Has everyone in your household been ill lately? I'm a Feng Shui consultant and here are 5 easy ways to refresh the energy of your home following cold and 'flu season

Winter is traditionally the time when influenza, colds, and respiratory viruses abound. If we’re lucky, the indisposition might last a couple of days – a week at the most – then then we return to feeling fit and well.

However, if members of your household are still under the weather this spring, succumbing to one virus after another, then the energy of your home will be suffering too. In some situations, your home can even contribute to the illness rather than speeding along recovery.

As a Feng Shui consultant, these are my easy tips to create good Feng Shui in your home after a period of illness.

How to refresh the energy of your home after cold and 'flu season

Once your health starts to improve and you are feeling a little stronger, think about the energy and Feng Shui energy mapping in your home.

The combination of illness and feeling under-the-weather inevitably causes low mood, and this makes the atmosphere within a home thick and sluggish. It can cause a slump downwards into hopelessness and overwhelm, and no one wants that.

I’ve learned over the years that the best way to neutralize the sticky energy is to do a space clearing ceremony. There are many options available, cultural, spiritual, or simply cleansing. This is the one I choose to use at the end of a period of illness, stress, or if things just feel off-kilter – basically whenever my home needs a boost of vitality.

1. Start with cleaning

I’ll always give home a bit of a ‘wash and brush up’ before a space clearing. Ideally, you’d do a deep-clean to show your home some love, but if time or a missing mojo limit your enthusiasm, do what you can to clean a house fast. Something will always be better than nothing, even if you only have time for the one hour cleaning method.

Set aside half an hour for the ceremony and have your shoes, keys and purse handy because you’re going out straight afterwards.

Open a window in every room and sprinkle a line of salt along the threshold of external doors to cleanse your home with salt. If it’s safe to do so, leave doors open too. Salt is used to repel negativity in many traditions.

If you have more time and energy, our spring cleaning tips will help you spruce things up all over your home.

All prices correct at time of publication.

2. Shake up the stagnant energy

Next, we’re going to make some noise to shake up the stagnant energy and flush it out. You can clap in a smaller home, but if you’re recovering from illness, it’s easier to bang a metal pot with a wooden spoon when sound cleansing.

Do this in the corner of every room, top to bottom, and include beds and sofas where poorly people have spent time. You’ll notice that some areas echo the noise, while others feel more ‘thuddy.'

These thick sounds reflect areas of particularly stuck energy, so you might want to repeat the process in those spots. When you’ve covered the whole home, wash your hands and forearms to rinse away any unwanted essences.

3. Chase out residual bad vibes

Now we chase out any residual bad vibes with smells or smoke. Use what you have available. Bundled dried herbs are wonderful – I use lavender as it grows so freely near me. Palo Santo and cleansing the house with sage are other options, but they are on the endangered list, so always buy from an accredited supplier to respect both the environment and culture of indigenous communities.

Incense works too. If using smoke is not viable, a few drops of aromatherapy oil, such as the Mainstays 100% Pure Essential Oil available at Walmart, very diluted into a homemade room spray can be effective. Citrus, bergamot, rosemary, frankincense, or lavender oil are very refreshing, but be sure to spray into the air and away from wallpaper, paint, upholstery, and art.

4. Set positive intentions

Now we’ve exchanged the old, stale sludge for dynamic new energy, we want to set some positive intentions for the future.

Light your best candle and thank your home for the protection and safety a roof overhead and a bed to sleep in provides. Use the opportunity to make positive affirmations about what you would like to draw into your life. Let your imagination loose and see where it takes you.

Manifesting or using the Law of Attraction as part of the space clearing process can be very powerful. Say the words aloud or use internal dialogue, whatever suits best.

Choose ‘I am’ statements which activate immediately, rather than ‘I will’ which keeps everything just slightly out of reach. “I am healthy, and love my life and home” is much more powerful than “I will be healthy”. This is a great rule of thumb to use in any affirmations, prayers, and to implement uplifting transformation in your life.

5. Seal in the higher vibrational energy

The final part of the process is to seal in the higher vibrational energy with uplifting sound. Ringing bells, singing bowls or tingshas in every room will work, as will joyful music, chanting ‘om’ or another bright and inspirational sound.

If that sounds a bit ‘woo’, put Pharrell Williams ‘Happy’ on repeat and I defy you not to smile as you enliven every part of your home. In fact, music can help transform our living spaces right now, and in the future.

I always think it’s a great idea to head out for a coffee or a walk straight after a space clearing ceremony in order to let the energy settle. The interesting thing is that when you return, the place often feels lighter, brighter and bigger than it did when you left.

