5 Ways to Feng Shui Your Home Before the Year Ends

The air in our homes can become stagnant in colder months, with the windows closed most of the time. To bring energy and freshness to your space even when it's frigid outside, Chan recommends adding plants, since they're natural air purifiers. She advises clients to find an area of their home where there's unused space, or where the energy "isn't moving" (it could be an empty corner or an end table cluttered with papers and magazines) and place a plant there—:preferably one that has an upward movement (everything in feng shui is symbolic, so a plant that grows up instead of out will help boost the room's chi, or energy). Easy-to-care-for ones include snake plants, peace lilies and aloe vera. You can also refresh the air in your closed-up home with aromatherapy; Chan suggests using uplifting and energizing citrus scents, such as grapefruit and lemon, either with essential oils in an air diffuser or via a candle.