Your home should be your safe haven -- the place where you feel relaxed, happy, and at peace. But when bad energy is lingering around, your home can quickly become the complete opposite -- a place of hostility and negativity. And when you have this negative energy in your home, it can affect every other aspect of your life. That’s why house cleansing can be an important part in your personal well-being. 
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If you’ve just moved into a new space, you should cleanse your home of any negative energies that might still be there from the previous owners. Or, if you’ve just gone through a breakup, had a big life transition, or you’re just in a funk -- clearing bad energy from your home can help. But how do you know if you have negative energy in your home, and how do you clear it out? 

Signs you have bad energy in your home

Knowing how to detect negative energy in your house can actually be quite simple. You can tell whether the energy in your home is good or bad – or neutral – based on the way you feel inside while you’re inside it. A house filled with good energy feels fresh and vibrant -- it’s full of life and you feel good being there. Some may say it has good qi or feng shui. On the other end of the spectrum, a home drowning in bad energy will make you feel like you’re being stifled, smothered, or even crushed. You can feel the tension in the air, and there are a thousand places you’d rather be.

Negative energy and stress go hand-in-hand, so if you’re constantly frazzled or at the end of your rope, your home could be partly to blame. If you’re not sure whether your home has bad energy of its own, check out these red flags:

• Excessive complaining. If you or your family members catch yourselves complaining, even when things are okay (or worse, when they’re actually pretty good), you may have negative energy in your home. The same is true if you’re struggling to find positivity in life.
• Negative relationships. When the people around you – spouses, children, family, and friends – are negative, it’s worth taking a look at the kind of energy you’re putting out there. Negative energy attracts more negative energy, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
• The blame game. Household members always pointing the finger? Negative energy in the home could be preventing them (and you) from looking inward to place responsibility where it really belongs.
• Criticism. If there’s a lot of criticizing going along with all the blame, your home could be swamped with bad energy. When you or others in your house send out negative vibrations, you’re increasing the bad energy in your home.
• Clutter. One of the biggest signs of negative energy in a home is clutter. Clutter blocks the way energy flows through a home, so it could be keeping bad energy in and making things worse.

Even if you aren’t picking up on any of these warning signs that you’re dealing with bad energy, it’s a good idea to cleanse your house when someone has had an argument, been sick, or is experiencing stress at work. Negative energy can seep into your house over time, so it’s okay to clear it whenever you feel like doing so.

Your home is the one place you should feel safe and secure, but if you open the door and you’re practically swimming in a pool of bad energy, you need to cleanse it – and this checklist will help.

Building a fruitful life for yourself takes a lot of hard work, so the thought of making major changes to it can be daunting. However, there may come a time when you’ll need to make a change, and the signs will be everywhere.
 
These signs can include feeling upset or dissatisfied with the state of things and daydreaming about what life would be like after making the shift. If you’ve found yourself feeling underwhelmed with life as of late, read on for suggested major life changes you can make to turn things around.
 
Find a Furry Friend and Prepare Your Home

Add another source of happiness to your life by adopting a four-legged family member. Whether you’re a lover of cats, dogs, or other furry friends, bringing an animal into your home can really impact each and every aspect of your life.
When you come home at the end of each day, your pet will be there to greet you. Plus, having them around benefits your health by reducing stress and blood pressure. The physical and mental health impact a pet has on you can be just as life-changing as moving them into your space.
 
If you do decide to bring a pet home, don’t bring them to an unsafe, ill-equipped environment. In order to start out on the right foot with your new friend, make your home as comfortable as possible for them. Have a bed, food, treats and space dedicated to them and ready to go, and make sure to pet-proof your home. Don’t forget cleaning supplies to tackle any messes your pet is bound to make. For example, you can purchase an enzymatic-based cleaner from your local pet store that eliminates stains and odors effectively.
 
Work Out Every Day
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Regular physical activity improves cardiovascular and emotional health at the same time, according to Psych Central. Even a small amount of exercise each day can improve your quality of life, and you might lose a few pounds in the process.
 
If you’re turned off by the idea of joining a gym, you can start seeing results without stepping foot into one. Instead, turn your living room or home office into a “gym” each day by practicing yoga or focusing on bodyweight workouts that require little to no equipment. Consider working physical activity into other parts of your day as well.
 
When you arrive at work, park a few blocks from the building to get in a brisk walk before and after your shift. Take the stairs instead of elevators, and consider walking around the block after dinner each night to help your digestion along.
 
Exerting energy in any way can help you sleep through the night, which is just as important to your overall health as exercise. After a good night’s rest, you’ll regain the energy needed to get through a long day at work, and you can even have enough energy left over to take on a hobby in your spare time.
 
