(Kathy Klein) 

For the better or worse, we are deeply affected by our environment and the people in it.  This is a scientific fact.

So, if you are surrounded by chronically unhappy people, what do you do? That is a big question I have been presented by life over and again, and while there are no hard and fast answers, it is clear that choosing to hang out with misery is not a good idea!  Once I got clear on the actual mechanics behind how moods spread in certain ways, it was motivation to create my own limits and boundaries.  Here is a bit of feng shui and science for the day on emotion and the way it spreads!

Here are a few interesting facts about the way emotions are “spread” and a bit of feng shui as an antidote to the negative vibes!

Interesting Fact: You can “catch” moods. THIS study published in Scientific American drives home the fact that you can catch people’s moods. I am no stranger to this mood-catching.  I’ve complained in the past and often have been told in response to being treated often in a terrible way by others, “Don’t let that person bother you…they are just that way.”  The thing is, “that way” is not something you have to accept.

An antidote: upgrade the energy in your home and spend more time by yourself to become clear on your own boundaries.  THIS Home Energy Makeover is a simple place to start. 

Another Interesting Fact: You can smell fear… and it is contagious as well.  This article in Live Science breaks down the scent of fear and how it triggers our brain to fear as well.  

An antidote: I strongly recommend reading Dr Judith Orloff’s 4 techniques To Protect Your Energy in full, but in part she writes—   ”

“Negative emotions such as fear frequently lodge in your emotional center at the solar plexus. Place your palm there as you keep sending loving-kindness to that area to flush stress out. For longstanding depression or anxiety, use this method daily to strengthen this center. It’s comforting and builds a sense of safety and optimism.”

And Third Interesting Fact: Negative emotions affect your immune system.  Oprah.com dives into this topic in an engaging way.   If you are frequently sick,  you might want to look at the ways in which negativity are pervading your life.  It may not be coming from someone else, but if it is, it’s time to really heal that relationship or change it so that it doesn’t put stress on your life.

An antidote: Take responsibility for the people and the emotions in your life. It’s a tough one, but it is the only way.  You can’t blame other people or blame yourself and make your life more peaceful.  See if you can create a bit of a meditative space in your home and spend time every day relaxing and becoming clear on where and how you are contributing to turmoil around you….and decide how you can break that habit.

Where the end of emotional turmoil is concerned, love is always an answer.  Love that is rooted in compassion and doesn’t seek control.  Love for yourself will keep you from sinking deeper into the wilds of negativity and anger.  Love for others will help you to understand them and feel for them… even if it is from a distance.  Love for humanity is the greatest motivation to keep our own sphere shining and to bring the best of ourselves to the world.

And to get to that space of love, simplify. Raise the energy of your home.  Breathe. Wake up to your own life and the ways you are creating it.  Clear out the clutter. Keep going.  And enjoy yourself!

P.S. : HAPPINESS IS ALSO CONTAGIOUS! xoxo Dana

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And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, say hello to Feng Shui 101.  Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.  It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.  Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow.

 Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE…   And, as always, please let me know what happens!