There’s no need to paint an entire room in red, fluorescent fuchsia or neon lime. But colourful accents do brighten the mood, whether it’s an optimistic orange, sun-soaked yellow, gentle pink or nourishing green.

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Place something in the room that sparks positive emotions and makes you smile—whether it’s an inspirational painting, an object of art, grandma’s quilt or a cute teddy bear from childhood.

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Utilise wood elements such as living plants to remove stagnant qi (their innate life-stimulating properties are proven to reduce stress) while earth elements are grounding with marble, stone or colourful crystals. Water features like a fish tank or fountains bring abundance, fire elements such as lighting and candles bring energy, and metal elements are used for protection. The relationship between the five elements is vital, and should always be part of our environment.

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Pay attention to how you arrange your furniture, and be sure to position it in a way that allows for a smooth flow to all areas of your home. Imagine a river flowing through your home or office and keep the qi moving freely throughout your space to allow it to flow into the right direction of your life. 

It’s tradition to clean the house thoroughly before Chinese New Year, but it’s a good idea to purge every couple of months. We collect emotional debris all around us and it’s hard to expand and create when you’re trapped in all that stagnant qi. Get rid of old, unused clothes, as well as items from a negative experience from the past that you might be holding on to. Decluttering your physical space makes way for something new.

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Always achieve a good balance of Yin and Yang—neither too bright nor too dark, too warm or too cold. Feng Shui stresses flexibility in lighting to avoid dark corners. Coloured candles and curtains provide a lot of options, as ample sunlight can be let in during the day, softened in the afternoon, or made ambient in the evening. Invest in diversified lighting that reaches every nook and cranny.

A good home should allow you to stay present, which is key. Whether you want deep invigoration, soothing relaxation or a quick reset, your space should allow you to connect to your soul, effortlessly. Setting an intention helps to shape the use of your space, and being mindful of it creates the right energy to revitalise you immediately.

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This story first appeared in Hong Kong Tatler.