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How Feng Shui Can Help You Keep Clutter Out Of Your Home — For Good
If you feel like you're constantly clearing clutter and have resigned yourself to watching it come back as fast as it disappears, you're not alone. Every Kondo devotee knows that wiping out every bit of clutter in a house one time isn't a permanent or even long-lasting solution for many people. It's amazing to have that fresh, clear-space feeling, but then somehow—and sometimes quite quickly—the mess inevitably comes back.
I have many friends and clients who have felt stuck in this endless cycle of clearing, donating, organizing, and, somehow, needing to start all over again when the clutter returns.
Last year, I myself was trapped in a cycle of seemingly endless digital clutter, feeling as though everything I'd deleted was somehow multiplying instead. For a long time, I just let that "unread emails" number on my phone climb into the thousands because dealing with it seemed futile. Taking the necessary steps to clear this clutter for good took some determination, but it worked! The experience reminded me that reducing clutter is one thing. Keeping it from coming back can be its own amazing skill.
What's feng shui got to do with it?
As a feng shui master, I've noticed that positive changes tend to stick much more when you shift to address what caused the problem in the first place. So in the example of my cluttered inbox, you can delete all your unnecessary mail but it will likely keep coming back if you don't contact whoever is sending it in the first place and ask them to stop.
Addressing the source of the issue is sometimes time-consuming and annoying, so it's tempting to just let it be. (Clutter tends to work this way!) But ultimately, addressing whatever's emotionally and energetically behind the mess will dramatically change your life for the better and keep the clutter far, far away.
This can take time and all kinds of inner healing. In my experience, it's well worth the investment. Here are some feng-shui-approved ideas to get you started on your long-term decluttering journey:
1. Embrace imperfection—especially in creative spaces.
Decluttering can clear up space for you to live, enjoy your surroundings, and create things. So even if you have an art studio or a table that's a mess when you're in the middle of said creation, that's a lot different from having a whole home refill itself with clutter. Set boundaries around clutter, and be aware that creative mess will transform into a regular mess if you let it linger after you're done with a project.
2. Make it harder for clutter to build up in the first place.
This could mean placing a plant, accessory, or lamp on the area of your desk that usually fills with clutter to keep things clean and vibes high. If the shoe rack at your entryway is prone to overflowing, consider getting one that's half the size so you'll have to be very judicious about what pairs of shoes can stay there. If your nightstands are full of clutter, you might want to swap them for a pair with no storage space or add candles, fresh flowers, or other beautiful things so there's no void to fill.
While this type of thinking isn't always a long-term solution, it can help you to break the habit of placing things down where there's empty space only to watch them slowly pile up.
3. Keep the energy lighter at home.
Clutter is a manifestation of stagnant energy, so clearing space energetically can also clear it physically. Whether you burn sage, incense, or candles; use an aromatherapy diffuser; or do anything else that gets the energy flowing, do it more often in the rooms that tend to attract the most stuff.
When you get to the root of your clutter, it becomes an opportunity to grow. Even the very first steps you take to declutter your home and your life can bring incredible benefits, so there's no need to push yourself to speed through it. And there's every reason to celebrate your progress along the way!
