4 Tips To Create Flow So You Can Have Less Stress
Do your surroundings create flow or are they contributing to stress?
Think of a time when you felt like you were in “the flow”. It might have been like this:
- Your days moved easily from one activity to the next.
- You felt peaceful.
- Making decisions was easy
- You were positive, believing anything was possible
- Being happy and uplifted was natural
Stress is the opposite of flow. Think of a time when you were not in “the flow” Life may have looked like this:
- Your days were a struggle trying to get things done
- Everything seemed to go wrong
- Your ideas and activities got stalled
- Making decisions was difficult
- You were overwhelmed, confused or angry often
Over half of people in the United States are suffering from headaches, muscle tension and fatigue. The #1 cause of chronic health problems is stress. Stress effects your biology- how your systems function, your body-the physical impact of your biology ,and your beliefs-how you process your thoughts.
The Law of Flow to the rescue
The energy in your living space has a flow, unique to you and how you have arranged your environment.
Everything you have in your space either boosts flow or drains flow.
You can influence flow by using Feng Shui principles and the Law of Flow. The goal of Feng Shui is to create flow around and through your space with ease and harmony thereby creating a supportive and stress free environment for you.
In his recent article Motivation is Overvalued. Environment Often Matters More, James Clear states, over time your personal characteristics: motivation, talent and effort tend to get overpowered by your environment.
If you want to minimize your stress, then you need to live in surroundings that boosts flow rather than one that drains it.
The Fabulous Four of Flow
You have identified what flow is and how flow feels.. Now we will apply the Law of Flow and the fabulous four to your environment.
Beauty — beauty keeps the energy circulating in your space. The energy enters your space through the entrance and is attracted to beauty. Beautiful items keep the flow moving through the space from one beautiful article to the next.
Beauty has many forms. It could be color, art, photographs, plants, or furniture. An absolute must is that it makes you feel uplifted just to be around it. Look around, what do you think brings beauty to your home?
Law of Flow Tip #1 — Add some color that you love, rearrange or create new art, bring in some life with plants or fresh flowers to improve beauty in your home. Place something beautiful in each room, causing flow throughout your space.
Too Much Stuff — the flow of energy needs a clear path to follow. Too much stuff in any area slows or stops the flow.
One sign of slow or stagnant flow is feelings of confusion, overwhelm and stress. What areas of your home have too much stuff?
Is it your kitchen counters filled with appliances or other clutter, closets with clothes you don’t wear , garage packed full of items you don’t use, or your bedroom with clothes, laundry or paperwork scattered about?
It is time to evaluate what stuff you have in your space. If there is too much stuff you are being robbed of your joy and peace of mind. Clutter adds to feelings of stress.
Think of too much stuff like big rocks in a river, the water (flow) must go around them. A good question to ask yourself is “Does this item bring me joy or is it just taking up space?” Something taking up space could be slowing or stopping the flow in your life, adding to your stress.
Clutter can slow the flow of your money, health, and your relationships. You may have money but not be able to hold onto it or you may have enough money but not feel abundant. If an item does not bring you joy, it is time to get rid of it.
Law of Flow Tip #2 — Start in an area that has too much stuff. Pick up an item and ask your self this question “Do I love this, and does this bring me joy?” if your answer is no then it is time to get rid of it. Create a bag or box of things to donate and take them to the donation center.
Broken and Non-working Items — burned out light bulbs, leaky faucets, squeaky doors, broken toaster, frayed cord on a lamp are examples of broken items you live with thinking you will fix it someday.
Broken items create slow flow or stagnation. Everything in your space needs to be in good operating order. The broken item or burned out light bulb is draining you of valuable energy that could be used to create the life you desire. What broken and non-working items do you have in your environment?
Law of Flow Tip #3 — be honest with yourself about fixing a broken item. Are you really going to fix it NOW. If not it is time to get rid of it.
Furniture Placement — where and how you arrange you furniture has an impact on the flow in your space and the flow in your life.
Remember the furniture is like the rocks in the river, directing the water around them. I
s there room to move around in your space? Does the size of your furniture fit the size of your room? Is it too big or too small?
Does your furniture block or limit the entry into the room? Your furniture placement either helps the energy flow smoothly through your space or causes pockets of stagnation.
Places of stagnation drain your personal energy leaving you tired, anxious, and stressed. When the energy is flowing smoothly through your space you feel uplifted, happy, and at peace.
Law of Flow Tip #4 — Place furniture so you do not have your back to the entrance of the room. The best placement is to be able to see the entrance from the sofa or bed, allowing flow into the room. Take a risk, rearrange furniture to see how it opens up the flow in your space. If your room feels crowded consider eliminating furniture to create more space.
Observing the flow in your space gives you clues and insights to what is influencing your peace of mind and well-being. When you change one thing in your space it has the power to change everything.
You may also benefit from reading my articles What is Feng Shui? and How Does Feng Shui Work?
This aritcle first appeared on my website nancydadami.com
