If you’re an empath like me, you have highly attuned senses. You absorb the energies and emotions around you. As a deeply intuitive individual, you filter the world through your inner wisdom and feelings. These are all beautiful gifts that allow empaths to be wise healers and artists. But there’s a problem.
Your sensitivities mean that certain environments can really throw you off balance. Of course, the emotions of the people in your world have a huge impact. But today I want to talk about your world itself. How is your home environment helping or harming you as an empath?
Why empaths need the right home environment
When you’re an empath, you’re sensitive to your surroundings. You may not be consciously aware of how your environment affects you, but you know when something is ‘off’.
You may feel overwhelmed, agitated, sad, or hopeless for seemingly no reason. And then, just like magic, the moment you’re in a more empath friendly environment, you feel like yourself again.
As an empath myself, I am extremely sensitive to my environment. In the past, this has been a source of frustration and confusion.
Other people seemed totally oblivious to their home environment. They could live in a dark, dirty home in the middle of a concrete jungle and seem unfazed.
I felt like I was being an overly sensitive snowflake for needing more. It took me a while to accept that the soul has good reasons for wanting what it wants. If you deny your soul what it needs, a lot of friction builds in your life, creating deep emotional pain.
Bring nature home
I believe every human being needs time in nature to feel centred. But for empaths, there is more urgency. We can quickly spiral into burnout and deep sadness if we don’t have access to nature.
The ideal home environment for an empath includes many elements of nature:
- Plants
- Colourful artwork
- Essential oils
- Sounds of nature
- Big windows
- Fresh air
- Clean, clutter free surfaces
When creating an empath-friendly home, consider the elegance of wrought iron window boxes. These window boxes can add a touch of charm and style to your living space. Within the last couple of weeks, I made some small, but powerful changes to my home that have made me feel more centred, calm, and happy.
If you feel like a caged soul in your current environment, or you’re just plain uninspired by it, here are some tips to make your home an empath friendly haven as practiced by residents of apartments near Murfreesboro.
Embrace beauty
Empaths are often highly creative individuals who need beauty in our lives to feel inspired. It’s important to accept the fact that It’s not frivolous to pursue beauty.
This includes beauty in nature, artwork, clothes, jewelry, crystals—whatever delights the eyes of your soul.
For example, in your child’s room, consider how children house beds can add a touch of artistic beauty, making their space not just functional but also visually appealing, fostering their creativity and imagination in a captivating environment.
A while ago I realized that there was hardly any color in my home. The floors, walls, and my couch are grey. The few paintings I had on my wall weren’t very colourful either. So, I went out and bought these two paintings:
Once I saw what a difference the paintings had on my mood, it motivated me to make more changes.
Sounds of nature
Empaths have highly tuned senses, including the sense of sound. You might already know what noises aggravate and drain you. But are you aware of the healing power of certain sounds?
One thing I’ve done off and on over the years is play frequency music. Usually, I would find a heart opening or healing frequency and play it occasionally.
But for the past week I’ve been playing frequency music mixed with ocean waves whenever I’m home. Here is the video I use.
I’m actually shocked at what a big difference this has made. Those of you who have been following me for a while know that I used to live on a little island on the West Coast of Canada. The ocean was my backyard and my home was surrounded by tall, emerald green trees.
It was very easy for me to stay centred and happy in that environment. Now that I’m back in the ‘real world’, living in a downtown apartment in Ottawa (the capital of Canada), I feel like I’m constantly struggling to stay centred and connected to my intuition.
Hearing the ocean waves, even if they are just coming from my laptop, helps me to reconnect with that peaceful feeling I had when I lived by the sea.
Other nature sounds, such as rain, birds chirping, and streams, can be just as rejuvenating for empaths. I also like Sound Baths and meditation music.
Fresh flowers
Again, it’s okay to prioritize the pursuit of beauty. Why not invite beauty into your home everyday with fresh flowers?
Over the past couple of weeks, I got back into the habit of keeping fresh flowers in the house. This might seem like a lavish expense, but a small bouquet of roses is only $8 at the Whole Foods where I shop. It’s a small investment for several days of beauty.
