10-Minute Declutter

1. Clutter Blocks Life Energy and Reflects Inner State

If you implement only one feng shui cure, get rid of the dirt, debris, and damage in your home.

Feng Shui Basics. Feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice meaning wind and water, aims to create harmony and balance in your environment to cultivate luck and attract health, wealth, and happiness. It involves practical solutions like furniture placement and eliminating clutter, alongside mystical components based on philosophy and symbolism. The core principle is managing ch'i, the life-giving energy that flows through everything; clutter is a major impediment to this flow, like a clogged pipe.

Home as Symbol. Your home is a powerful symbol of your inner state, revealing which areas of your life are stable and which are unsettled. A feng shui master can often discern aspects of your career, family, or love life by observing the condition of your home. How you maintain your living space visually expresses what's happening inside you, whether consciously or not.

Physical Reflects Psychological. The physical conditions in your environment symbolize emotional issues and attitudes. Broken items can signify broken dreams, dirty windows unclear vision, and stuck doors represent feeling trapped. Clearing physical clutter is seen as a direct way to clear up disorder and difficulties in your life, sometimes with immediate effects.

2. Different Types of Clutter Symbolize Different Problems

If an area in your home is cluttered, you are probably experiencing confusion or blockages in the part of your life that corresponds to the cluttered section.

Physical Clutter's Meaning. Clutter, defined as an accumulation of too much stuff without organization, usually signifies confusion, lack of focus, chaos, or instability in your life. It suggests you might be scattering your energy, uncertain about goals, or overwhelmed. Dirt, distinct from clutter, often points to low self-esteem, low energy, or poor health, as people may neglect cleaning when feeling unwell or unworthy.

Disrepair and Baggage. Disrepair, such as broken furniture or crumbling plaster, equates to emotional despair, symbolizing broken dreams or feeling trapped by circumstances. Old clutter—unused items stashed away—suggests holding onto old ideas, attitudes, fears, or habits that clutter your psyche and prevent moving forward. This can stem from past experiences like poverty, leading to a fear of letting go.

Beyond Physical Stuff. Clutter isn't just physical; it extends to activity clutter (multitasking, overbooking), relationship clutter (unwanted associations, unhealthy boundaries), mental clutter (racing thoughts, excessive screen time), and atmospheric clutter (bad vibes, stagnant energy). Each type interferes with clear thinking, peace, and healthy interactions.

• Activity Clutter: Lack of focus, stress from overbooking.
• Relationship Clutter: Unwanted associations, poor boundaries.
• Mental Clutter: Racing thoughts, inattention.
• Atmospheric Clutter: Bad vibes, stagnant energy.

3. Use the Bagua to Map Clutter to Life Areas

To a feng shui master, your home presents a detailed and revealing picture of you—it shows which parts of your life are in good working order and which ones could use a little TLC.

The Bagua Tool. The bagua is an octagon-shaped tool used in some feng shui schools to map areas of your home or workplace to specific facets of your life. It divides the space into nine sectors, or gua, each corresponding to a different life aspect. By superimposing the bagua onto your floor plan, you can identify which physical areas relate to which life areas.

Mapping Your Space. To use the bagua, align its arrow with the wall containing the entrance you use most often. This entrance will fall into the Self, Wisdom, or Helpful People Gua. Once aligned, the other gua will correspond to different rooms or sections of your space. This allows you to see at a glance where clutter is accumulating and which life areas might be affected.

• Health: Physical well-being.
• Wealth: Finances, ability to earn.
• Relationships: Love life, partnerships.
• Fame/Future: Public image, career, goals.
• Creativity/Children: Self-expression, creative projects.
• Helpful People/Travel: Support network, travel opportunities.
• Wisdom/Knowledge: Learning, spirituality.
• Family/Community: Parents, extended family, neighbors.
• Self/Identity: Self-image, purpose.

Identifying Problems. A cluttered Wealth Gua might indicate financial confusion or stagnation, while a messy Relationships Gua could point to issues in romantic partnerships. Missing gua in irregularly shaped spaces can symbolize absent or problematic life areas, but feng shui offers cures like symbolic corners or mirrors to address these deficiencies. Analyzing your space with the bagua provides a roadmap for targeted decluttering.

