Assess Your Stress

Stress – we all feel it on a daily basis, in varying degrees. Some days are much worse than others, while other days, you might even go so far as to say you're relaxed. But in truth, stress is the norm more than we'd like it to be. And while we might never be completely stress free, we certainly don’t need to be stressed out every day. With Feng Shui, you can begin to lighten the load of stress in your life – all by changing the flow of energy in your life. This way, you can be cool and calm, no matter how much pressure you might have in your life.

You Can Stop the Stress Now

What's great about Feng Shui is that you don't have to simply change a few things in your environment and then wait for weeks to see the results. You can make simple changes right now and see results right now.

First of all, you want to assess just how stressed you are in your life. Take a moment to look around the space where you're feeling the most stressed. If it's your office, look at your desk and around the room. Where are the areas that are cluttered and messy? Make a note of these spaces and use a Feng Shui bagua to see just where these messes correlate to energy centers. For example, if you notice that the back left hand corner of your office (from the door) is messy, you will find out that you are feeling the most stress about money matters in relation to your job. And thus, you might want to focus on changing that area as well as your outlook in that part of your life.

In addition, you don't just want to diagnose the clutter, you should be getting rid of it. When you simply leave your physical areas in disorder, you are leaving your mental state in disorder as well. Cleaning up the clutter – and keeping it away – is the best way, hands down, to help you maintain a cool demeanor, no matter the situation.

You will also want to remove any bright colors from your space that might be interfering with your stress levels. Bright reds and oranges are great for energy, but when they're used in excess, they can also make you feel frazzled. Try to stick with neutral colors and blues to help soothe your anxiety levels. You will also want to add some sort of water element to the space that stresses you out as this will help to calm you even more – a fountain, a picture of water, etc.

Fending Off Stress Attacks

Many of us are constantly under stress because of the type of job we hold. So, in order to use Feng Shui in our lives, we need to make permanent changes to allow for positive energy to flow into our lives at every moment of the day.

Start by making sure your doorways are always free of obstacles and clutter. When you have messes in your doorway areas, you are hindering the flow of healthy energy into your space. In addition, make sure your door can move easily.

Take the time to surround yourself with things and images you love. This will help to bring a smile to your face, no matter what is happening in your world. Think about adding pictures of your family and friends as well as decorative elements that make you feel happy. For some, this might mean adding spiritual sculptures, while others might want to add flowers. Decide what makes you feel calm and happy – and then add it to your life.

Plants are also a great way to reduce the flow of stress in your life. Not only do they provide you with cleaner air naturally, but they also help to transmute the negative energy of your life into something that's more positive. Play soothing music during the day or CDs with nature sounds so as to help to energize your space with calming tones, but also not so soothing that they lull you to sleep.

While you may never be able to stop stress from being in your life, Feng Shui is always there to soften the blow of another deadline or another crisis you need to handle. Take a breath, make changes, and you'll be a happier person as a result.