Spending more time with family or roommates is one of the most wonderful things to come out of sheltering during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s also one of the most difficult. The truth is, togetherness is terrific until you want to be alone. Before the pandemic, I’d decamp to a coffee shop down the street when I needed a break from all the Lego-rummaging, Cheetos-crunching and question-asking at home. But now that those old hiding places often feel more stressful than sedate, the only option is to carve out your own escape pod.
“The value of creating a private oasis is mental refreshment,” said Sally Augustin, Ph.D, an environmental psychologist and founder of the design firm Design With Science. “It’s an opportunity for reflection.” So if you think about escaping as a way to give your mind some time to reset, rather than seeking out a new physical space, you can find…
