Have you ever heard of the Collyer brothers? They were educated, well-to-do brothers in the mid 1900s, who became briefly famous as hoarders who died in their own New York home, buried under the piles of newspaper they saved for some future use. This is an extreme example, but it points to something very true: hanging on the "stuff" is rarely a healthy impulse, and even though you may think your clutter comforts you, it is really an impediment to peace and progress in your life.
The concept of feng shui — the arrangement of object in your home in a natural and harmonious way — may sound a bit strange to the uninitiated, but its central idea, removing dead energy from the home, has clear value to even the most ardent non-believer. Take a look around your home; do you have piles of old magazines in the corner waiting to be read? Are your out-of-season clothes haphazardly pushed under your bed or stuffed at the back of your closet? When you think about these piles of "stuff" do you feel tense and anxious, and do you wish they would just go away?
An easy tip is to separate out or conceal any objects in the room that do not fit the room's purpose. For instance, your bedroom is a place for sleeping, not eating, watching TV or working. For one week cover up that TV at the end of your bed with a beautiful piece of fabric, and try to think of your bedroom as a sacred nook, where you sleep, dream, and spend time with a loved one. At the end of the week, see if you can feel your over-stimulated mind relax a little more without that TV. Does your bedroom feel a little more like a sanctuary, and a little less like an extension of your office? Even though part of you will miss that box, make a commitment to a month of a TV-less bedroom, and keep track of how your new environment affects you.
In Healthy Living from the Inside Out I go into more detail, showing you how to use feng shui to create a clutter-free, "slow" home. A "slow" home is one that allows you to come down a notch once you're in it and reduces levels of anxious energy that most of us feel throughout the day.
Essential oils in the home:
- Gum, Oil, Grease Spots and Crayons. Use 1-2 drops of Lemon oil to remove gum, oil, grease spots or crayon.
- Air Purifier / Freshener. Put several drops of Lavender oil on a cotton ball and place in the air vents in the home, office, car, hotel room or enclosed areas.
- Rodents / Ants / Cockroaches. To deter rodents, ants or cockroaches, place two drops of Peppermint oil on a cotton ball and place along the path or point of entry for these pests.
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