Hi Future Declutter-er
During the pandemic, I began studying Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese practice for arranging living and working spaces to promote health, harmony, and balance. Feng Shui focuses on energy flow and how the items in your environment affect your feelings about your surroundings. And if anyone knows me, you know I am ALL ABOUT THAT ENERGY.
One of the main things I learned was the importance of decluttering your space. There were plenty of times when I lived in clutter. The backseat of my car was filled with gym clothes, my purse had old gum wrappers, receipts, and 12 lipsticks. I had to kick through my closet to find something clean, half-used lotion bottles were everywhere in my bathroom, my dresser drawers wouldn’t close, and my fridge was begging me to throw things away—you get the picture. And guess who else was a mess? Yes, you guessed it. Moi.
I walked around too tired and too stressed to fix, change, move, or throw anything away. It was overwhelming. But I learned that my cluttered environment was a reflection of my life. When I looked at the whole picture, I felt deflated and lacked motivation because it seemed way too big to tackle. I was going through a lot and my surroundings told the picture.
So, I had to trick my mind. Here’s what I did:
Start in Sections:I told myself, “I’m going to start with just this one corner of the house. It will take me 20 minutes. I’ll get to each portion over the week.” Motivation often starts AFTER you show up. Once I started with one section, I suddenly had the energy to keep moving. By focusing on just one section at a time, my mind let go of the overwhelming mountain of tasks and made space for the energy needed to tackle each project. My Feng Shui was working! I had SPACE AND ENERGY FLOW.
Get Real and Honest:I made three piles: Throw Away, Give Away, Keep. For the Throw Away pile, anything broken, unfixable, stained, torn, rusted, or just plain old went in there. For the Give Away pile, I closed my eyes and tossed in anything I knew I’d never use again but someone else might. For the Keep pile, only the essentials remained. This process created SPACE AND ENERGY FLOW.
Embrace the Empty Space:After throwing away a piece of furniture, I immediately felt the urge to replace it because remember our minds love what is familiar. But I resisted. I took deep breaths and welcomed the new empty space. More space meant—you guessed it—more energy flow, inviting new health, harmony, and balance.
By following these steps, you can transform your space and your life. Start small, be honest with yourself, and embrace the emptiness. You will be SURPRISED what will unexpectedly show up in the best way possible.
xoxo,
Julie
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