I had a crisis of confidence in my chosen profession recently, two years after reopening here on the east coast. I kept torturing myself with questions: Is what I’m doing important? How am I really helping people?

I handled my crisis in confidence the same way I often do: I asked other people what they thought. I got some great answers that reaffirmed my belief in the importance of what I do.

My friend’s husband told me about how when he had his first apartment, he so badly wanted to settle in and make it his own that he went to a lumber yard and made this really terrible DIY furniture. He laughs about it now, but it was truly a creative and hopeful gesture toward creating his special place.

My au pair, who is 20 years old, told me about how her mother redecorated their house top to bottom after her father moved out. She told me it helped her mother imagine a new life. It helped to get all of the old stuff out and redirect her energy away from ruminating on past sad and happy times.

So many of us move to new digs in the midst of big life changes. Divorce, widowhood, retirement—upheaval begets more upheaval. I moved into my current house two and a half years ago, as my ex-husband and I were separating and divorcing.

It’s true that this is not a time when you have a lot of excess energy to handle carpet and shades and light fixtures. However, it makes sense that in those times when there are big changes afoot, you want a good solid home base. And when you feel most like hiding out and nesting, you want to make sure your nest is truly cozy and comforting.

Where do you go when you have a rough day at work? Where do your kids go when they have a rough day at school? Home. How do you feel when you get home from vacation? That was lovely but it feels good to be home.

I’ve continued asking people about how they have looked at new beginnings in new or old spaces, and I won’t go through everyone else’s story, but I’ll tell you this: everyone has one. And no wonder—home is so important. How can you move forward when there is stale energy in your sanctuary?