Feng Shui Friday: Clearing the Clutter

Feng Shui is all about allowing energy to flow through your space. If you are interested in apply Feng Shui to your space, the first step you must take to is to de-clutter your space, yard, garage, and even your office space. And not all clutter is created equal. It actually falls into four categories: things you don’t use or love, things that are untidy or not organized, an excess of things that don’t fit into a space, and broken or unfinished things.The more clutter you have, the more stuck, overwhelmed and even depressed the energy in your space can feel. Which intern may negatively affect your personal energy, mental state, and overall wellness big time. All the clutter literally stops the flow of energy throughout your space.

A clutter-free space filled with things you loved and use regularly allows positive energy to move fluidly, not just through the space but also through you.

Here are a few tips to help you de-clutter your space

Cleaning up the clutter can be overwhelming. So start small. Start with a room where you send the majority of your time, your bedroom or family room. If you need to, schedule the time. Maybe you pick an hour a day or a full-day on the weekend to tackle this project. Make it festive, brew your favorite tea, coffee, or even open a bottle of champagne. Play your favorite tunes to get you moving and your blood pumping. You want to make this activity as enjoyable as possible.

Get several boxes. One for items that no longer serve you or bring you joy, one for items that you are on the fence about and one for things that are broken or no longer useful. Get rid of items from past relationships (old love letters, etc), especially if you are looking for love, these items tie you to the past, let them and open the door for new love.

Donate all the items you no longer love. Put them directly into your car so that the next time you are out, your first stop is to the drop them off at the donation bin.

For the items you are unsure about, box them up, clearly label the boxes and revisit them in a few months. I find I am able to let go of things a lot easier once they are packed away. Set a calendar invite to revisit the items you unsure about and release them when you are ready. I have also found that there are items that I have held onto, that eventually found their place in my home or when I moved into a new home. If you love it, it is ok to keep it. Just keep checking in to make sure you really need to hold onto it.

For broken and unfinished items it is best to get rid of them. Maybe you have a friend who would enjoying finishing a project you started that you never completed. For broken items that need repairing, repair them or toss them. Broken objects are not good to have your home. I do have a few vintage pieces that broke over the years that I was able to glue back together. I love the Japanese tradition of using a gold pen to go over the cracks/broken areas and renew their beauty.

For clothing. If you live somewhere there are seasons, separate your clothes out by season and move the out of season clothes to a guest room closet or a less accessible area. I find this is one of the hardest to do, so take it slow. Pick a section and go through it . If it does not fit, donate it. If it needs repair, donate it or put it in a bag and take it to get repaired. If it is out of style, donate it.

Next start to separate your clothes by what you wear the most. I keep my fancy special occasion clothes in the back of my closet or in the guest room closet. You want to have the clothing you wear most front and center.

Get your kids involved too! As my kids outgrew toys we donated to friend or neighbors. For special things they no longer use such as dolls, hot wheels, baby books, have them box them up and clearly label them and put them in storage. For seasonal toys, box them up and clearly label them as well. Donate any gently used books, clothes and toys.

Once you are done, you are not going to believe how much lighter you feel! I try to go through each room in my house at least two times a year (usually spring and winter).