Feng Shui Tips for Handling Clutter

Spring Greetings!

Thankfully, it looks like spring may finally come to Colorado! This means that spring-cleaning season is also here (although you can do it anytime). Scroll all the way to the end of the article below, for Feng Shui tips to accelerate the process.

Also, this month I’ll post additional tips on my Facebook Fan Page (Suzanne Metzger ~ Feng Shui Consultant) and expand on some of the information presented here. So check them out and feel free to reply with questions and comments!

If you feel overwhelmed with the process, please consider having one or more clutter clearing support sessions with me. These are special coaching sessions that I offer by phone for only $25.

In some cases, you may prefer to have me do a space clearing for your home or office or a full Feng Shui consultation. These would include special “cures” to move stagnant energy and accelerate the clutter clearing process. Let me know if you wish to learn more.

You’ve probably heard this famous quote by an anonymous sage: “Only in America…we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and fill our garages with useless junk.” This is true; but there’s more to the clutter story.

So, what exactly is clutter?

Physical clutter is usually obvious:

Anything that doesn’t have a permanent resting place in your home.
Too many things in a small space—including oversized furniture.
The spaces you occupy are messy or disorganized.
You have things around you that you don’t love or use. However, you keep them around because someone gave them to you, you’re “temporarily” storing them for a friend or relative, or they cost a lot.
Projects that have been unfinished for a long period of time—even if they are out of sight.
Anything that is broken.

Not so obvious physical clutter:

EMFs, Radio Waves or Geopathic Stress (Many Feng shui experts, including me, are trained in identifying and clearing these energies)
Patterns have been left in a space by previous occupants (i.e. illness, trauma, relationship or money problems, etc.)
Grunge and plain old dirt, which has been left as a result of everyday living or nonuse.
Storage spaces filled with things that have not been used for a long period of time. The energy of these objects becomes stuck and heavy—even if they are neatly stored–and contribute to the stagnant energy of your entire space. (Energy around objects that we love, use, and enjoy has strong, vibrant energy.)

Mental clutter:

Reoccurring thoughts without a destination that keep running through your head. In serious cases, this could be due to obsessive/compulsive disorder. However, most of us have some “mind chatter,” related to our everyday life, our never-ending “lists,” or the goals and dreams that we’ve never taken the necessary steps to move forward on because of fear, thinking we don’t have energy or time, or a lack of money. (These could also be related to emotional clutter).

Emotional clutter:

Anything that is incomplete from your past that keeps you from moving forward.
Holding on to relationships that are no longer viable or support you.
Social worries–like trying to fit in, worrying about what others think of you, or wondering if you’re wearing the “right” clothing to a specific function, if it prevents you from enjoying yourself.
“Shoulds”—thinking you should have said this and not that, etc. In other words, not thinking you’re good enough.•
Living so much in the past or future that you miss living in the “Now.”
Attachment to stuff that you don’t love or use
Keeping things “Just in case you’ll need them.” (The message to the Universe is that you don’t trust the future to provide what you need).
Inherited things that you don’t use or really like.
Your parents were clutterbugs and you mirrored them growing up.

Spiritual clutter:

This often occurs when you experience conflict about your religion or spiritual path, but you can’t move on
You feel that you are not living your principals and ideals
You’re not living up to your potential

Of course, the categories above are incomplete and some of them arbitrary,but you get the idea.

So, what can we do with the Feng Shui of our spaces to handle the various types of clutter?

1. First of all, handle as much of the obvious physical clutter as possible. If you have a lot of emotional clutter, it may be more difficult for you to let go of a large amount of things at once. In this case, it is better to do it in stages and get outside support, such as coaching or hypnotherapy.

2. If you don’t know where to start, begin with your bedroom. In past newsletters, I’ve often written about how a clutterfree bedroom contributes to your overall well-being. If you’re unable to begin there, go to one of your entrances—preferably your front door.

3. Cover or remove mirrors from any area that is cluttered. Mirrors double the images that they reflect—and, you certainly don’t want to double your clutter!

4. Clean any mirrors that you don’t remove—including the covered ones.

5. If your office area is free of clutter, place a mirror on one or both sides of your desk to create more clarity and expand your thinking.

6. If paper is your main source of clutter, try adjusting your main Knowledge area Clutter-clearing is an ongoing process. As we go through life, it’s normal for us to grow and change. Many of the possessions we had even as recently as a few months ago do not reflect who we are today.

May you “spring” into action and release anything that is not a perfect part of your life!

Suzanne