Out with the old, in with the new

Incorporate feng shui to eliminate clutter and release positive energy at home and the office

2009 January

“When the old does not go, the new will not come.”

This is one of my favorite Chinese sayings. According to the ancient science of feng shui, clutter represents stagnation of energy that can affect both your physical and mental well-being.

One feng shui expert elaborates, explaining that clutter consists of trapped energy that can have negatively great impact on our physical, mental and emotional outlook. When your living space and workspace are cluttered, you will feel disorganized, confused and stuck in the past. Your body becomes congested and this may leave you feeling lethargic, depressed and tired. Clutter is energy constipation and who needs that? Ridding yourself of clutter (even things which were once of value to your life) makes room in your life for what you really want and need now. See http://www.itsfengshui.com/Clutter_and_Feng_Shui.html.

The holidays have become filled with gift giving, which means that many new things – wanted and unwanted – enter your home and office every holiday season. With the New Year upon us, it is time to extend the holiday spirit by making the process of revitalizing and organizing your life a joyous activity.

Here are some helpful tips to uplift your mental and physical energy so that you can get a jumpstart on the New Year:

Use it or lose it

Everything in your home or office, no matter how small or large, ideally has a special purpose. When you are going through the things in your home or office, you need to decide whether the item is still useful. If not, it is time to move it out so that you can create a more positive energy flow within your home or office.

Keep in mind that even though something was useful in the past, that may no longer be the case. For example, many professionals seem to keep extra computer equipment around, even though they no longer use these items. That old monitor, printer or fax machine may work fine, but you bought a new one and like it better. Now the old one sits unplugged on a file cabinet or lurks in a closet, just taking up space. You don’t want to throw it away, so it just sits around, creating a cluttered environment and impeding the flow of energy in your office.

Start small

Do not try to de-clutter your home or office in a single day. Instead, pick one area at a time. In your office, pick an item of furniture, such as your desk or credenza. Then go through all of the drawers and get rid of what you no longer need. At home, go through every drawer, cupboard and closet. Touch everything only once, and decide then if it is something to keep or to let go.

Balance emotion

Many people hang on to things that they associate with good memories or because they are sentimental treasures. To reduce the amount of clutter, you should keep only a few special pieces that have the most emotional value. If you receive a gift that doesn’t suit you, feel free to pass it on to someone who will value it.

For attorneys, a major source of clutter consists of old case files. These boxes might be stacked in the hall or in offices, or shoved into a closet. You cannot throw old files away but you don’t want them in your office. One way to address this issue is to go through those old case files, return the client’s documents and store the rest of the files offsite so that you can easily access the files when you need to. Better yet, scan all of the file documents and save them on a CD Rom. This way, you will have access to the documents you might need but you won’t have boxes cluttering up your workspace. Making these changes will release the stagnant energy in your office and you will be amazed at how much better you will feel.

Find new value

Many people are hesitant to give away things for which they once paid hard-earned money. Keep in mind that some things are relevant for only certain periods during our life. Once we no longer need or use them, it is best to put them back out into the universe for others to enjoy. By “sharing the wealth,” you will experience the joy of giving while creating space for the “new” to arrive.

After you clear out the clutter, the energy in your home and office will flow and your mind and body will be at peace. By achieving harmony with your physical environment, you will open the door to improved health, greater prosperity and more meaningful relationships.