EPISODE 64

Clutter

Feeling oppressed by too much stuff? Overwhelmed by undealt-with messes? Ashamed of the detritus that is building up around the edges of your life? Most of us are. So, from Feng Shui wisdom to right-now interventions, here’s our best advice on how to get an inspired leg up on the clutter that’s been dragging you down.

This week on The Living Experiment, we’re talking about Clutter — the oppressive burden all that excess stuff represents, and the some strategies for dealing with it constructively.

We talk about clutter’s underlying causes and its real-life impacts. We explore some of its deeper meanings.

And of course, we offer you some experiments to help you deal more consciously with the clutter that’s been collecting in your life.

“Clutter” Episode Highlights

  • The problem of living in a culture where acquiring “stuff” is comparatively cheap, easy, and socially promoted
  • The value of looking at where clutter accumulates in your home and life, and what it represents
  • The subconscious effect that clutter has on our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing — and our self-regard
  • Clutter as a source of friction, anxiety, and shame
  • How to reduce the clutter in your life, and the payoffs of making that a priority
  • Some expert insights from Pilar’s sister Andrea (a professional de-clutterer and certified Feng Shui consultant), including the concept of creating “receptive” spaces and “defending” them with objects of beauty (see Resources, below, for more how-to advice from Andrea, and listen to this special guest episode with her)
  • The rise of the minimalist movement (previously known as Voluntary Simplicity) and the growing appeal of owning less

Building on Pilar’s sister’s Feng Shui concept of “defending with beauty,” pick a cluttered surface or area of your home, clear it entirely, and — as a way of warding off the re-accumulation of clutter — reclaim that space with something beautiful (e.g., a vase, a candle, a wooden bowl, a sculpture, or another appealing object). Appreciate the special quality of that space, and see if it inspires you to do more. 

Read one of the recommended articles in this week’s show notes (see links below) and get inspired to take on a decluttering project of your own. Consider starting with one of the small but high-impact areas described in “Three Spaces to Declutter Now”  or Andrea’s award-winning “Order Out of Chaos” series. Notice the result even this small bit of decluttering has on your outlook and energy. 

Healthy, Happy Goodness

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Resources

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