Feng Shui & These Financial Times

There’s no escaping the financial news. Every day there seems to be a new reason for stuffing our mattresses with money and locking our doors and windows. It’s a time when focusing on anything but the economy is a struggle.

So you may ask yourself, what can Feng Shui possibly do to help? There are actually many actions you can take from a Feng Shui perspective, both practical and seemingly less so, that will help.

We’ll begin with the idea of focus. A key principle of Feng Shui is that where we apply our focus has a significant impact on the energy around us. Another way to think about this would be “where attention goes, energy flows.”

In Feng Shui, we create better environments by balancing the energy or chi around us. If too much energy is directed in one area, we create an imbalance. For example, let’s say you spent 95% of your time in your family room. While you may enjoy the activities in this room (watching TV, playing Wii, or visiting with family), that only leaves 5% of your time for all the other rooms (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc.). You need these other rooms, and their related activities, as much, and in some cases more, but you aren’t giving them the attention they need.

If you are focusing all of your attention on the financial news of the day, it’s like spending all your time in one room. You aren’t giving yourself a chance to reap the benefits of any of the other “rooms” in your life – like your family, your career or your health.

One way to help you refocus your attention is to schedule time and create a space for another part of your life. Yes, you have other things going on in your life, but how much time do you actually spend focusing solely on those? Consider what it feels like when you’re listening or reading the financial news. You can become completely entranced, blocking out all other thoughts or ideas. When was the last time you were that focused on another area of your life?

One way to refocus your energy is to dedicate a room or a space in your home to another aspect of your life.

Start by finding a place in your home where you can shut off the TV or radio and remove any newspapers or magazines that report on the financial news of the day.

Next, find a comfortable place where you can sit and relax in that space.

Now consider something you WANT to focus on. Something that makes you smile; something that makes you feel good.

Finally, surround yourself with things that support this focus. If it’s your family, consider gathering family photos or reviewing family albums. If it’s a hobby, consider including magazines on the topic, or samples of your hobby, or tools to inspire you in this hobby. If it’s your career, include any recognition you’ve received, or goals that you have for the next stage in your career.


Doing this, and using this new space every day, will help you to rebalance the energy in your life – and also remind you of the truly important things in your life.