Pick Up A Hobby

Hobbies can be life-changing, whether you return to a hobby you dropped in the past or find a new one that resonates with you. Having a hobby enhances your life by keeping the brain sharp and reducing stress. It provides a necessary distraction from life’s chaotic moments and keeps you from feeling bored, which can be a dangerous emotion for your mental health.
 
Whichever hobby you choose should bring you joy and relaxation. You can try your hand at kayaking, painting, crocheting, or something unique like bird watching. The time you make for a hobby or activity in your schedule is time devoted to nothing more than leisure—and who doesn’t want that?
 
Allow yourself an opportunity to change your life for the better. Adopting a pet, working out and starting a hobby will take time out of your day, yes, but their impact on your life will be more than worth it. Consider making big changes to your life to achieve total fulfillment.

​We all want to lead healthy lives and feel good about ourselves. Having positive habits is an effective way to make that happen. Better still, you don't need radical change to see results.
 
Know Your Environment
 
One of the first steps we can take is understanding the root causes of poor health; of course, drinking, smoking, and diet are common reasons for illness. Yet, not getting enough sleep and being inactive can also take their toll on our bodies and minds. Worse, our own homes could contain hazards that can make us sick, so it's important to know if your home contains radon, lead, or mold since these can seriously impact your health. When it comes to mold, water issues and poor ventilation can intensify the problem and even lead to pest infestations. By being aware of your environment and addressing any issues, you can better protect your health.
 
Nurture Balance
 
Unfortunately, it can be easy to lose sight of things to be grateful for. Our day-to-day routines can put our focus on stressful situations and leave us overwhelmed. Thankfully, we can counter that with acts of mindfulness throughout the day. In particular, practicing gratitude encourages us to be more aware of the positives in our lives. In fact, even writing down everything that we are thankful for, both big and small, can meaningfully raise our emotional well-being. How you practice mindfulness will be personal and could be as simple as watching birds from your porch.
 
Find Your Peace
 
Taking up meditation may sound impractical, particularly as our daily lives can be hectic or full of distractions. Yet, you don't need to spend hours in silent contemplation to see the health benefits, as just three to five minutes of meditation can be a promising start. Over time, you could experiment with different styles to find the one that works for you. With that in mind, consider devoting a part of your home to meditate and center your thoughts in peace. Indeed, an office, attic, even a bedroom, can be transformed with plants, calming pictures, and spiritual objects. Once you have a place set up, you can practice meditation, yoga, or otherwise explore your soul in a spiritually uplifting environment.
 
Speak Your Mind
 
Being true and open about our feelings can give us new outlooks and strengthen our relationships. Unfortunately, we may worry about being judged or becoming vulnerable with others, even loved ones. Yet, sharing our thoughts can improve self-esteem and turn negativity into something psychologically positive. For instance, the Reintegration System emphasizes the importance of not fighting negativity, but facing and accepting it. Through that, you transform it and potentially find benefits from it. By speaking up, you acknowledge what you are going through and give yourself the confidence to move forward.
 
Nourish Your Health
 
Pursuing a healthier emotional and physical lifestyle will benefit from nutritious food. After all, a balanced diet can boost our hearts, protect us from strokes and cancer, and counter the symptoms of depression. Best of all, changing up our diets doesn't mean eating bland meals or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. At the least, add plenty of vegetables, nuts, fruits, eggs, and fish in place of processed foods and sugar-heavy drinks. While that might sound pretty intense, there are countless recipes featuring those ingredients that can be done in less than 30 minutes. Beyond those changes, look to a dietician for further advice, as they may have information specific to your needs.
 
Being healthier doesn't happen overnight. However, taking small steps to change your diet, find peace and calm, and appreciate the good in your life can all add up. You deserve the rewards that come with a more uplifting lifestyle.

​Travel is not something you should put off until retirement. It is one of the only real ways to open your mind to other cultures and to experience all the world has to offer. Traveling can serve as emotional therapy and may even help you better appreciate your profession. If you’re considering walking away from it all for a spiritual, mental, and physical sabbatical, here are a few things you can do to prepare for your extended absence.
 
Let go of fear
 
The first thing you have to do is learn to let go of the fear that taking time away will hurt your career. Chances are, it won’t, and when you return, you will have an interesting story about your “pretirement.” If you’re worried about returning to your industry after a sabbatical, Monster.com offers tips on how to explain your sabbatical during the interview process.
 
Plan ahead
 
There is no doubt about it, if you want to get the most out of your personal retreat, you will need to plan ahead, and that means planning for how you’ll afford your journeys. Obviously, you need to have money saved up, but it does not hurt to have a source of income while you’re away. One great way to do that is to set your own home up as a rental property. This starts by getting it ready. You will need to stage it, stock it, and secure it. Angie’s List recently published a guide on rental property preparation, it’s a five-minute read with plenty of great tips. Also, don’t forget to plan for your pets, let your neighbors know what’s going on, and alert the Post Office.
 
