Feng Shui Tips for Small Spaces

Feng Shui is a Chinese science that serves to harmonize the space you reside in, be it your home or your office, by using certain simple and basic principles. It can be applied to expand a small space and make it peaceful to live in, or it can even help cozy up a very large space, again to make it peaceful for you.

So whether you live in a big apartment or a small apartment, remember that you can apply Feng Shui to make your home your haven; a place where you can de-stress, recharge yourself, and go ahead and achieve all those things you want to.

Before you go ahead and think Feng Shui is going to change your entire life, there is something you should be aware of. Having faith in this science will make them more effective. Things that you do not have faith in do not tend to work for you as effectively as they would if you did have 100% faith in them.

Apart from having faith in it, you must change your thoughts to think more positively. Positivity is usually an outcome of faith, yet it eludes us sometimes. The reason this is being focused on is because a lot of people tend to think that by changing the placement of their furniture or the color of their walls, their lives are going to change completely.

While this may be possible by adopting the merest of changes, having faith and remaining positive will only enforce the effect that these changes can make. So with all your faith, go ahead and adopt these tips to harmonize your small space.

In Feng Shui, positive energy is known as chi (pronounced 'chee'), that flows through any given space. So that this positivity flows without disruption and brings you health, wealth and harmony in relationships, here are some very simple tips you can use.

As much as you love certain things, if they are of no use to you, please give them up. Cluttering an already small space with things that provide no purpose can disrupt the harmony of your space and the flow of chi within it. Don't force yourself to give up things that can be of use to you.

However, things that you are sure will not help can be given away. Think of it this way; what you haven't used in the past five years, you will not use now.

Feng Shui or no Feng Shui, you definitely must have experienced a calming feeling when you cleaned up your room and saw that it was well-organized. This is because when there is lesser clutter, it is easier for energies to flow through your space and make it and yourself vibrant.

Remember that clutter tends to cause stagnancy which you may begin to experience at work, in school, or in any other area of life if you don't clean up regularly.

Imagine walking into your room and seeing your bed full of clothes that you have to organize and keep in your wardrobe. It is going to make you feel stressed out and worn out, in the space where you were supposed to recharge yourself. Now if you think by just dumping the pile in your wardrobe and clearing out your room things will change, you are mistaken.

The principles of Feng Shui insist that even if your wardrobe is filled to the brim, it should be well-organized. This is just necessary. That jumble of clothes or papers or any other items is going to make you feel tired.

Even if you have the most organized space in the world, keep moving furniture and other artifacts around the room to keep the energy flowing. Even if you can't move things around much, move them, clean the area that these things occupied and put them back. This helps a great deal in maintaining the necessary sense of calm needed to function effectively.

However, this serves the dual purpose of harmonizing your space and allowing undisturbed flow of energy around. Sharp edges are known as poison arrows and tend to cause a lot of obstacles in the course of goal achievement. As such, not only is having round edges necessary for this purpose, it is generally safer too.

Your furniture should be movable so that you can clean easily under and around it. Moreover, you should be able to shift it around once in a while to keep the chi flowing.

Tip: If you tend to keep bookcases in your room/office, ensure that they are covered. Open bookcases are not viewed positively in Feng Shui. Also do not sit anywhere with an open bookcase behind you. It makes you vulnerable to incidences of back-stabbing.

This is usually a space backed by a strong, solid wall (minus any doors or windows) and from where you can see the entrance of the room.

However, do not place your furniture directly opposite the door. Ideally, it should be diagonally opposite the door. Try out this position and see how you feel in control. This rule is applicable to the bed, sofas/chairs you have in the room, as well as a desk if you have one.

Tip: As is the case with bookcases, sleeping or sitting with a door or window behind you will make you vulnerable and have you feel unstable. If you must sit with a door/window behind you, ensure that it is closed during the time you are occupying that space.

If you use a room for more than one purpose, make sure you divide it appropriately. For instance, if you have a desk, a couch, and a bed all in one room, use curtains to keep the bed out of view of the remaining area. This is so that the energies of one area do not influence the other.

Ensure that there are minimal electronic items in a bedroom as it creates disharmony and disrupts sleep patterns.

Use calm and light colors to unify your space and make it harmonious. Using brighter and vibrant shades such as red and orange may help, but only when used in the right area. Else they may enhance negativity. It is therefore a good idea to avoid using these colors unless you have expert advice on Feng Shui colors to ensure that you are doing the right thing.

For instance, large mirrors should be placed in areas to reflect harmonious images such as those of nature; in such a case a mirror across a window that looks out to a picturesque view would be perfect.

Do not place multiple small mirrors as they split up energy and disrupt general harmony. You may also use mirrors to enhance the light of a space thereby enhancing the overall energies of a room.

Dark corners usually tend to harbor negativity and should therefore not be left as such. A lamp, a hanging light or even candles can do the trick. As far as natural light is concerned, as mentioned earlier, you can use mirrors and even light colors in the room to make it appear brighter.

Ideally, the artwork in your space should be in sync with the kind of colors you have used and the mood that you are trying to set in the room. Whatever you choose, ensure that there are no unhappy images or images with single people or animals in them.

Even your own single pictures shouldn't be placed in the space. Any artwork you place should make you feel good about your space, so feel free to experiment with a variety before you finalize on any single piece.

To experience the results that these changes bring about, it is essential that you make yourself more aware of your surroundings. This way you will be able to spot the difference before and after you adopted these changes, and will be able to decide for yourself whether things have changed for you or not.

Also keep in mind that if you don't feel good about a particular setting, do your best to change it to something that makes you feel better, calmer and in control. Whatever alterations you make, do so with complete faith, and watch the magic unfold.

Disclaimer: The tips given in this story are general in nature and do not intend to replace the advice of an expert on the subject. For more specific tips, it is advisable to consult a certified Feng Shui expert who will be able to provide you with an in-depth space analysis and prescribe the necessary changes.