After 24 hours, sweep up the salt along the thresholds and, if possible, sprinkle it in nature so it returns to the soil. If that’s not possible, flush it down the loo.

A space clearing ceremony is a beautiful gift to you and your property. It purifies the energy and allows you to look forward rather than focus on recent challenges.

How to cleanse your home after illness

The challenge with those nasty viruses is that every cough and sneeze sprays infection in aerosol form, which is why it's so important to clean when someone is ill. If they aren’t caught in a tissue, viruses can hover in the air for up to two hours before settling on surfaces where they wait in anticipation of their next victim. Of course, this contributes to spreading illness throughout the home and weakens the body’s resistance to the next bug. Before you know it, you’re laid low with another viral attack.

Being unwell is miserable, and inevitably the stress of interrupted sleep, being unable to enjoy daily life and the ramifications of missing work while trying to cope while feeling dreadful, are going to create negativity in the home. The longer it goes on, the worse home feels.

There are basic practical steps you can take, some of which will be very familiar to you. I’ve also added in a few others, which you may not have considered.

1. Put the bedding through a hot wash: Pillows, comforters and linen will absorb coughs and sneezes through the night forming a potent soup of particles for you to breathe in, so to reduce risk of reinfection, change your bedding much more frequently. As soon as you feel better, wash your bed sheets, wash your comforter, and freshen up your furry throws and pillow pads too. Using an effective all-round detergent, such as the Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent available at Walmart, will ensure odors and bacteria are banished.
2. Disinfect: I’m not a fan of disposable anti-viral/bacterial wipes, such as the Lysol® Disinfectant Wipes available at Walmart, but this is one occasion when I champion their use. They provide a quick and easy way to wipe down all the surfaces in all the rooms where ailing people are resting up. It makes sense to declutter nightstands to aid swift cleaning, and nothing is left to chance. Remember to include the remote control, cell phones, tablets, water bottles and any books or magazines close by. Catch discarded tissues in a bin lined with a sturdy bag, such as the Great Value Strong Flex Trash Bags available at Walmart, so it can be tied and thrown away. Do your best to avoid mess gathering around you, I know it’s a challenge to stay on top of it when you’re sick, but a chaotic space impacts both mind and body and makes you feel a whole lot worse. If a considerate friend offers to tidy up, accept with gratitude.
3. Target clean dust: Target and remove the dust – it’s harboring germs. Take a close look at artificial flowers, light switches, shelves and the mouldings of doors and you’re likely to find a sheen of dust, even in homes with HVAC or filtration systems. With dust comes those unwelcome viral visitors. You can often freshen up silk and real-feel flowers with a spritz under the shower, but do test a hidden area first to make sure they are color-fast. Dried flowers aren’t recommended in Feng Shui because they are regarded as ‘dead energy’, and they are a magnet for spiders and cobwebs, which in my opinion, is a good enough reason to avoid them.
4. Focus on food: During limp and lethargic times, the last thing you’ll feel like doing is cooking, but it’s essential to give your body all the support it needs to regain its strength. Batch cooking back in December meant that when RSV hit our home in January, we had a choice of delicious homemade soups, casseroles and pasta dishes portioned in the freezer ready to eat. Six microwave minutes from freezer to plate was quicker and healthier than ordering takeout, and helped us regain our strength. If you don’t have freezer capacity, there are an increasing number of companies which provide wholesome meals delivered to your door. Choose these in preference to fried, fatty and carb heavy foods which will contribute to weight gain while you’re under the weather.

Meet the Expert

Suzanne Roynon

Suzanne is and expert interiors therapist, award winning author, speaker and Feng Shui consultant

FAQs

What happens if you don’t refresh a home after illness?

Of course, upgrading the ambiance of a home is a personal choice, and the small effort involved might feel like a step too far at the end of an exhausting time. The thing is, retaining heavy, unsupportive energy in a home is rather like blocking the flow of a stream and allowing debris and mire to build up until it becomes completely stagnant. It can make a person feel very stuck in mind and body, leading to depression, anxiety, further periods of illness, and a pervasive inability to cope, meaning returning to vibrant health takes longer than necessary, and you waste significant time feeling sorry for yourself.

Feng Shui-wise, allowing tainted energy to hang around in a home will impact all areas of your life, from relationships, through career, family, travel plans, reputation and of course long-term health. By taking a few simple steps, you can evict lurking bad vibes and get on with having fun.

The benefit of understanding how to reinvigorate a home gives you tools to help put periods of stress and illness behind you and look ahead to a happier and more optimistic year.

Next, delve into the Feng Shui bed placement rule that can be lifechanging or explore the essential oils with the most germ-busting power for cleaning and home fragrancing.