It was last summer and I was at a breaking point. I had noticed strange physical symptoms, I developed anxiety, depression and insomnia. I was burnt out. And then as your environment tends to do, it reflected back to me what was going on in my health. My kitchen caught on fire. You really can’t make this up. Of course I didn’t put two and two together until I had another clue from a friend, who after describing my new found symptoms to her, said, maybe your medication is off? A light bulb went off in my head, yes, this could very well be possible. As someone who has been on meds for hypothyroidism for a long time, I knew one set of symptoms but these were different. But my home knew. And weeks later when I started down the road of adjustments for my health, I realized how glaring and literal had the flame coming from my toaster oven been - my body was on fire. My nervous symptom - fried. While I’ve come so far down the road to healing, I’ve still got a ways to go. The meds these days are working and I am learning to make some big adjustments to how I live and work. Our environments tend to force us to come home to ourselves and evaluate our lives - if we are willing to open our eyes to what the energy is telling us. Your home will always give you clues and show you your mental and physical health, relationships, career, self-growth, beliefs, etc. So if you looked around your home today, what are the signs telling you? Where are you not paying attention to? We are living in unprecedented times. I am sure you are feeling a million emotions, as I am, while we shift into an unknown way of living and being in our everyday lives. You’ve adjusted, possibly? Maybe now you’re working from home, homeschooling your kids, trying to get fresh air and exercise without bumping into anyone you don’t live with. As we are spending more time at home, this an opportunity to evaluate how we are living (and working) in the same space. And since cabin fever is running high right now, it’s an opportunity for us to make our homes sanctuaries to support and nourish us and our families. And an opportunity to really come home to ourselves and environments and feel as good as possible while we spend so much time there. In these uncertain times I’m needing to create way more space. I’m letting go of clutter, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. So how can our environments support us while we shelter in place? Feng Shui During a Pandemic Try to have Designated Work and Rest Spaces I understand this isn’t always possible — my work happens in my bedroom. But we can minimize the psychological effect of doing many things in the same space and create some boundaries. If you needed to set up a desk within a space that you also rest, consider putting a blanket, sheet or cloth over the desk at the end of the work day to ‘put it to sleep’. (Bonus points for using a pretty scarf or something that is beautiful to you). Deep Cleaning is Healing With the million other things on your plate right now, you probably don’t have time for more cleaning, right? But what if going a little further on the bathroom this weekend could make a difference in your life? One of my Feng Shui mentors told a story of how she cleaned her mom’s house one day, and when her mom came home she burst into tears. The energy shift was palpable. Don’t underestimate the power of removing old energy (dirt). You don’t need to tear your house apart (although that would certainly be cathartic), but what about going just one step further? Pull out the stove and wipe the hard to reach spots between the appliance and counter where those little bits of food fall down. When you’re vacuuming move a couple pieces of the furniture away from the wall and vacuum up those stale cheetos and dust bunnies. Or remove the grime from those shower door tracks. (Removing germs these days is never a bad thing either, right?). Everything is Energy - Energetic Hygiene I had to make a difficult decision last week, which made me feel energetically less than great. Once the decision was made I felt relieved, but then I didn’t sleep well that night and the air felt heavy. Remember I said I work in my bedroom? If you are working or sleeping or eating or watching less than positive news or any other number of things together, the energy of those activities will trickle into each other. It’s in the air and your belongings. It can linger. I remembered my space clearing tools, so the night after I didn’t sleep well, I vacuumed, dusted and then saged my bedroom. I slept like a baby and am processing things much easier. If you’ve never spaced cleared, I’ve wrote a blog post on how to here. Move your Furniture Has your bed faced the same wall for 10 years? Move it to a different wall – you might now be able to fit that chair you’ve always wanted to fling your clothes on at the end of the day, instead of launching them into a puddle on the floor. It might give you a different / better view that makes you smile when you wake up. Is the formal dining room just a place to throw the mail on the daily? Maybe you’d appreciate that room more as a yoga / meditation space, or a place where the kids can play, so you can sit on your couch in the living room and comfortably see them from a close distance without feeling like you are drowning in toys. My friend and client once moved her couch and she met her now husband a month later. Disclaimer: moving your furniture may transform your life.
Do What Makes you Feel Good / Focus on Beauty I used to buy flowers often and place them around my home. I haven’t done that much lately and I’ve been thinking about how much I miss it / how much it would brighten my space and make me *feel* beautiful. Small things make a big difference. You’re stuck at home and haven’t seen a restaurant in two months - break out the fancy dishes and set the most beautiful table you can create. Have you wanted to try a patterned colourful wallpaper? Put it up in a smaller space like the bathroom. There are many peel and stick options out there now that won’t have you committing to anything if you just want to try it out. I really believe that small changes can add up to big transformation, so start small.
And be gentle and kind to yourself.