Does the thought of gathering with your family for the holidays make you stressed, overwhelmed or cranky?  The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, love, and happy families, but for many people feelings of loneliness, obligation, and stress surface as the holiday season gets underway.

I have talked with several people that are feeling overwhelmed by getting ready for the holidays and family gatherings this year. They are worried about having time to get everything done. The biggest worry seems to be bringing the family together in one place at one time.

Recently, a client asked me for Feng Shui advice to make her holidays with family more enjoyable and less stressful.

Even though many of her family members live in the same town, it seems that they only see one another during the holidays.

Many arrive to her home in a pleasant mood. It is not long until opinions differ, and the silent judgments begin, which is witnessed by the sharp glares and piercing looks in their eyes.

At first, critical comments are spoken softly, almost a whisper, as if no one were listening. Soon the tension builds, the glares get a voice, the volume escalates, people begin positioning themselves for protection or battle.  A new level of discomfort fills the room.

The fighters, visibly angry are looking for an argument. Those seeking protection begin to avoid talking to anyone. Not the happy holidays you wanted.

My client wants to use Feng Shui principles to create a peaceful and cooperative environment in her home.

Your home tells a story about you. What you experience in your life is visible in your home when you look with Feng Shui eyes.

Here is what you need to know to reduce family stress during the holidays.

The Family

One way to reduce family stress during the holidays is to evaluate the “family” area of your home.

There is an area of the Feng Shui Bagua (Feng Shui energy map) that is devoted to family. This area includes current and future family members, family health, family harmony, ancestors, and unresolved family issues.  Let’s look at that area in your home.

The family area is in the middle, left side of your home the items in this area of your home influences your current and future experiences of family.  It is worth a good look around this area.

What do you see there?  Is it your favorite armchair a healthy plant, beautiful art, the extra room that is a catch-all for clutter, or your Feng Shui Vision Board.  What do you feel in that area, happy, tired, depressed, inspired? Whatever you see and feel in that space is part of your family Feng Shui story.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself. What clues do the items in that area tell you about your family:

• Peace
• Harmony
•  Health
• Cooperation
• Communication
• Fun

Look closely at what you see and feel there and give yourself an honest evaluation.

Even one small change, such as clearing clutter makes a difference. It can be what gets the energy moving to transform everything.

Your Intentions

What you think as you anticipate your family gathering influences what you experience because your thoughts set your focus point. Your focus point determines how you see the situation.

As you think about, your holidays what do you think will happen? Do you have a feeling of family togetherness? Is there open communication between family members? Is there a history of holiday chaos?

And the big question, “What do you want?”

Take a few minutes to imagine your family gathering just the way you would like it to be and then visualize it happening that way. This is a powerful first step in creating what you want.

Your intention sets the stage for your actual experience.  Your visualization of that intention happening helps support your vision.

Once in the situation, you make choices based on your focus point and expectations for the gathering.

11 Feng Shui Tips To More Peace Of Mind During The Holidays

This holiday season holds great potential because you can create wonderful memories, have fun, heal old wounds, and feel appreciation for your family.

1. Decide what you want, in as much detail as possible.
2. Set an intention, see it happening, feel it as if it has already happened.
3. Clear any clutter from your home, especially the area of “family” in the bagua. If you only take one action from this list, clearing clutter is by far the most important action you can take. Clutter is the most draining force in any area of the bagua. Wherever I see clutter I know there is a problem in one or more areas of life.
4. Do one good deed each day.
5. Take time to fill yourself up. Your giving is much fuller when you give from the place of fullness. What makes you feel recharged? A walk-in nature, listening to music, taking a hot bath, talking to a friend, reading a good book, meditating, going to the gym, or meeting with your Feng Shui Coach.
6. Decorate the entrance to your home with lights and live plants.
7. Decorate the inside of your home, especially the “family” area with lights, shiny decorations, live plants, candles, and if you have a Christmas tree the “family” area is a good place to put it.
8. Use scents of the season, like evergreen boughs, mulled cider, frankincense and myrrh, spices, peppermint, and others that you like.
9. Energize the house before people arrive by burning incense, offering blessings and prayers, saying your intentions out loud in the room, and play uplifting music, or hire a Feng Shui Consultant to do a house blessing ceremony.
10. Celebrate and treat yourself to a hot bath, a soothing massage, or a cup of tea. Congratulations on a job well done.
11. After everyone leaves to release any tension left behind by your guests.  Schedule a Space Clearing with a Feng Shui Consultant to release the energy of 2018 and uplift the space for 2019 to bring you peace of mind, radiant health, and prosperity.

You can have more peace of mind this holiday season by implementing these Feng Shui tips.

Nancy Dadami is a Flow Strategist,  Intuitive  Artist, and Teacher. She teaches creatives, spiritual seekers and small business owners to live in “the flow”, clear their energy field and align their surroundings with their intentions so they create the business and life they love.