Red 8 Feng Shui

Last night on Andy Jacksons evening show I was talking about clutter. We all know it’s easier to create mess than keep things tidy, although there are those who are completely obsessed with things being in the right place all the time.

I personally favour a big clean out every 3 months as I always feel so satisfied after, but it is up to you. You can start slowly if the thought of a big de-clutter overwhelms you. Start with one drawer, maybe kitchen or bedroom, once that is finished move on to the next.

Moving house is an ideal time to start afresh, it is a time to leave memories and clutter behind. You may have lots of items that you consider too good to go to the charity shop so put them all together, assess what you have then you can decide. You could invite good friends to come round and they can “take their pick” in return for helping you to pack or you could sell them at a car boot sale or on EBay.  

Here are the guidelines:

Donate, giveaway or throw out anything that is……

• Unloved – If you are unsure put the item away in a cupboard or drawer, leave it there for say 3 months, if you have not missed it within the time frame then you do not love it.
• Unwanted – don’t feel guilty about keeping things that have been given as gifts if you do not like them
• Unused – we all have gadgets, magazines, books that will never be used or read again
• Not been worn for 12 months – it is a great time to sort the wardrobes out and remember you only wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time!!
• Please don’t kid yourself that it may “come in useful someday” it wont

You will be surprised at how much you will let go if you follow the rules. Pile everything up in one room, this will then give you some idea of how much is actually going rather than putting it directly into bags.

You can always take photographs of items, that way you will still have the memory but not the clutter.  This is especially useful if you have young children – they all draw or make things that they are proud of but that would never adorn the walls of your home. Keep the item for a week on display, take a photo of it on a digital camera then store on your pc.

A cluttered home is a drain on your energy and time. Think about how much more leisure time you will have once you have everything under control. It is easier to do a little ‘maintenance’ every week than feeling constantly overwhelmed and hopeless when you are surrounded with clutter.

My son has more T shirts than you can shake the proverbial stick at – many have not been worn for months…… so, I take them out of his wardrobe and place them in the spare room out of sight. If he has not asked for them within 3 months then I bag them up and take them to the Cardiac Risk in the Young charity shop – simple.

Storage bags are wonderful especially the type that suck and seal so it compacts to virtually nothing. The items inside are kept clean and dust free so you can store the bags either in, or on top of wardrobes or pop into the loft.

Remember, making space will encourage more wonderful things to come into your life.