What is feng shui and why is it important?
Feng shui looks at how energy (also called chi) moves through your home. If there is an area where the chi is moving too quickly or is stuck then that can represent either an area where you're stuck in your life or things that you need to improve on.
There are two ways to look at your apartment. You can think, This is just my apartment — or you can look at it as an ecosystem, an environment that affects you. If you choose to look at it the second way, then feng shui can help you achieve good energy and a space that will get you over your energy funk — and it's easier than you'd think. We asked feng shui expert Anjie Cho to show us how.
1. Make sure your entranceway reflects who you are — it's how energy comes into your home.
"Your door represents how opportunities come to you. It's where energy comes into your home," Cho tells BuzzFeed Life. "That's why it's so important that it reflects you." It's also important that you have a clear number or name written somewhere. "If you don't have anything on your door it may stop people from being able to find you," Cho says. If possible, try not to crowd the door. "Make your entry look nice, because it's your face to the world. Have a clean and positive doormat for clean and positive energy."
2. Install a headboard to the base of your bed because it represents stability and support.
3. Create balance around your bed.
4. And don't store anything underneath it, because it can cause subconscious blocks.
5. Maybe kick your pet out of your bed.
6. Raise your art high up on the wall for higher energy levels.
7. Be mindful of which direction your furniture is facing.
If your couch is situated so that your back is to the door, your subconscious will naturally be fearful, Cho says. If you face toward the door, you will be more at rest. And if possible, try to make your room as open as possible. It will make it more inviting and people will want to stay longer. Cho rearranged BuzzFeed photo editor Lauren Zaser's living room furniture above to reflect these principles.
If your couch is situated so that your back is to the door, your subconscious will naturally be fearful, Cho says. If you face toward the door, you will be more at rest. And if possible, try to make your room as open as possible. It will make it more inviting and people will want to stay longer. Cho rearranged BuzzFeed photo editor Lauren Zaser's living room furniture above to reflect these principles.
If your couch is situated so that your back is to the door, your subconscious will naturally be fearful, Cho says. If you face toward the door, you will be more at rest. And if possible, try to make your room as open as possible. It will make it more inviting and people will want to stay longer. Cho rearranged BuzzFeed photo editor Lauren Zaser's living room furniture above to reflect these principles.
8. Move your desk away from walls and don't situate it in line with the door.
9. Keep all wires away from your bed.
10. Make sure your door can open all the way to let opportunity in.
11. Leave the clutter if it doesn't bother you, but organize it if it does.
Clutter can sometimes represent blocked energy, so in that way it can be harmful. Physically, clutter has a kind of sticky energy feel and can attract more. If it's creating guilt and shame, clean it out. "When you start to create space, the universe will want to fill the vacuum and you'll get something much better." But if you're feeling OK about it, leave it. "Sometimes what seems like clutter to someone else isn't clutter to you."
Clutter can sometimes represent blocked energy, so in that way it can be harmful. Physically, clutter has a kind of sticky energy feel and can attract more. If it's creating guilt and shame, clean it out. "When you start to create space, the universe will want to fill the vacuum and you'll get something much better." But if you're feeling OK about it, leave it. "Sometimes what seems like clutter to someone else isn't clutter to you."
Clutter can sometimes represent blocked energy, so in that way it can be harmful. Physically, clutter has a kind of sticky energy feel and can attract more. If it's creating guilt and shame, clean it out. "When you start to create space, the universe will want to fill the vacuum and you'll get something much better." But if you're feeling OK about it, leave it. "Sometimes what seems like clutter to someone else isn't clutter to you."
12. Just don't go too minimal.
13. Keep your stove clean because in feng shui, the stove represents your wealth and your career.
14. If you have some more time, paint your walls a color that will have a positive impact.
Paint your room something that works for you — green is healing, related to growth. Yellow can actually be kind of depressing, particularly in your bedroom, because it's harsh on the eyes. Blues, on the other hand, are more soothing: "We've evolved to naturally be more relaxed around nature's colors," Cho says. White, meanwhile, is good for the kitchen because it offsets food better than other colors.