“Why do I feel so overwhelmed by clutter?” is the first question we typically get from our clients. The plain and simple answer is clutter is heavy. Not only does clutter take up space in your home, but it also takes up energy. Lots of it. And brain space. People think about clutter much more than they realize. Clutter gets in the way of moving forward in life and makes you feel “stuck” because, in some way, it’s always weighing you down. It needs attention. It begs for it. When clutter gets this heavy, it’s time to make a change.

It’s time to declutter.

I have been studying yoga for years, and one of the most important things I have learned from my practice is how to harness and move my energy. Some people think it sounds like nonsense, but it’s not - trust me. Energy is a real thing. It rides on the breath in yoga.

The Sanskrit word granthi means “knot” or “doubt” and “an especially difficult knot to untie.” We use breath and movement in yoga to untie or unblock these granthis to move past psychological or psychic barriers to total freedom. In other words, working through these granthis keep you from being stuck in your energy. You want your energy to flow like a superhighway. And unblocking “clutter” sources does just that.

Now, relate granthis to things we keep. There is a lot of energy wasted in managing clutter: clothing that doesn’t fit, shoes we don’t like but feel bad about donating, love letters from years earlier that we can’t throw away. Unblocking stuck energy lets you move past these sticky, peanut butter granthis that hold you back. You can heal and grow. You can either harness your energy (and clutter) and work with it (declutter and organize) or let it keep you stuck. When it stays stuck, it holds you back and wears you down. And that’s where the overwhelming feelings of exhaustion come in. Your energy is low because it’s stuck and held down by clutter. Ridding yourself of clutter clears your stagnant energy and revitalizes you. It works.

Along with yoga, I have also studied the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui.

My favorite book about clutter clearing is Karen Kingston’s, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. Every Chinese New Year, my yoga Shala reads Kingston’s book, and every year, I learn something new. Since I have been studying yoga for twenty years, I have read Karen Kingston’s book cover-to-cover that many times. I love it. It was actually the book that inspired me to read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. For me, it all started with Karen Kingston.

One of the basic principles of Feng Shui is that objects and the positioning of them will either promote or block the flow of positive energy. We need this flow of energy to feel happy, healthy, and abundant. Clutter, along with “stuff” you don’t use or love, prevents that flow of energy and causes a buildup of the stale energy. You feel stuck, uninspired, and even exhausted when you’re surrounded by it. Everyday living feels like a chore, like you’re always pushing against the current instead of flowing with it. But life doesn’t need to feel this way. Removing clutter makes a world of difference. For example, we have seen couples become pregnant after making space for a baby in their home. Decluttering brings in positive, new energy, allowing it to circulate freely. You feel free and welcoming instead of stuck and exhausted. You must clear out the old to make space and room for the new.

Moreover, if you hold on to physical clutter, you most likely hold on to emotional clutter.

While you may not know it, if you live in a cluttered environment, it probably has a negative effect on how you feel. If you hold on to junk in your physical space, you’re likely to hold on to junk mentally and emotionally. Getting rid of the clutter around you allows you to naturally let go of anything you’ve been storing in your mind. This includes negative thoughts, anxiety, overwhelming exhaustion, and limiting stories you tell yourself.

Make time to declutter in your home and your office space to see how much better you feel. Eliminate those things that keep you stuck. And while you’re at it, pick up Karen Kingston’s book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. It’s a magical book that will inspire you to dig deeply into the entire decluttering process to realize real change.

For more information about clutter and the psyche, please consider, Your Golden Journey by Diana Christinson.