4. Intention and Symbolism Power Feng Shui Cures

Your intention to take charge of your life and create your own luck is the most important part of feng shui.

Intention is Paramount. While physical cures like decluttering are important, the most crucial element in feng shui is your intention. When you actively decide to improve your environment, you signal a desire to improve your life. This willpower is the active ingredient that makes feng shui work effectively. Without sincere intention, positive changes may be temporary, and old habits like allowing clutter to return can nullify the benefits.

Symbolic Associations. Feng shui heavily relies on symbolism. Objects, shapes, numbers, and elements all carry symbolic meanings that can influence your subconscious and environment. Understanding these associations helps you choose what to keep and where to place it to support your intentions. For example, placing wealth symbols like coins or gems in your Wealth Gua encourages prosperity.

• Shapes: Circles (wholeness), Squares (stability), Triangles (movement).
• Numbers: Two (partnership), Four (stability), Eight (business), Nine (completion).
• Elements: Fire (stimulates), Earth (stabilizes), Water (softens), Wood (expands), Metal (strengthens).

Choosing What to Keep. Deciding what to save is personal, guided by principles like William Morris's "useful or beautiful" or Marie Kondo's "spark joy." Items that don't serve a purpose or bring joy can be let go. Even in clutter-free spaces, the symbolism of remaining objects matters; ensure they align with the gua's meaning and your desired outcomes. For instance, removing reminders of past relationships from the Relationships Gua makes space for new love.

5. Decluttering Your Home Opens Doors to Opportunity

Clearing clutter from your environment is like unclogging a pipe so water can run through it again.

Entrance and Flow. The entrance to your home is where ch'i enters, bringing life-generating energy. Keeping it clear, accessible, and inviting is crucial for attracting health, wealth, and happiness. Similarly, clear walkways throughout your home ensure ch'i flows smoothly to all areas. Obstructions physically hinder movement and symbolically block opportunities and benefits from reaching different parts of your life.

Targeted Decluttering. Applying decluttering to specific areas of your home, guided by the bagua, can address corresponding life issues. Cleaning a closet in your Relationships Gua can help you let go of past baggage and improve current relationships. Clearing clutter from the Wealth Gua makes room for new financial opportunities. Even small actions like dusting lampshades (symbolizing light and vitality) or washing windows (symbolizing clear vision) can have positive effects.

Practical Home Tips. Many home decluttering tasks can be done in minutes or broken into small steps. Simple habits like putting things away immediately, using the "one-a-day" method, or organizing specific items like clothing, jewelry, or spices reduce clutter incrementally. Addressing areas like under the bed (subconscious), basement (past issues), and attic (mind/spirit) tackles deeper blockages.

• Keep entrances and walkways clear.
• Clean closets, especially in key gua.
• Organize clothing, jewelry, and shoes.
• Address kitchen clutter (stove, fridge, counters).
• Clear dining tables and wastebaskets.
• Organize papers, photos, and media.
• Maintain plants and outdoor areas.

6. Organizing Your Workplace Boosts Prosperity and Focus

Disorganization in your work space wastes valuable time and money every day.

Workplace Ch'i. Just like your home, your workplace is influenced by ch'i, affecting business prospects, productivity, and employee well-being. A clear, well-maintained entrance attracts positive energy and clients. Clutter in the workplace increases stress, hinders communication, causes delays, and can even lead to accidents. Clearing it improves efficiency and allows ch'i to flow, supporting prosperity and success.

Bagua at Work. Applying the bagua to your office or business space helps identify areas corresponding to professional life aspects like wealth, fame, helpful people (clients, colleagues), and travel. Paying attention to these specific areas is vital. For instance, placing the cash register in the Wealth Gua and keeping it clean encourages financial flow. Addressing missing gua in the office layout can open up missed opportunities.

Boosting Productivity. Workplace decluttering includes physical space and digital organization. Clearing your desk, organizing files (physical and digital), managing email, and updating contacts save time and reduce mental clutter. Simple actions like replacing burned-out lights (symbolizing vitality) or cleaning windows (clear vision) enhance the environment. Using plants, calming scents, and creating focal points can also improve focus and reduce stress.

• Clear entrances and walkways.
• Clean point of sale and key gua areas.
• Manage email and digital files.
• Organize physical papers and supplies.
• Use plants and scents for atmosphere.
• Address missing gua with cures.
• Keep desks and common areas clean.

