Organizing Feng Shui: Clear, Clean, Create

We westerners have historically been major consumers. Clutter, which goes hand in hand with consumption, claims our living spaces. There are degrees of severity, of course (consider the "path houses" where the resident has merely walking room to get from room to room), but most of us can do with a good clear out at least once every two years. Most clutter issues can be addressed by “simplifying” your life by moving out what is no longer necessary.

We have many reasons for holding on to things.

Fear of loss: “Some day, I’ll use those underwater binoculars!” Guilt: “My aunt Lou gave it to me.” Or my personal favorite: Memory issues: “I forgot even had that.”

Clean out those closets! So let's get started, shall we?

Step 1: Clear!

Organizing feng shui begins by clearing out all of the things you don’t use or need. Begin with your closets. If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing for over a year (that covers all seasons!), or if you wear it but it doesn't make you feel terrific, consider letting it go.

Once you’ve got your closet simplfied, do the same in the bathroom, kitchen, office.

After you’ve tackled where you actively live, look at the storage places in your home. Old toys, old furniture, old appliances, just move them out. Just cleaning out your home and organizing your life ("a place for everything, and everything in its place") will make a huge difference in your life.

Why? Keeping and storing items you don’t need or won’t use creates stuck energy in your home. Every time you see clutter or unfinished projects, it registers in your awareness (often subconscious, but it's there) as extra weight or burden. Organizing feng shui is an easy way to lighten the mental load.

Step 2: Clean!

Once you get started with this part of organizing feng shui (de-cluttering), you'll probably see that many areas of your home could use a good scrub down! It's amazing the dust, dirt, dust bunnies and grime our unused, unwanted possessions can hide.

Clean, touch up the paint if needed, and as you can, replace stained or worn furnishings and accessories and items you no longer believe to be beautiful or know to be useful.

Step 3: Create!

As you clean and declutter, you're wiping away a history of stuck negative energy, bad ions, but you're also paving the way for fresh, new energy to come into your home.

You'll be amazed how good this feels. And that feeling helps you have energy to clear, clean and create in every area of your life. I call it "falling in love" (with your space)! When your home is a beautiful retreat, you have the energy to take better care of your body, your mind, your relationships, your spirit. It's a great feeling!

Organizing feng shui bonus: room for better stuff!

If it All Seems Overwhelming ...

If it's been a while since you've had a major clear out, or you'd like to begin but don't know what room to start with, consult a bagua map for organizing feng shui clues. Once you understand which areas correspond to which rooms of your home, look for the area where you're having the most difficulties. Start there! Once you complete repairs, clearing, cleaning and creating a beautiful space there and are reaping those rewards, you'll have tons of energy to complete the process.

Happy organizing!