Impact of Clutter On Your Energy

The spaces you spend your time in greatly affect your energy as it acts as a ‘catch-all’. Every type of energy that has ever entered a space will remain there until it is removed. Think about all of the times you’ve cried in your bedroom or have come home angry and spent the rest of the night stewing in it. All of that energy from that time in your life is still stuck in your space to this day. This is why It’s so important to regularly cleanse your space for clarity, peace of mind, and a better flow of energy.

The Effect of Clutter on Your Energy

Feng shui is a concept that originated centuries ago in China. This practice is the understanding of how to harmonize the energy of a space and yourself by optimizing energy flow. It is believed that your environment affects your life and your life affects your environment. My mother is actually a Feng Shui consultant so I grew up watching her move around furniture, keep the home clean, and do Feng Shui cures to improve the energy in our lives. She taught me the importance of de-cluttering our home because things we no longer need, use, or want keep us in the past. This is now a key component in my spiritual practice to keep my space clear to let go of the old and welcome the new.

The messier the home = the more of a build-up of stagnant and non-beneficial energy

The more organized the home = better energy flow

Steps to De-cluttering

Knowing how to properly declutter will help you tremendously to ensure that it’s an effortless process. As the daughter of a professional organizer, I have learned a thing or two about staying organized so I hope this helps.

1. Set an Intention for This Session- Like with anything in my spiritual practice, I like to first start by setting an intention for what I’m about to do. Identifying your why will help to stay on track and remind you to keep going when you feel frustrated. This is also your chance to think about your goals.

Do you want to focus on a specific room or area?

Is there a specific number of items you want to get rid of?

How do you want the space to feel?

2. Create 3 Piles for Organization- One pile will be for donations. Another for garbage. And another for keeping. Bring out the garbage bags and boxes for easy removal.

3. Take EVERYTHING Out of the Space You Are De-cluttering- For example, if you are decluttering your closet, take everything out and place it in a neutral space for you to go through it all.

Taking everything out makes it easy to see what you have so that you can make conscious decisions.

4. Sort Through Your Items While Keeping In Mind Your Intention- This is by far the hardest part so once you complete this you’re good to go! Go through all of your belongings and decide what you’re going to do with them – donate, throw out, or keep. And be realistic.

Ask yourself: does this spark joy as Marie Kondo would say? Does this align with your intention?

For example, if your intention is peace, ask if this brings you peace. For some playing old records could be a peaceful way for you to wind down at the end of the night, so keeping your record player would be good. On the other hand, if you never use your record player and you constantly feel guilty about that fact, it could be time to get rid of it.

Note: This would also be a good time to create a fourth pile if you need it for things you want to sell.

5. Clean, Clean, Clean- Now that you’ve gone through everything and you have 3 or 4 piles ready to go, it’s time to clean. Clean the space that you are moving your things back into. Be sure to dust, vacuum, and maybe even mop floors. By cleaning your space before you put things back into it, you are removing all remaining stagnant or non-beneficial energy that may be leftover.

6. Organize- It's important to not just put the things you’ve decided to keep wherever it’ll fit. Create systems that will help you keep everything where it’s supposed to be and for more convenient use.

For example, if you’re organizing your closet, think about storing your out-of-season clothes in the back, or tucked away on a top shelf in bins. Or sort by color, sleeve length, or occasion.

Think about what works best for your lifestyle then implement it how you see fit. I always suggest organizing things using bins instead of leaving it lying around loosely. This way you can label, put it away then it’s out of sight, out of mind. Remember that it’s okay if you go back later to reconfigure it. It’s all a part of a larger process of enhancing your energy flow.

7. Deal With the Rest of the Piles- Whatever you’ve decided to throw away, bring it to the garbage outside of your home to keep it out of your energy field. This could also look like bringing it to the dump. Also, bring your donations to your local donation center. A personal favorite of mine is women’s shelters, especially if you have children’s toys. Finally, if you have a ‘to sell’ pile find a space for you to store it while you find buyers. Now, this is important, set a deadline for this process. I too have fallen into the trap of holding onto things for 6 months or more because I intended to sell it one day. I recommend setting a deadline of no more than a month. Whatever you haven’t sold, donate.

Where to Sell Your Stuff:

· Yard sale (chance to sell all at once.)

· Consignment shop (great for specialty items plus you don’t have to do the hard work but you do make less money.)

· VarageSale (this is a personal favorite of mine and it’s great for selling locally.)

8. Do a Space Clearing- This is the best way in my opinion to end a decluttering session. Now that you’ve gotten rid of all of the physical items in your space, it’s time to energetically cleanse to release any lingering energy. Open your windows and let the energy leave your space for good. My personal favorite way to do a space clearing is to burn sage but you can also do a salt burn, cleanse with music or use visualization.

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The process of decluttering can seem intimidating but once you see the benefits of a clearer space and clearer mind, it is well worth the long day. The next time you feel heavy, I encourage you to take a look at your space and see what is negatively holding you back.

If you are looking for a guide to help you during this journey, I am here to help. The best place to get started is by downloading my free guide called “the 5 Stages of Unlocking Your Higher Purpose.” This no-commitment guide will give you a rundown of what a spiritual awakening looks like and give you actionable advice for your next step. Download here now.