Your personal clutter style aligns with one of Feng Shui’s Five Elements.
In this article you’ll learn about how clutter accumulates when the Earth element is out of balance.
- Are you surrounded by gifts you’ve received, but which you really don’t love?
- Is your space “overstuffed,” with something on every surface and no visual peace for your mind and your gaze?
- When you clear clutter, do you feel more alone than ever?
When Earth is out of balance, it’s hard to say no. As the Peacemaker in Feng Shui you may take on too much, and then find it impossible to get to everything you’ve agreed to do.
Like comfort food, having “stuff” around can make you feel secure and supported. But at the same time, Earth clutter makes you feel weighed down and “stuck in the mud,” reflecting a lack of the healthy boundaries for which the Earth element is valued.
In the Five Elements controlling cycle, Earth is controlled by Wood. A few ways to use the Wood element to control Earth clutter include
- A tall, narrow set of shelves where you can display the things you truly love. The columnar shape represents a healthy, growing tree (Wood) in your space.
- Use the breakthrough qualities of Wood to inspire you to let go of things you don’t love while surrounding yourself only with the things that mean the most.
At the same time, the Metal element drains the energy of Earth in the Five Elements Reducing Cycle.
- Designate a day or two to “slash through” your clutter by discarding it into light-colored or metal waste bins.
- Spend a few hours with a good shredder, getting rid of sensitive papers you no longer need or use.
- Create the organization for which Metal is known by designating at least a few surfaces as “off limits” to accumulations of stuff.
Finally, bring yourself into balance by starting to say No.
Start small. Saying No may be scary at first. But it will become much easier once you start enjoying your new-found breathing room.
The Feng Shui clutter styles of the remaining three elements — Metal, Water and Wood — are “coming soon.” Stay tuned!
[…] your physical health and that the physical state of your home are both associated with Earth. Clutter and weight-gain can be addressed by bringing the Earth element into […]