7. Clearing Clutter Outside Improves Your Life and Community

Keeping your property clutter-free and well maintained has a positive effect on your health, wealth, and happiness.

Outer Environment Matters. The condition of your yard and the area immediately surrounding your home or business significantly impact the ch'i that reaches you and influences your life. Litter, overgrown plants, and disrepair outside create a negative impression and block positive energy. Maintaining the exterior enhances curb appeal and attracts beneficial ch'i.

Yard as Bagua. The bagua can be applied to your property's plot plan, mapping different areas of your yard to life aspects. Weeding your garden removes impediments to personal growth, while neatly stacked wood (symbolizing growth) in a relevant gua can encourage expansion in that area. Fixing cracked pavement ensures smooth flow of energy and prevents accidents.

Community and Car. Extending decluttering beyond your immediate property to sidewalks and streets improves the community's appearance and fosters better relationships with neighbors. Even your car, especially if you spend a lot of time in it, can accumulate clutter that causes confusion or delays during travel. Cleaning and smudging your car removes stagnant energy and promotes smoother journeys.

• Recycle and buy recycled products.
• Clean sidewalks and streets.
• Trim plants near entrances.
• Weed gardens and cut grass.
• Address missing gua outside.
• Clean out your car and smudge it.
• Organize garages and outdoor storage.

8. Involve Kids in Decluttering for Clarity and Responsibility

Organizing personal belongings has a direct relationship to organizing thoughts, and being used to tidying up improves a child’s ability to think clearly and logically.

Clutter Affects Kids. Clutter in children's rooms can lead to restlessness, distraction, frustration, and confusion. It creates physical obstacles and hinders their ability to think clearly. Teaching children to pick up after themselves from an early age fosters responsibility and helps them develop organizational skills that benefit their cognitive development and future success.

Making it Manageable. Provide kids with easily accessible storage solutions like low shelves, bins, and hooks scaled to their size. Make tidying a regular habit, not an overwhelming task. Involve them in the process and help them understand the value of organization for finding things easily.

Symbolism and Fun. Use the bagua to organize a child's room, placing books in the Knowledge Gua to encourage learning or removing conflict-symbolizing toys from the Helpful People Gua to promote friendship. Make decluttering fun by turning it into a game, offering rewards for tidying, or letting them hold a mini yard sale to turn old toys into cash. Allow one special collection they don't have to prune to respect their individuality.

• Provide kid-sized storage.
• Make tidying a habit.
• Use the bagua for room organization.
• Recycle or donate outgrown toys.
• Limit toy collections (one in, one out).
• Make chores and tidying engaging.
• Limit overstimulation (fire elements, screens).

9. Reduce Mental, Activity, and Relationship Clutter for Well-being

To avoid looking deeply at ourselves, we scroll through social media, watch shows or movies, text or talk on the phone, do household chores, work out, go shopping.

Beyond Physical Stuff. Clutter isn't limited to physical objects; it includes the non-physical aspects of our lives that create stress, confusion, and blockages. Mental clutter (racing thoughts), activity clutter (overbooking, multitasking), and relationship clutter (unwanted associations, poor boundaries) drain energy and prevent us from being fully present and effective.

Clearing the Inner Space. Reducing mental clutter can be achieved through practices like meditation, journaling, or simply focusing on one task at a time. Limiting screen time, which bombards us with information and disrupts focus, is also crucial. Activity clutter is managed by prioritizing tasks, saying no to non-essential commitments, and scheduling downtime. Relationship clutter requires setting boundaries and consciously choosing who to spend time with.

Rituals and Habits. Establishing personal rituals, like a morning inspirational reading or ringing a bell to refocus, can help center the mind and clear atmospheric clutter. Simple habits like making lists, prioritizing tasks, and following through on commitments reduce the mental load of unfinished business. Paying attention to your body's rhythms and avoiding impulsive actions (like shopping during the full moon) further supports personal well-being.

• Practice single-tasking.
• Meditate daily.
• Establish centering rituals.
• Limit screen time.
• Make lists and prioritize tasks.
• Keep a journal or notepad for thoughts.
• Set boundaries in relationships.
• Fight fair and stick to issues in arguments.

Last updated: June 4, 2025