Essential oils
Empaths are also more sensitive to strong smells and chemicals. Essential oils are a great way to keep your environment smelling lovely, without polluting your air with chemicals.
Lately, I’ve amped up my essential oil usage, vaporizing lavender and eucalyptus into the air in my home 24/7.
I had been doing this for a while, but increasing the amount of essential oils I use and keeping the humidifier going all day makes me feel even more calm and centred.
It’s also just a delight to walk into your home and feel like you’re entering a spa.
Tip: Essential oils can be pricey, but you can get them for a fraction of the price on Amazon.
Plants
Spending most of our day indoors is not good for the empath soul, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Bring nature into your home with house plants.
I love looking at my plants and seeing them grow. In fact, I love my plant babies so much that I might one day turn my apartment into a jungle. But for now, three little green bundles of joy is enough to satisfy my need for natural beauty in my home. 😉
Over to you
What do you need in your home to feel happy and centred? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
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Love,
Michaela,
Thank you! You’re so right on.
You’re welcome, Chuck! 😉
TY Michaela!!! This read has taught me a good bit about my empath traits & how to get thru hard burn out times. We are gearing up to paint my townhouse & I don’t know why, but, I am having the hardest time picking out colors for my downstairs LR & kitchen!! I pretty much got the upstairs colors picked out, but, just cannot decide on the downstairs!! It almost feels like a block in my brain I can’t get thru or around! And it is driving me crazy!! Any tips would be much appreciated^^ Thanks again Michaela’
Awesome tips, Michaela. I find that yoga bolsters make home feel more soothing. I can prop my feet up at the end of a long day. So relaxing. Also love bath salts, bubble bath, all of that good stuff. Plus candle light. Real or fake…doesn’t matter to me. It adds such atmosphere.
Oh, yes, baths are wonderful. I use fake candles that my mom gave me when I take a bath. 😉
Great article, Michaela! Apartment rents are very expensive where I live, but I found an ugly garage apartment that I can afford. In the three years I’ve lived in it, I have added rugs, colorful throw pillows, and inspiring artwork. I enjoy candles and incense, and I keep fresh roses in a chrystal vase. Everything feels so much better now!
Thanks for sharing, Maggie. I’m glad you were able to make your home your own. 🙂
Outstanding new blog post!
Michaela, you hit another grand-slam!
Thanks, Rikko!
My husband and son are both loud, messy extroverts. Sometimes our house gets so loud when the baby is crying, my son is asking questions, my husband is try to talk to me and the TV is on and even the cat is meowing. I go nuts sometimes. But I love the idea of essential oils for when I have to take a deep breath so I don’t snap. I also love the nature sounds idea, like a water feature in the backyard always flowing.
I’m fresh flower girl! I agree, it’s a small investment for a few days of beauty!
Same with art, I recently inherited a bunch of my late grandmother’s paintings. Ocean scapes with rocks and waves very, calming.☺️
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Loren! Of course, it’s hard to find peace with a baby crying, but at least you can enjoy some beauty. 😉
I appreciate this so much. I married a person that was totally opposite of me and I basically lived in a hoarder house for 5 years. There was so much chaotic energy and I never felt comfortable in my own home. He left earlier this year and it made such a difference when I could reorganize and rearrange my apartment to MY liking. I opened up my living room space and added plants and a tabletop water fountain. It now feels like a safe space for me to recharge and relax. Thank you for the validation!
I have been struggling with this, so excellent timing for this article. Thank you. I like the idea of mixing ocean and nature sounds. The essential oils could be a bit of a challenge (husband is not really into ‘funny’ smells in the house. Then again, if it is a nice and fresh outdoorsy smell, it could be okay. )And I need to seriously clean up my house and yard. Too much stuff! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction
You’re welcome, Marina! Yes, decluttering will make a big difference, too. 🙂
Thanks Michaela. This article resonates with me. I’ve been piecing my place together slowly for the past 5 years and got to realize it’s a personal journey. What I thought it would look like at first turned out only partly true. Plants, curved lines and inspirations from nature make it more complete. Brings it into balance. Maybe I’ll give your tips a try too. Thanks!
