So everything in your life has energy. Today I’m going to talk about the energy of physical items in your house and how the energy of those items affects you. If you’re not familiar with Feng Shui, It’s a part of Chinese Taoism, a philosophy that’s been around for millennia which, according to good old Wikipedia: “is  also known as Chinese geomancy, originating from ancient China. It claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment...The Feng Shui practice discusses architecture in terms of "invisible forces" that bind the universe, earth, and humanity together, known as qi.” In the Western world, qi is pronounced chi and that energy can influence how you feel for better or worse. If you’re feeling tired or stressed or unmotivated, indulge in this read because making a few very easy changes can help you achieve positive energy flow and a better understanding of how the arrangement of your stuff could be negatively influencing you. It’s about to get woo up in here but I promise you, if you keep an open mind, you’ll benefit greatly from these 5 quick fixes you can easily make to improve the Feng Shui energy in your home.

Make The Front Of Your Home Welcoming

Let’s begin with the front of the house. The approach, or outside front of the house is where chi energy finds us first. Think about Feng Shui in terms of first impressions for a visitor. Ask yourself, is my house number clearly visible and easily legible? Is your name clearly marked on a plague or the mailbox? That welcoming feeling is the first quick fix to improve the Feng Shui Energy in your home. It says to it, “I am here, come visit me!”

In addition to that, add in some red. When I moved into my first home, I painted my wood front steps and door red. My door was hidden inside an enclosed porch which is why I went ahead and painted the steps. I wanted to make sure energy would flow my way. I’m happy to report that it did. If you don’t want to do something as semi permanent as that, you can add red planters on the porch or stoop next to the front door to attract chi. Red is energetic and dynamic and energy flows where attention goes. It’s no different with chi.

Don’t Reflect Chi Energy Back Out

Do not to have a mirror directly opposite the front entrance of the home. Mirrors will reflect chi energy right back out the door. This is also true for mirrored closet doors opposite the front entrance. Swap them out! An awesome quick fix to improve Feng Shui energy in this situation is to cover the mirrored doors with curtain panels so they don’t reflect. When you want to use them, pull back the curtain and give yourself a check before leaving the house. Just cover them back up before opening the door.

The same applies to windows directly opposite the front door. That’s a path of least resistance and the chi will take it every time. It’s best to cover the window with curtains to stop the flow of energy. If you have a spectacular view, try softening the window with sheers. This won’t completely stop the chi flow but, it will slow it down and give it some chance to redirect.

Remove Barriers To Entrance

If your stairs to the second floor are right inside the front entrance, you may be loosing chi energy. Stairs act as an obstruction to energy. Water does not flow up hill, it takes the path of least resistance. Chi energy does not naturally flow up stairs either. Imagine a burst of chi energy flowing into your home like rushing water. It will try to rush up stairs but the momentum will eventually stall and fall back, pooling on the floor. If you have this architectural scenario in your home, it’s best to place a large planter with a tall plant reaching upward to attract the chi. This is the easiest quick fix to improve the chi energy here.

Think of it like this: say you have a glass with a small amount of water in the bottom. The water stays pooled at the bottom because it is not motivated to move. If you roll up a paper napkin and place it in the glass, the water gets absorbed into the napkin and begins to move upward, wicking up the napkin. Well, the tall plant will do the same for chi energy. Chi will move up the plant like the napkin absorbing the water. It’s a universal law.

Get Rid Of Clutter

Remove clutter. Just like Elsa sings in Frozen, “let it go!” As stated before, everything has energy and chi is attracted to stuff. Let’s stick with the water analogy for a minute. Think about a cluttered basement. There’s piles of stuff you don’t use, collecting dust and taking up space. What happens if you experience a flood? Water gets into everything and your stuff gets ruined. Your attention now shifts from not even caring about all the stuff taking up space to all my stuff is ruined! The water caused a physical change in your stuff and now you’ve got to clean up and discard the mess. That process takes effort and energy and it’s compounded by urgency to get it cleaned.

It doesn’t make any difference if your clutter is dry. Chi is still pooling around it, filling in all the nooks and crannies and settling there. Its energy is focused on the clutter, not you. The same can be said for a messy office, bedroom, or any other area of the home. Clutter weighs you down and steals the focus of chi energy away. If you want to improve the Feng Shui energy in your home now, clean out the clutter! You’ll feel more productive, energized and focused without a bunch of stuff piled up distracting you.

Cover Your Drains

Don’t let your chi go down the drain. You’ve probably noticed a pattern here, right? Chi acts like air and water and air and water are subject to the laws of the universe. When you stop up the sink or tub and fill it with water, you’re containing the water. It’s there for cleaning or bathing. It has useful purpose and focus. When you unplug the sink, the water drains down. The use and purpose is gone. You wouldn’t leave for work and let your shower or sink run all day, would you? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening to the chi energy in your home when you leave the sink drains exposed and open.

Remember, chi will find the path of least resistance and an open drain is a quick way out. The quick fix to improve the Feng Shui energy where there are drains in your home is simply stop up the drain. While you’re at it, put the toilet lid down and close the shower door or curtain when they’re not in use.

I like to go one step further and place an upward facing plant, like an aloe or snake plant, above the toilet. The leaves of those plants direct the energy upward, much like the glass of water and paper napkin analogy from before. You can place a small plant on the back of the toilet or hang one from a plant hanger suspended above the toilet to redirect the energy upward.

This is not a full spectrum deep dive into Feng Shui but these general tips will jump start you on your way to getting and keeping more positive chi energy into your home. If you think about it, this is all common sense and factually based upon the universal laws of nature. Feng Shui is primarily an intuitive study of things and their affect on us. My position has always been, if my energy feels off or if my stuff is not supporting the style and functionality of my space, there’s a good chance that the chi is out of alignment somehow. I’ll take stock and make the appropriate changes. I have incorporated all of the tips I’ve talked about here in my own home and I’m happy to report that they’ve all served me very well over the years!

I love writing these posts every week and I also love hearing from you as well! If you’ve tired some of these techniques or other Fen Shui practices, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and give this post a like if you’ve found it helpful or enlightening.

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Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.