MANILA, PHILIPPINES — “New Year New Me” is a common declaration at the start of every new year, as people strive to leave the old behind and bring in fresh, exciting experiences for the year. In 2024, dating app Bumble says “New Year New Love” and invites single Filipinos to “manifest the love you want,” revealing six Feng Shui tips from Bumble and Singapore-born, London-based TikTok viral Feng Shui Expert, Cliff Tan, for love seekers to welcome new romance into their lives by simply rearranging the furniture in their personal space, in time for Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day.
Lucille McCart, APAC Communications Director, said “At Bumble, we help people find romance by providing a platform to meet genuine connections. With 2024 looking to be the ‘year of self’ as predicted by Bumble’s latest Dating Trends report, we hope that our community will be able to use these tips to not only spring clean and refresh their personal spaces, but to also understand that opening yourself up to new connections can be as easy as removing items that don’t serve you anymore. As the saying goes, out with the old and in with the new. Sometimes little changes really can open us up to finding love or other kinds of romance. Ultimately, dating should be fun, so embrace the potential of new, healthy connections by taking some of these small steps to help you refresh your personal space in 2024.”
Feng Shui Tips by Cliff Tan – Making room for romance this Lunar New Year
We know that moving things around your room will not magically make someone appear in your life. However, creating the right environment will improve your mood for the better and in turn prepare yourself for love, amongst other wonderful things. Heading into 2024, we see an air of optimism and clarity in love, with more than half (63%)1 of surveyed women in the Philippines intending to enter the new year with a clearer view of what they want in their romantic lives. With Valentine’s Day falling within the Lunar New Year period, here are some tips to make way for love and romance by giving your room a fresh twist:
Arrange your mind before your space
Feng Shui is all about making your environment work for you to support your mental well-being. When it comes to love, you can only love someone else when you first learn to love yourself. Bumble’s Dating Trends 2024 has shown that single Filipinos are reframing how they date to better protect their mental health, with almost half (49%)1 of those surveyed locally actively “slow-dating” and being considerate about how much they are dating to ensure quality over quantity, even more so amongst women (56%). For a start, acknowledge your emotional needs by creating a sitting area in your room for you to take a break. Take some time to discover your own intangible needs and allow them to happen in your space.
Create balance through furniture
Love is the coming together of people, which makes balance important. Create this sense of balance by rearranging your furniture to have space on both sides of your bed, and place bedside tables with table lamps on each side to signify this. If there isn’t enough space to place the bed in the center, you can place it in a corner but have items to represent space for two, such as a loveseat or two chairs.
Make space, literally
The only way someone can enter your life is if you make space for them – literally. Clear and organize your room so that it is free of clutter and ready to take in new things. A tidy and clean room will not only make it more enjoyable but also allow positive energy to flow freely and stay within your space.
Set the right atmosphere with lighting
Once your room is clean and tidy, the next step is to set the ambiance to make you think of love. Avoid harsh, overhead lights or naked bulbs. Instead, use indirect, soft lighting, or even candles to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Pink is a color that works well, so you may consider salt lamps or even choosing this sweet hue for your bedding and accessories.
Love corner
Lastly, Feng Shui is not complete without a special corner to display things that will remind you of the beauty of love. The Love Corner in Feng Shui is usually a corner visible from the bed and deep inside the room away from the entrance, where you place objects that symbolize love. A pair of mandarin ducks, a rose crystal, or flowers are traditional elements but feel free to use anything that makes you think of love.
Embrace freshness
Lastly, when you want to welcome fresh love, ensure that your space reflects that you are mentally fresh too. Just like how you would spring clean for the Lunar New Year, opening yourself up to romance can start with something as simple as removing items that don’t serve you anymore. In the Philippines, 9 out of 10 Filipinos are willing to part ways with gifts from their exes. Even if they are pretty things, remove photos, gifts, and anything that may hold such memories and store them away. A fresh, neutral space clear of the heaviness of the past will certainly help you move forward and start afresh in 2024.
