Have you ever walked into a home where you just wanted to turn around and leave? Like the electricity we take for granted (and we're now being reminded with rolling blackouts and high power bills not to take for granted), the "energy" that surrounds us has a tremendous influence on every aspect our lives. We seldom notice it unless something is severely wrong and yet it influences how productive we are, how good we feel, and even how we interact with one another. If you would like to make your home more "energy efficient," here are some tips.

1. Begin with awareness. To discover how to best use the "energy" in your home, pay attention to how you feel in various areas of your home. Does one area make you feel light and happy? Does another make you feel drowsy or depressed? Take several hours and spend at least 15 minutes in each primary area of your home. Jot down how you feel and whether your energy is high, medium, or low in a given area.

2. Use your energy more wisely. Does your primary living area energize you? Does your bedroom feel calm and relaxing? If you have an office, is it easy for you to work or is it filled with distractions? The key step here is to match the energy with the activity. Ideally, your bedroom will be a place to feel happy, calm, and relaxed. If you work on your laptop computer, pay bills, or do other types of work in this area, you're now bringing in a "work" energy that would be more appropriate in a different part of your home. If your work area is cluttered with family pictures and items that distract you from working, put them elsewhere.

3. Insulate. Everyone needs a place to escape, that is "insulated" from outside influences (even if it's only temporary). To whatever extent possible, establish your own private area in your home that is "insulated" from distractions, kids, or visitors. Even if you live in a tiny apartment with other people, you can still create a special atmosphere where you lock the bathroom door, take a long soak in the tub or shower, light some candles, use scented oils, etc. Encourage those with whom you share your living space to do the same thing. Having a "safe place" to come home to helps us conserve our physical energy and thereby increases our effectiveness both at home and at work.

4. Rid yourself of energy drainers. If you've been requesting someone in your household to do something for over 90 days and it hasn't been done, it's an energy drain for you both. You have three options from which to choose. You can continue to "drain your energy" by making a request that yields no result, you can "clean up" the problem yourself, or you can "delegate the problem." In the case of a teenager's messy room, instead of nagging or cleaning it yourself, take a different tack. Don't enter the room to clean, pick up dishes (make them use paper plates if they don't bring the regular plates to the kitchen), or go in to pick up their dirty clothes. Let it pile up. If it gets too bad, hire a cleaning crew for a given date to "bag up the trash" (i.e. anything that's on the floor or not put away) and give your teenager 7 days notice before the crew shows up. The goal here is to shift the energy drain away from yourself while still holding your teenager accountable for the energy they create.

5. Keep the thermostat "cool and comfortable." If you've ever walked in on two people having an argument and it stopped because you came in the room, you've definitely experienced "the tension in the air." While arguments can't always be avoided, do try to avoid having them in your bedroom, kitchen, or dining room where "relaxing and nourishing" energy is appropriate.

6. Get rid of what is no longer "energy efficient." Like an old electricity guzzling refrigerator, there are certain aspects of our environment that soak up our energy for no really good reason. For example, is your garage or attic packed with things you no longer use? How about your closet? If so, these items are taking up both space and energy because every time you look at them you're reminded, "I need to clean the garage" or "I wish I had more room in my closet." The reason most people become overwhelmed with these tasks is they believe they have to do it all at once. If you'll allocate 30 minutes each week to pack 2 or 3 boxes, you'll be surprised how quickly the task actually goes.

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