My mother was a woman who had trouble throwing things away. She couldn’t bring herself to get rid of things because she was attached to the past, and her objects were a way of keeping the past alive. My childhood home was a maze and puzzle of piles of things, and the chaos in my environment created frustration, sadness and unhappiness in me. Every time I tried to motivate my mother to empty out a room or give stuff away, we would end up in a big argument, so I gave up trying to change my mother and moved out at eighteen years old to build a more positive and healthy environment for myself.
I became the opposite of my mother the first few years of living alone; I had very few objects in my living space and recycled a lot of stuff. My rooms were so clean that my friends joked that they could eat off the floors! I would spend at least one hour per day cleaning and organizing my space, until I realized I was developing a strong reaction to my mother’s chaotic household habits. I forced myself to find a healthy balance between cleanliness and clutter.
Here are some easy tips on how to create a positive work or living space.
Choose a place with many windows
If you are like me and live in a country where there are four seasons and a long cold winter, then you want to make sure you have access to a lot of windows. Like plants, we need sunlight to grow strong and healthy. The more light that comes into your home or work space, the better you will feel emotionally and mentally. When I speak to my friends who work in closed office spaces with bright fluorescent lights, more than half of them suffer from depression and really dislike going to their jobs. Windows offer us a connection to the world outside and give us a feeling of freedom, joy and peace.
Less is more
Where I currently live, there is a lot of empty space and a lot of windows and white walls. This Japanese decorating style naturally took over when I moved away from my mother’s clutter, and in this more empty space, I breathe and feel better. I select objects and paintings that increase my home’s vibrations and add beauty, but these objects are in the background of the white open space. Living with less material things around you will bring a feeling of peace and harmony inside your heart and spirit. Having less clutter on shelves and walls allows more energy to circulate in your space, which naturally attracts more positive energy.
Integrate plants in your space
I have over 35 plants in my home today. Green plants, flowers and cacti are part of the reason I feel so peaceful and happy daily. They create oxygen around me and bring great energy. Clients who arrive for healing sessions always tell me that they like how nature mixes with openness in my home. My biggest pride is my eighteen year-old Norfolk Pine tree in my living room, which has followed me to a dozen different living spaces since my first move. That tree has helped me through moments of loneliness and celebrated moments of joy with me. Having plants in our home or work space brings us closer to our natural roots and allows us to feel more grounded and centered. Plants also absorb negative energy, so be sure to thank them for their invisible work!
Put inspiring music on
I always listen to meditation music during the day when I cook or read or write, and this elevates my vibrations and keeps me cheerful. During wintertime, I add essential oils in the air to bring even more harmony into my home. What we listen to affects our mood, so choose inspiring music and let it play in the background to help you attract more positive things in your life. I love classical music and Mozart is one of my favorite composers; Mozart is always playing his flute concertos in my work or living space. Classical music has a purifying and restorative power on our energy bodies, and our pets benefit from this free therapy as much as we do.
Creating positive space outside of us naturally creates positive energy inside of us, and this is where the bigger work must take place. Once our living or work space is harmonious, then we must dive back inside and clear out the clutter of our fears, pasts and emotional wounds.