Accumulated clutter creates stagnant chi and getting rid of it should be a top priority for any feng shui home or office. Clutter takes up space and generates chaos and negative energy. Decluttering unclogs bottled up chi energy and allows fresh energizing chi to enter your home or office.
Getting Rid of Accumulated Clutter Is Easy
It's easy for accumulated clutter to go unnoticed. Step outside your house and pretend you're a visitor. Step back inside your home and see the surroundings through the eyes of a stranger. This exercise will help you quickly identify accumulated clutter.
Benefits of Getting Rid of Accumulated Clutter
You will notice an immediate shift in the energy of your home when you get rid of clutter. Author and feng shui expert Norma Lehmeier Hartie says, "The space will feel lighter and that good energy will make you feel more energetic and happier." This energy will enable you to be more productive. You'll also find it easier to relax in your home.
Negative Effects of Living and Working in Accumulated Clutter
There definite side effect from living in a cluttered environment. Norma reveals, "Clutter will literally bog you down and you will feel stagnant, unable to move on in your life." This negative energy will prevent you from being efficient since you're constantly searching for things. In addition, "It will cause stress, because searching for things causes anxiety," Norma says. Living in clutter creates depression and sense of underlying despair.
Clutter Can Be Many Things
In feng shui, clutter is more than piles of dirty laundry on the floor or dirty dishes in the sink. Norma explains, "Clutter is anything that isn't used or liked. Sometimes, we hold on to stuff for sentimental reasons." Anything you don't like should be considered clutter. Anything broken or out-of-date or out of style is clutter. Get rid of all clutter.
Solutions for Collections That Create Clutter
If you collect things, you can easily end up with a cluttered home. You can reduce the clutter without having to give up your collection(s). Norma advises, "If you have six objects on a side-table all vying for attention, store three away for half the year. Now, the three objects will look nice and you won't have that cluttered look." Another solution is to invest in a curio to display your treasures in an organized and attractive arrangement.
Deciding What to Give Up
Not all clutter is trash. Many times, like collections, heirlooms, sentimental objects and other things can create clutter. Determining the things that are clutter can be difficult. Norma suggests, "If you have things around that aren't being used or enjoyed, that stuff is not giving off good energy and will make you feel stagnant in your life." It's time to get rid of this type of clutter and invite new energy and opportunities to take their place.
Your Decluttering Strategy
A quick declutter plan of action can jumpstart your decluttering process. Norma has an easy strategy. "Decide what single space in your house bothers you the most," she says.
Start Small Decluttering
It's easy to become overwhelmed when you decide to tackle accumulated clutter spread throughout your home. "What space haunts you in its need for an organizational overhaul?" Norma asks. This doesn't have to be an entire room. Norma suggests, "The space could be as small as a single junk drawer in your kitchen or as large as your two-car garage that is filled with several generations' worth of cast-offs."
Divide and Conquer Clutter
You can divide your house into grids. One room could have four or five grids, depending on how you divide the space. Work each grid and complete it before moving on to the next one. This quick approach to decluttering gives you easy and manageable sections. You'll soon have an entire room decluttered and gyrating with new energetic chi energy.
Whole House Decluttering Dilemma
If your entire house needs decluttering, Norma advises you start with the two most important rooms. These include bedrooms, kitchen and center of home. All three of these areas affect your health and vitality. The bedroom is where you rejuvenate, the kitchen is where nourishing food is cooked, and the center of the home controls the overall health and well-being of the family. Once these areas are decluttered, it's time to move through the remainder of the house.
Keep It Organized and Decluttered
Once you've removed all the accumulate clutter, keep it clean. "Keep and organize items that you like or love and that you use," Norma says. She advises if deciding what to keep becomes difficult then you should create groupings. "If this is very difficult to do, have three piles: keep, throw out and undecided," she says.
Feng Shui and Household Cleaners
One thing to keep in mind when you start your decluttering is how you approach cleaning, such as window washing, floors, walls, dusting, and other cleaning chores. For a sparkling healthy feng shui home, opt for natural eco-friendly cleaning products.
Best Ways for Getting Rid of Accumulated Clutter
In feng shui, clutter is your biggest enemy. Learning how to tackle and get rid of this stagnant chi energy is vital to creating a harmonious and balanced feng shui home.
