio, to chat about how your environment can impact your mood, mindset, and overall well-being. Nicole shares valuable insights on creating a space that supports healing and growth.
If you’re into interior design, wellness, and making your home feel like a cozy hug, this convo is for you. Tune in and get ready to rethink your space!
We tend to think of burnout as something that only lives in our calendar, our inbox, or our never-ending to-do list.
But what if the chaos you feel… is also sitting on your kitchen counter? Lurking in your hallway? Humming through your overhead lighting?
Your Home is a Mirror of Your Nervous System
If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or overstimulated, it’s worth asking: Does your space reflect calm, or does it reflect chaos?
Nicole shared how her healing journey from lupus and multiple autoimmune conditions was supported by slowing down her life and her environment. She wasn’t just healing her body; she was healing her space.
Sometimes wellness looks like a yoga class.
Other times, it looks like a lamp instead of a fluorescent ceiling light.
Design Can Be Intentional and Intuitive
Holistic design isn’t about aesthetics for Instagram. It’s about how your space makes you feel.
Nicole encourages clients to think about:
- What messages your space is sending your nervous system
- What objects are reinforcing old stories or outdated identities
- How your home supports the rituals that matter to you (or doesn’t)
Her tip? Start small. Don’t try to “fix” your entire home. Create one pocket of sanctuary—a reading nook, a grounding bedroom, a morning coffee corner.
Your Environment Shapes Your Energy
Let’s be honest… working from the couch with your laptop, a tangled charger, three remotes, and an Amazon box nearby? Not exactly peak inspiration.
Nicole reminded us that clutter isn’t just about mess. It’s about energy.
And often, the hardest clutter to clear is the stuff tied to guilt, memory, or obligation.
One of the most powerful things you can do is ask:
- Does this item still serve me?
- Is this arrangement supporting the kind of life I want?
- Is my home a container for my expansion or my exhaustion?
Burnout Recovery is Spatial Too
You can go to therapy. You can meditate. You can journal.
But if you’re doing all that while staring at piles of paper, cluttered surfaces, or art that reminds you of your ex?
Your nervous system is still working overtime.
Designing a supportive space isn’t “extra.” It’s foundational. Especially if you’re burned out, overwhelmed, or healing.
Nicole calls these spaces containers. Not just rooms, but sanctuaries that can hold you through transformation.
It’s Okay to Start With a Lamp
You don’t have to gut-renovate your life to feel better. You just need to start noticing.
Open the blinds. Move that chair. Clear one surface. Buy the $12 red light bulb for your bedroom.
The way you feel in your space matters. Because when you feel better in your home, you show up differently in your life.
Nicole is offering a free 30-minute holistic space review for podcast listeners! You can send her a few photos or a video of your space, and she’ll give you intuitive feedback and tips to make it feel more supportive of your wellness and goals.
To connect with Nicole:
Got thoughts or questions from this week’s episode? Drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! 🫶
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I’m Tara Kermiet, a leadership coach specializing in burnout prevention and work-life integration. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re holding it all together with duct tape and coffee. But success doesn’t have to mean running yourself ragged. I help high achievers find work-life balance and shine as badass leaders.
👉 Take my quick quiz to find out where you stand on the burnout spectrum, plus get tailored tips to help you turn things around before it’s too late. Visit: https://tarakermiet.com/free-resources/
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