The why, what and how of decluttering
I previously and succinctly touched based on the subject of decluttering in a previous blog post (you can find it here) but it’s such an important part of Feng Shui that I feel it deserves a post of its own.
Decluttering is in fact so important that it is the first step to undertake for a good Feng Shui, without it you can introduce as many cures as you want, they simply won’t have much effect!
Why would you want to declutter?
The most obvious reason would be to have a tidy interior, leaving you less stressed when you don’t have a daily reminder of what you have to do in front of your eyes. But it actually goes much deeper than that.
When a space is cluttered, the good and healthy energy (Chi) coming through the door will encounter so many obstacles that it’ll make its movements difficult, a bit like if you were to go in a room full of stuff and had to navigate and step over some obstacles...making your journey not really smooth or enjoyable.
Well, it’s the same for the Chi, it will struggle to move freely and harmoniously with the clutter around, which will then create a slow, sluggish energy with repercussions on us such as feeling confused, stucked, lethargic and even depressed.
On an even deeper level, knowing our homes reflect ourselves, the clutter represents decisions that are put off, an inability to make decisions and move forward in life. Holding on to clutter often is a sign of not feeling safe on some level, of our insecurities, of something we have suppressed in ourselves or are deeply fearful of.
Marie Kondo nailed it when saying there are only two reasons for why we can’t let go of something, either an attachment to the past or a fear of the future.
Energetically speaking, clutter is an emotion with a low vibration energy, which will bring our own vibration down (remember, we are all connected and interacting on a vibration level).
Decluttering will not only give you a tidier and clearer space, with good energy flowing more easily but by removing the low vibration associated with the clutter, you will lift your own energy, create more room for good energies, invite new things into your life and have time and freedom to follow bigger dreams. Sounds pretty good eh?
What to declutter?
Now that you know your why, what is actually considered as clutter? Yes, it’s the obvious untidy mess you have around, sure, but have you also thought of the mental and emotional clutter?
Physical clutter is everything you don’t love, use or absolutely need. That also includes broken items, those that are in the wrong place in your home and borrowed ones.
In contrast, mental and emotional clutter includes old ideas, bad habits, toxic thoughts or just those millions daily thoughts taking up your headspace and consuming your energy, low vibration feelings like anger, jalousy, guilt etc…
Toxic relationships are also a form of emotional clutter as well as people bringing you down a lot and those with a low vibrating energy with an effect on your wellbeing.
So broadly, clutter is anything that doesn’t support your better self and stands in between you and the life you want to be living.
How to declutter?
First, set goals that are attainable. There’s nothing worse than saying you’ll clear the entire flat on Saturday then be deflated after ten minutes realising how much you have to do.
So start small, it’s perfectly ok. You could for example dedicate five or fifteen minutes of your day, the harder part is to actually start if you feel you have a mountain to deal with. The more you clear things out, the easiest it gets, the Chi will flow more easily helping you in the task at hand. Some people prefer to do it by room, some by type of object, that would be particularly useful if you disseminate things around and never realise how many of the same type or duplicates you have.
When you are set on decluttering and have decided where to start, take a step back and look at your possessions with a fresh pair of eyes. Ask yourself, do I love it? Does it enhance my life? Do I use it? Do I need it? If I move tomorrow, would I take it with me?
Go with your initial feeling, not your thoughts. Feelings connect us to our souls whereas thoughts are filled with ego and insecurities, our minds will always make up excuses for keeping some items (like I might use it / it could come in handy one day / it was a gift / it was an expensive buy / it was a bargain etc…).
If you find it difficult, ask yourself why you’ve been holding on to the clutter or a particular object. Be honest with yourself, it will help move past fears and insecurities, the most efficient way to lessen their hold is to face them.
At the end of it you'll be able to either bin, relocate, tidy, return to the owner, sell or give to charity the items not supporting your better self!
If you think you need a bit of help, there are plenty of challenges and methods on the net that could motivate and help you, like the 12-12-12 challenge or the Four-Box Method.
You could also invite a good friend around and make a quality time out of it, get a bottle of wine and / or some loud music and do it together.
There’s also the option of having the help of a professional to tackle what might feel insurmountable - Vibration Interiors can help you with that as we offer this service, you can find more details and pricing here.
I also personally like to clear the space after decluttering (but not exclusively) with white sage or sandalwood. They both are potent cleansing tools that will purify the energy of the space, break up any stagnant energy and remove negative ones. You can make it as simple or as elaborated as you want but if it’s not your thing, there’s nothing to worry about, you will still benefit from the decluttering itself!
If you were postponing this task you know you have to do at some point, I hope this post gave you the motivation to do so and you are a step closer to the version of yourself you want to be and the life you want to be living!