Decluttering is one of the most important steps to good Feng Shui: it’s always a good time to be taking the initiative in your life and in your space.
Just as plants grow best when weeds and detritus are cleared, we grow and thrive best when our environments are set up to support and nourish us.
The biggest clutter issue for many of us is paper – it just keeps accumulating! – so here are a few ideas to help you clear this particular type of pileup.
First things first
Huge piles of paper create a negative atmosphere in any space. They’re overwhelming and intimidating, and are likely to represent either unfinished business or completed projects that haven’t found a home.
From a Feng Shui perspective paper is essentially “dead trees”, so keep your environment feeling vital and alive by clearing out anything that’s unnecessary.
Start by taking a look at my Timeline for Paper Retention which will show you exactly which papers you can toss right away. Then use these tips to bring a clear, calm feeling into your space!
1. Deal with your mail
Set up a spot as close to your front door as possible for dealing with incoming mail. Make sure it includes a surface you can work on, a good-quality letter-opener, a pair of scissors and a recycling container or waste basket.
Use this place to sort through your mail every day, immediately throwing out junk mail, catalogs etc. that you don’t need or aren’t interested in. When the recycling container gets full, it’s well-positioned to be taken out and discarded, and you’re guaranteed that less unnecessary paper will make it very far into your home.
2. Easier ways to pay bills
If you haven’t started paying bills online, now’s the time to start. You’ll save paper from coming in, save postage, and save some measure of sanity by having to keep track of the bills around your home. It’s easy, it’s efficient, and it’s ecologically wise.
3. Put paper in its place
When’s the last time you cleaned out your file cabinet? It’s something that needs to be done at least once a year, both to get rid of things that are no longer useful to you, and to make room for projects, receipts, and other paper that needs a home.
Devote a half-hour to this project every day for just a week to reduce the piles and create a channel for paper to move more easily through your space.
I hope you’ll find these tips useful, and leave your own ideas in the Comments!
Reach a loyal and responsive readership.
