It’s just a fact of life. Negative energy is a part of every environment at one time or another. It’s definitely present offices too. We’ve all picked up on bad vibes before. And, this energy can be obstructive, disruptive, and reduce productivity. For this reason, it needs to be cleared on a regular basis. So, to maintain a clear, clean, and productive space, learn the most common way of clearing negative office energy.

For ways to clear energy without smudging, see my blog post: Three Ways Clearing Energy Can Shift Your Mood.

Where Does Negative Office Energy Come From

While some negative energy is acutely harmful and debilitating. But most negative energy is more like noise. Minor disagreements with coworkers can be somewhat unsettling and distracting. Even the negative energy from one person’s bad mood can linger.

At one time or another, everyone has had lingering bad feelings or thoughts associated with some negative interaction or bad experience at work. Furthermore, most people at some point in time walk into a colleague’s office and immediately know, without a word being uttered, that something is wrong.

Accumulation of Negative Energy Over Time

Although innocuous at first, energetic “noise” can accumulate and become more disruptive, disturbing, and worrisome. It can create a nagging or clawing atmosphere where negative patterns and events seem to multiply or replay over and over again. Maybe the once cordial team dynamics break down and becomes hard to foster good collaboration.

Insidious negative energy eventually creates imbalance and conflict. Working relationships become tense. The mood becomes noticeably problematic and harmful. Everyone gets stressed and some will experience associated symptoms such as anxiety, depression, irritability, headaches, etc. That’s why it’s wise to periodically clear a space before it gets to the point that it “has bad vibes.”

How to Use Smudge For Clearing Negative Office Energy

Energetically clearing a space resets the atmosphere and establishes a clean, fresh start. An energetically clear space is clean, light, spacious, and refreshing. It feels calm, balanced, and uncluttered. It provides a supportive atmosphere for work and interactions with other people.

Smudging

The most common way to clear negative energy is to smudge. Smudging is an ancient and indigenous practice for purifying and clearing energy practiced by Native North and South Americans, Druids, Siberians, Romans, Indians, Middle Easterners, Africa, etc).

Smudge is typically applied using wands or sticks (e.g., natural incense sticks) of certain dried healing herbs that are lit and extinguished, and the smoldering smoke is passed over a person, an object, or throughout a room or sacred space in order to purify and clear.

Typical Smudging Herbs

Traditions can be quite detailed and specific on how and when the specific herbs are collected, how the wands and sticks are made, which direction a person should move throughout a room, what type of prayer or chants should be recited, etc. In North America, some herbs commonly used for smudging are white sage (Salvia apiana), red (Virginia) cedar (Juniperus virginiana), sagebrush (Artemisia californica), and sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata).

Essential Oil Smudge Blend

Not everyone likes or can tolerate the smoke from smudge sticks. An aromatherapy or essential oil diffuser blend is a good alternative. While not identical to fresh or dried herbs, an essential oil derived from one of the herbs mentioned above will have many of the same energetic or subtle properties.

Adding Additional Intentions To Your Smudge

An additional advantage of using a diffuser is it can provide continuous clearing as long as it is diffusing the essential oil blend. With the right essential oils, a diffuser can also set a positive, safe space and reduce the accumulation of negative energy in the first place.

Several essential oils can be blended to create a more complex and supportive diffuser smudge. The subtle properties of essential oils are effectively expressed in very light dilutions. In fact, less is best.

A lighter application of diffuser oils is less likely to annoy office colleagues as well. Just a few drops (3 or 4) of diffuser oil can adequately clear an office (approximately 8 or 10 feet square).

Liquid Smudge

Liquid smudge is lightly scented and exceptionally vibrational, especially if made from all-natural plant substances (e.g., hydrosols, which like essential oils, are a product of distillation). Similarly, hydrosols are not identical to but share many of the same properties as, the essential oil or herb derived from the same plant species. The energetic properties of a hydrosol linger much longer than the noticeable scent.

Because the scent of a hydrofoil is extremely light, there is a little imposition on work colleagues, making liquid smudge ideal for offices. In addition, applying liquid smudge is safer because there is no threat of fire, and it’s more convenient because you just spray.

Essential Oils for Clearing Energy

There are many essential oils that have energetic clearing properties. This is a list of some of my favorites.

• Black Spruce (Picea mariana) 
• Frankincense (Boswellia cateri)
• Lavender (lavandula angustifolia)
• Lemon Verbena (Lippa citriodora)
• Red or Virginia Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
• White sage (Salvia apiana)
• Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

I like to include Juniper in my smudge blend because, in addition to clearing, it draws in positive, protective energy and promotes detoxification (see the My blog on Juniper and smudging).

Lavender is calming. Black spruce is uplifting and stimulating. Frankincense raises the energetic vibration, and good health and well-being are supported by raising the level of vibration.

Most essential oils derived from citrus fruits (grapefruits, lemons, limes, mandarins, and oranges) are energetically clearing as well. With all these choices, it’s possible to create many blends and satisfy everyone’s personal preferences and needs.

For more information or assistance with office issues, see:

• my energy healing and wellness blog posts such as:
  • Symptoms of Negative Energy In a Space
  • Protect Yourself From the Negative Energy of Others
  •  Four Ways to Clear Negative Energy,
  • Three Ways Clearing Your Energy Can Shift Your Mood,
  • Smoke-Free Smudges for Respiratory Conditions and Allergies to Smoke,
  • How to Clear Your Energy, Gain Clarity, and Create Flow
• My eBook, Clearing Energy With Smudging;
• Register for an in-person or virtual personal development, natural healing, and wellness workshop on smudging or other interesting related topics;