Five Tips for Creating Calm at Home: Learning from Bailey Middleton

February 12, 2025

Author's Note: Bailey Middleton, fellow Iris writer and fourth-year at UVA, knows a thing or two (or six) about staying calm in the midst of chaos. When I got the opportunity to ask Bailey anything my little heart desired, I figured I’d start with her piece Six Tips for Keeping Calm About Post-Grad Plans (if you haven’t read it already, go check it out!). I love making my space homey, and I wanted to know: what makes Bailey’s space homey? How does Bailey’s life influence her environment, and how does Bailey’s environment influence her?

Here are Bailey’s five tips for creating calm at home:

Define home:
According to Bailey, “Home is where the people that I care about are.” Like many college students, Bailey has more than one home: she lives and spends most of her time on Grounds, but she can’t forget about her family back in Maryland. There’s no reason to shy away from making your home yours, even if just for a little while. Bailey and I mostly discussed her home on Grounds — in a residential college with no roommates, this space is truly her own.
Set your intentions:
Bailey describes her space with three words: calming, welcoming, peaceful. The place where you start, end, and maybe even spend your day should reflect your intentions — even if it’s not your forever home!
For Bailey, yoga keeps her grounded. So why not incorporate her yoga mat into her space? She writes, “It’s easy to get so caught up in the frenzy of fourth year that you forget to do the things you love. I love doing yoga, but the other day I realized I had barely done it in months. Realistically, I doubt I’ll have time to go to the CSC for an hour every day, but incorporating just 10 or 15 minutes of yoga when I find the time has helped a lot.”
It all comes back to setting your intentions. Inspired by Bailey’s yoga mat approach, I started thinking about how to seamlessly integrate my passions into my space too, and I encourage you to do the same!
Give yourself a sensory experience:
Following through with her intentions, Bailey also wants her room to be cozy. Home is more than a place: home is an experience. After a long day of Biology and Global Studies, writing and doing many other Bailey things, she deserves a moment of relaxation.
Blankets are one of many things that make Bailey’s space a cozy one. She specifically mentioned a blanket gifted to her from a friend, which is now her favorite comfort item. Bailey always has some sort of scent filling the air — a total game-changer. Whether it's candles, incense, or diffusers, setting the mood with scent is a must for Bailey. She’s currently burning a new scent from her friend. It seems that comfort items become even more comforting when they remind Bailey of her loved ones.
In her dream home, Bailey plans to have an abundance of natural lighting and a yellow kitchen to remind her of her first home in Maryland.
Organize in a way that makes sense to you:
Bailey and I are both the type to unpack as soon as we get to the hotel room. Personally, if my space is cluttered, so is my mind. I’m getting the sense that Bailey feels the same way.
“Wherever I’m going back to at the end of the day should be cozy and comfortable,” she said. But the way I like to organize isn’t the same way Bailey does. I am very particular about organization, yet Bailey reminded me that it’s about personal preference, accessibility, and feeling at ease in your own space — whatever that might look like.
Cherish the past, dream for the future!
Bring out the photos! Bring out the memories! Many of Bailey’s favorite items are those given to her by friends or loved ones. She loves to display photos in her home — cherishing your past doesn’t have to stop you from moving forward. After all, “Home is where the people that I care about are.”