In a recent conversation with my mom, she told me she is trying to clean out her house and get rid of some things. For my mom, learning how to eliminate clutter is quite a chore…she is a packrat and still has things like my old prom corsage and 50 years worth of cookbooks! It got me to thinking: why do we keep the things we do? To hold on to the memories? Because we feel guilty throwing them away? You are not the only person who needs to learn how to eliminate clutter from their lives. The average American house size has more than doubled since the 1950s and is at 2,349 square feet. Do we feel the need for bigger and bigger houses because of the clutter we surround ourselves with? What is this clutter doing to our emotional well-being? Is it possible to live a relaxed and happy life if you have piles of old junk jammed into every corner?
Smaller houses are significantly more eco-friendly but how can we downsize and still find room for our stuff? Clutter in our homes just leads to clutter in other areas of our lives. Today I am sharing some tips from Alice Inoue’s, Feng shui expert and life guide. For more information, check out her book, Feng Shui Your Life. (that’s an affiliate link!)
How to Eliminate Clutter and Improve Emotional Health
Where do I place a fountain to bring in more opportunities? Will hanging a crystal enhance my career? Should I paint my room green for better feng shui? These are frequently asked questions in Feng Shui, yet small things like this will hardly make much of a difference and even if they do, their effect will be short-lived. For the long-term, you need to learn how to eliminate clutter to have the greatest impact. So where do you begin? Unless someone is spring cleaning or a move is imminent, it’s rare to get motivated to clear out your clutter. Everything in our environment is a reflection of what’s going on in our inner environment, and a cluttered home is directly correlated with the mental and emotional clutter we hold inside.
Why we Hold on to Clutter
Clutter is woven into our emotional energy and it drains us. It ties us to the past instead of allowing us to live in the present moment, yet we hold on to it for various reasons. How many of these clutter scenarios do you relate to?
Clothes that don’t fit
By keeping clothes that don’t fit, you constantly have a visual reminder that you are not where you once were. If you can accept where you are with your size in the present and let go of the clothes that represent the “old” you, you will have an opportunity to create a “new” you.
Expensive but unused items
Have you ever purchased something that cost “a lot” of money and later realized it wasn’t a wise purchase? Keeping these items constantly reminds you of your “mistake”. Each time it’s in view, you subconsciously judge yourself, which holds you in the past. Let it go.
Keeping things “just in case”
It is hard to learn how to eliminate clutter when you keep things ‘just in case’. Do you have five umbrellas but only two people in your home? Do you have a closetful of shopping bags that you’ve been saving from years ago? Holding onto everything that comes into your possession shows an anxiety about the future and a lack of trust that the Universe will provide what you need when you need it. When you open up space in your home or office, you open up the possibility that something new can arrive.
Items from a past relationship
Getting rid of possessions after a breakup or a death is always difficult because it means you really have to come to terms with your grief and loss. There is no set time when things “should” be cleared out, but the sooner you are able to clear out possessions associated with a past relationship, the sooner you are able to live in the present moment. It’s fine to keep items to remember the positive aspects of a person’s existence in your life. But many of the other things need to be cleared out. 
A gift you are not fond of
A gift you don’t like from someone you do like is one of the toughest things to deal with gracefully. You can appreciate the sentiment of the gift but still donate it or give it to someone who likes it and can use it. Feng shui-wise, it doesn’t make sense to keep something that does not resonate with you.
Understand what Your Clutter is doing to you!
Imagine being tied to everything in your environment by an invisible thread of energy. As such, you are literally tied to your clutter, even if you can’t see it. Can you believe that you drag your clutter around, no matter where you are or what you are doing? You are losing your energy to it!
![How to Eliminate Clutter and Improve Emotional Health]()
Where to start?
Learn how to eliminate clutter by starting with whatever is closest to you. That is the area that affects you the most, so start clearing from where you spend the most time. Your bedroom? Your office? Your car?
Mark your Calendar!
Make an appointment with yourself, just like you would with a good friend. It is totally worth it because at the end of the day, you will feel far better than if you spent it at the spa or out on the golf course. Learn how to eliminate clutter for improved emotional health!
Do you have any tips on how to eliminate clutter?
The post How to Eliminate Clutter and Improve Emotional Health appeared first on Turning the Clock Back.