Declutter Your Way to Peace and Beauty

Practitioners of meditation have long known that spiritual growth leads to less clutter, but a new trend does it in reverse. People are now decluttering their way to spiritual growth! The end result from both processes is the same: Simplicity brought about by a yearning for peaceful beauty. Peaceful beauty! Such a place is not where you find old stuck energy that has ended in a confused mess! No wonder the No. 1 rule of feng shui is to remove clutter! Declutter your way to spiritual growth using Clutter Codes. Here’s what they are, and how they help:

Decluttering your way to spiritual growth is about dealing with the issues of our lives that come up when dealing with the clutter. Are your mother’s ashes on the mantle piece? Are you 50 years old and still have every test and paper from high school? Instead of seeing clutter as a meaningless mess, you can classify it and begin to understand its place in your life. Some clutter can stay, some must go. Coping with the meaning of the clutter provides spiritual healing.

Tag all of your clutter with one of the following Clutter Codes. I’ve given some examples for each one. Once you’ve coded your clutter, resolve clutter that falls in the “stagnant” code first. Stagnant energy holds you back and festers. On the other end of the spectrum, “active” clutter can remain. Active energy is alive and vibrant!

Stagnant: Things that you can no longer use.
A pile of magazines and catalogs that has been read or are no longer relevant and out of date. (You know you will never go back to them.)
Clothes that no longer fit.
Old vitamins and pills.
Expired coupons.

Stuck: Things that you will probably not use.
Papers, magazines, fliers that you think you might peruse but most likely will eventually become stagnant.
Books you may or may not read, but probably won’t.
The high school papers, mentioned above.
Broken items that you want to fix, but probably won’t.
Unfinished craft projects.

Waiting: Things you use very occasionally or seasonally.
Holiday and seasonal decorations that aren’t stored coherently.
Seasonal clothing and sporting equipment that don’t have an off-season home.

Active and Disorganized: Things that you use regularly, but not frequently.
Clothes, papers, projects that are may be used within a few weeks but that are “homeless” in that they are not filed, processed or stored in a way that is out of the way. (This is more about “mess” than “clutter.”)
Kitchen appliances that you use only occasionally.

Active: Things that you actively use
Activities of the day, or the next few days, that are in process.
Things that you like easy access to for daily use—sunglasses, coats, schoolbags, etc.

By Annie B. Bond

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Leslie P.

12:03AM PST on Mar 8, 2012

Great tips!

send a green star

Michele W.

4:30AM PST on Jan 5, 2012

I check room by room in the house, and everything I think I might want in the future...such as books I haven't read yet, magazines, half finished projects etc are put in a cardboard box neatly away in a cupboard. If, after 6 months I have not taken anything out of that box to use/read/whatever, then it goes to recycling or to be donated.

Past Member .

12:52AM PST on Jan 4, 2012

interesting.

Bettina R.

12:56AM PST on Dec 30, 2011

Thank you, this is really helpful. I like the systematic approach that breaks down this overwhelming task into small steps.

New G.

8:49PM PST on Dec 27, 2011

Thanks.

Jennifer C.

6:18AM PDT on Sep 10, 2011

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

laura M.

9:02AM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

lol as i'm reading this, i'm in the middle of going thru my clothes/sheets/towels, etc.
hi5 @ Cindy ...trying to get the energy to do it.
also, i could use some more info to get me more motivated!!
thx for the post!!

Cindy M.

6:19AM PDT on Sep 7, 2011

This is very good information. Now if I can just get the energy to implement it I know I will feel much better. My clutter is not too out of control ... so I need to start on it!! Thank you.

Robert O.

4:04PM PDT on Sep 6, 2011

Thanks Annie!

Beverly G.

1:40PM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

its true , im so stressed out and the clutter dont help.