How You Should Declutter Your Home, According To Feng Shui
In feng shui, open space is symbolic of having more. By giving up materialism, we gain the invisible: peace of mind, free time, and breathing space. It actually doesn't advocate for minimalism, since our spirits revel when we have things we love around us. But our souls are also easily charmed by open pockets of space that invigorate a room and craft a visual feast for our eyes, mind, and spirit.
Under this lens, discernment is necessary at home. When we edit away the superfluous chatter in our living spaces, everything else gets a second wind. Without suffocating competition, what remains around us blossoms into an invitation and opportunity to see beauty, and the old becomes new again. So if you’d like to fill your house with these feel-good vibes, here are a few simple feng shui ways to bring fresh, open energy into your life:
1. Walk your house every day.
When we honor morning routines, like turning on lamps, opening the shades, and waking up our house, we mindfully replenish the energy around us. And by patiently tucking our home in at night, we once again carry our appreciation for the things we have into every corner. This daily conversation and beautiful practice cultivates gratitude room by room, reminding us to love the things we’ve got instead of the things we want.
2. Consider pleasure a necessity.
By making pleasure a necessity in every room, we arouse our personal energy. And aroused energy is sublime fuel for the future. So nix anything that provokes frustration or interrupts your sensory pleasures. By releasing what doesn’t add soul and stories to our surroundings, we open ourselves up to a force field of support from the things we really love.
Hold on to what lights you up, and find a way to give it prime real estate.
3. Pretend you're moving.
Pick a closet or corner, pack it up in a box, and let the open space breathe for a week. When you’re ready to take everything back out, hold one intention: to cultivate delight. What brings you immediate satisfaction and wonder as you unpack it? Pay attention to anything that smudges this joy. Don’t deny those first impressions! They are the litmus test for what still creates sparks for you. Hold on to what lights you up, and find a way to give it prime real estate.
4. Live the lush life.
Everything looks better with a luscious green plant or a brilliant bouquet of flowers nestled nearby. Not only do living things breathe new life into a room, but they transform the past into something present. So fill your space with their presence and let them amplify the beauty of your treasures.
5. Shop your house.
It’s quite easy to end up with an assortment of odds-and-ends goodies—those impulsive buys we love but struggle with finding a cohesive dwelling place for. Dedicate a shelf in a closet to your treasures, and display them on rotation. By changing things up monthly or seasonally, we find ourselves slowing down, if even for a moment, to appreciate the beauty and story of our things. And that ritual of revival will make anything feel timeless, regardless of age.
Ready to dive deeper into the principles of feng shui? Check out these guides to living room, bedroom, and office design.
Amanda Gibby Peters is the creator and founder of Simple Shui. She’s been teaching Feng Shui techniques and tips for over a decade, witnessing the life transformations of her clients and readers. Amanda has been called “the Martha Stewart of Feng Shui” – and her work has been featured on Architectural Digest, Food52, My Domaine, Well Good and Amazon.
Her book Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life is available on Amazon.