Know when to go
 
Timing is everything. There are a couple of considerations here, and it starts with talking to your boss well ahead of your planned departure. The more notice, the better, especially if you are working on a crucial project. Give your employer at least a six month’s heads up so that you can coordinate your leave for a time when it will not be harmful to the company. Even if you are not a full-time employee (such as a freelancer or consultant), this is necessary if you do not want to part ways on bad terms.
 
Financial considerations
 
Even if you rent your home while you’re gone, you probably will not have the same amount of money coming in as you did when you were getting a regular paycheck. Transunion recommends saving the equivalent of one year’s salary for a sabbatical lasting six to nine months. This will keep you from running up your credit and give you a small cushion of funds to live off of when you return.
 
Have a purpose
 
Finally, and most importantly, know what you expect to get out of your time away. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with your higher power and make your trip a meaningful travel experience. Plan to do things that put you in touch with your inner self and remain mindful at all times of the beauty of your surroundings. It doesn’t matter if you are traveling alone or with your closest friends or family, make it purposeful and you’ll take away more than memories. You will gain a new perspective and may find out who you really are along the way.
 
If the idea of taking an extended vacation is intimidating, keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more entwined you become with your current surroundings. The last thing you want is to become so involved that you can’t break away.

​“How are you doing?” That short and simple phrase is one that is both overused and underappreciated. However, do some soul searching and ask yourself that question sincerely. If your inner wellness could use a shot in the arm, there are little changes you can make to your mental and physical health routines that can spark big spiritual outcomes. 
 
Upgrade Your Sleep Environment
 
While our dream lives can be interesting, we often give little credit to our slumber. Sleep actually offers important mental and physical health benefits, such as better problem-solving ability, improved mood, maintaining a healthy weight, and stronger immunity. Without enough sleep, we can experience brain fog, unstable emotions, reduced productivity, and increased stress levels. Simply enhancing your sleep environment can mean getting better sleep, reduced stress, and improved quality of life. If your shut-eye could use improvement, think about adding blackout window treatments to keep the room dark, add sound-dampening insulation for quieter nights, and adjust the room temperature for optimal comfort. 
 
Amp Up Meditation
 
Are you engaged in a regular meditation practice? Psychology Today cites research indicating that meditation can produce significant positive changes in health and well-being. It’s a tremendous stress-reduction technique that offers measurable outcomes, such as lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Meditation can also be an effective tool for reducing the risk of depression, anxiety, and pain, and it even appears to add years to your life. What’s more, it’s a time for spiritual introspection and focus, recharging your energy and improving your outlook on life. If you are already participating in meditation routinely, consider trying a different method, changing your meditation space, or adding crystals to your practice to amp up your results. 
 
Participate in Yoga
 
Yoga has existed for thousands of years.  Yet as Yoga Journal explains, only relatively recently did science begin unveiling the powerful benefits from regularly practicing yoga. Engaging in yoga can mean improved flexibility, stronger bones and muscles, better circulation, and a stronger immune system. Yoga promotes a better outlook on life, helping you feel more relaxed and happy, reducing your stress levels, and keeping you more at peace with yourself and the universe. There are several types of yoga, and depending on your situation you might want to alter your method, experiment with something new, hire a private instructor, or take a class. 
 
Savor the Great Outdoors
 
In our current culture, many of us spend the bulk of our lives enclosed in four walls, under artificial lighting, and sitting in front of electronic screens. If any of that sounds all too familiar, consider making more time for communing with nature. As Hyperbiotics explains, studies indicate that engaging with the natural environment is good for us in many crucial ways. Our nervous systems relax, we are more inclined to maintain a healthy weight, have better immune function, and are more apt to keep a positive outlook. Try upping the amount of time you spend outdoors, whether you’re sipping coffee, hiking, birdwatching, or meditating. Also, think about bringing nature to you by adding houseplants to your working and living areas. They not only provide a bit of green to your interior, but they can also help clean the air you’re breathing.
 
Examine Energy Flow
 
Being in harmony with the world around you can be a key to improved health. The arrangement in your work and living environments could be interfering with your wellness in important ways. Consider looking to feng shui principles to do some rearranging, allowing your space to keep the positive energy flowing. Also, consider the air flow in your home, and ensure your furniture is arranged to promote good health, comfort, and energy conservation. 
 
Sometimes, the smallest things can pack the biggest wallop when it comes to our spiritual side.  With that in mind, consider some little changes in your lifestyle to improve your inner health. The next time someone asks you how you are doing, you’ll be able to give a positive answer from the depths of your soul.