It’s said that your space — your home, your office — is a mirror of you. If you are looking for ways to improve your quality of life, you might consider first improving the quality of your space. Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art and science of placement and energy flow, can help you do both.

The basic theory behind feng shui is that everything is energy and everything is connected. So if you change the energy in your home, you also will be changing the energy in your life. “Your home can often be a mirror of your inner life that can symbolically or literally manifest practically everything that is going on in your life,” says holistic design expert Laura Benko. “There are so many actions you can take to address these issues. It first begins with shifting your perspective and connecting the dots between your environment and yourself.”

Here are a few easy steps you can take now to give your space, and hopefully your life, a little lift.

Eliminate clutter. Clutter stagnates your energy and promotes disorder.

2. Keep your bathroom door closed. The bathroom is full of drains (sink, tub and toilet) and by leaving the door open you allow good energy to literally drain out of your home.  

3.  Get two nightstands. Regardless of the number of people sleeping in the bed, two nightstands create a more supported and balanced bed for everyone. The nightstands don’t necessarily need to match, and they don’t need to be traditional nightstands; tables, stools or benches can work.

4.  Place furniture so it faces the door. Place yourself in a position of power in every room so you are always facing the door and nothing can “sneak up” on you.

Add plants. Plants encompass nature, growth, creativity, and even air purification all in one! Especially if you have a lot of electronics, add one or two more plants than may seem necessary and you’ll feel the difference.

Fix what’s broken. You aren’t broken on the inside — don’t be broken on the outside either.

“If you’re feelingoverwhelmed, a calming thing to do is clear off the surfaces in your home. It does away with visual and, more importantly, psychological clutter.”

Laura Benko, Benko Feng Shui, New York