You’re welcome, I feel the same about piecing together my place. It looks nothing like I expected, but it’s gradually becoming my own. 🙂
Thank you for this Michaela:)
I really love the YouTube video!
You’re welcome, Edith! Glad you liked it. 🙂
Hi Michaela- I just found your blog and I’m enjoying it so much! I am older than most here, and only realized in the past 10 years that there is a name for people like me – and that there are others like me! Thank you for your insights.
For this entry, I would add that I have a beautiful sideboard I inherited from my mother. For several years I set it up just the way she did – with the balanced candlesticks/tea set in the center, etc. But when I changed it so that it’s now my “altar” – with crystals, a candle and fresh flowers, the whole thing changed and began to Support me. I change it seasonally and it has become so important and fulfilling for me!
That sounds lovely, Briget! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
As an INFJ I really need my room far from clutter. what make me relax and want to come home as soon as possible by decorating my home like a spa. well…buying a nice smell candles is great too. my idea is to put a nice candle in every room every corner of the room even if i don’t burn it, I still can smell it.
a small fountain would be a good choice too so that will be in my next shopping list. (Don’t forget to put some healing stone. it really make your room have a positive energy!)
Another great post Michaela. It rings true for me as well. One of my governing values to to “maintain order in my surroundings”. I find it really helps provide a calming environment and it reminded me to clean up my messy office this morning.
When I lived in Canada the TV was on if I was home. Now I don’t have a TV and love the peace. I find it amazing that people leave their TV’s on just for the noise. I have discovered that kind of noise drains me!
I am fortunate to live in paradise. My living room has an over-sized sliding glass door which offers a view through my colorful garden and out to turquoise colors of the Caribbean sea. It is very calming. Just in the last couple of weeks I am back in the habit of having cut flowers in my home and have asked my gardener to plant more flowers for that reason. It is a little warm here to have my windows open to hear the sea but I will try the sounds of waves through my sound system to match my view. Once you have lived on the sea it is hard to be elsewhere. I cannot imagine being back in CA in an apartment.
I will try the essential oils. What a great idea.
Thank you for all you do.
This article resonates so true with me.
I didn’t consider myself and empath until I moved so some town following my SO, and found it a bit unsettling. I thought I will get adjusted, but several years went by and I get the same feeling of shock and anxiety when we arrive “home”.
You get stop noticing it after several days, but it still wears on your mental power, and once you get to a more soothing environment, you are surprised how calm and energized you feel.
All this time I thought that the problem is my poor adjustment skills and was trying to find “what’s wrong with me”, but now I start to play with the idea to take more trust in my feelings and adjust the environment so that I feel better, instead of trying to change the way I feel about the environment.
I’m so glad I found your blog/website today! I was on Pinterest looking for “introvert” quotes to post on FB. I am in a network marketing company and there is always a push for those of “us” who “need” to get out of our comfort zones in order to work our business and gain profit. It’s like the extroverts think we introverts need to change in order to succeed in business. I refuse to be pushed to the brink of over stressing myself. It causes more health issues when I’m overstressed.
Thank you for your thought-provoking and revelatory posts about introverts and why we need to stand up for who we are and not be treated like we’re inferior.
I have a friend who is an empath and struggles with it, she’s looking for a group online somewhere where she can make some other empath friends (besides me) and learn more about that side of herself. Any suggestions?
Lighting…Adding Philips Hue lighting to my home has helped tremendously. I have the lights scheduled to transition, change hue and color, and really help maintain my peaceful mood throughout the day. I also work at home so it’s especially nice.
I feel so good, relaxing in my living room with my comforting lighting and the family in bed, it builds me up.
Before I upgraded my lighting, the house made me anxious, especially when when I could hear traffic on our street. Now, I barely notice the traffic noise or give a thought to anything outside my sanctuary.
Really nice smelling soaps for deep baths. I have a lovely cypress-scented one that makes me feel happy.
Should empaths bedrooms be large or small cause I have both and I was wondering which one to sleep in