By Dr. Jennifer L. Yocum, Licensed Acupuncturist
Want to improve your mental health and practice self-care at the same time? Declutter your environment and your life. In the Chinese practice of feng shui, getting rid of clutter is a way to improve energy flow and good fortune. The idea is, when we have too many physical items in our home, office, or car, there is inadequate room for energy to move freely and this may affect our ability to have the things we want in life, such as good health, financial wealth, career success and more. Whether or not you believe the gravity of the impact, the fact of the matter is, when we have a tidy and more organized environment, we feel better and like we can breathe a little easier.
To avoid overwhelm, follow these basic principles:
- Start Small
We all have things we’ve been meaning to get rid of, whether it’s some clothing items we never wear, that bin of stuff you’ve moved from house to house and never opened, or a few books. While it’s tempting to clean out everything in one day or weekend, this can lead to burnout. Start small and pick one small area to sort through first, such as a bookcase or your closet.
- Choose what to let go
Experts suggest creating three bins or piles- give away/sell, trash, and keep. If it can be reused by someone else and is in good enough condition, place it in the giveaway/sell pile. If it is unable to be reused, it can go in the trash pile (or recycling). If you want to keep it, then place it in that pile. Having a hard time deciding? Here are some guidelines to help you decide:
- If it is a piece of clothing (or shoes), have you worn it within the last year at all? The last two years? If you haven’t worn it recently, it may be time to let it go. I get there are those fancier items for weddings, funerals, or other more formal events, so you can make a slight exception if needed, but consider how many items you are holding onto in that category if so. Do you need 3-4 fancy dresses or suits, or can you get by with 1-2? Are you able to afford to buy or rent a new outfit if an occasion arises or are you more strapped for cash? Do you have friends who wear the same size as you and could lend you an outfit? Consider these factors, and whatever you can let go of, give it away or sell it.
- If it is a book, have you already read it? If so, would you read it again or are you just letting it sit and collect dust? If it’s a cookbook, do you find yourself using that cookbook over and over again, or are all of your go-to recipes readily available on that author’s website? Are there books your kids have outgrown and no longer need? Do you have reference books that you never use? Books often have a good resale value if you have popular titles, so consider which you may want to sell, or what you’d want to place in a local “Little Free Library” or donation center.
- When helping your kids sort through toy boxes, it can be tough because many kids (including my own), don’t easily want to give up toys, and once you unearth long-forgotten toys from the bottom of the bin, they may rejoice in rediscovering them. I know some parents just take toys when the kids aren’t looking and don’t tell them or feign ignorance, but I think it’s important to involve kids in the process. I want to teach my kids that when we get new toys, we need to make room for them, and that we can let go of what we no longer love or need. Each time we do this, it goes differently; sometimes they want to give away a whole bag of toys or a stack of books, and other times they will barely part with anything. Either way, they are responsible for parsing down what they own so another child can enjoy their items for years to come.
- Family heirlooms are another challenging item for many to release. Did you inherit grandma’s china set but never use it? Were you given your great-grandfather’s watch that doesn’t work but is all your family has of his belongings? Did your mom excitedly gift you her favorite ring that’s not your taste? It’s tough. Sometimes the nostalgia with these items is your own, and sometimes it is what it represents. Other times, the nostalgia belongs to a living family member who wants you to keep the item and delights in knowing you have it and the thought or expectation that you will keep it for years to come and pass it on to your own children.
The first step is to recognize what is your nostalgia and good feelings versus someone else’s. If you have inherited an heirloom that you do not love, is anyone still alive that gave it to you or who would be upset if you sold it or gave it away? Do you have any other family members who would actually want that item? If so, it may be worth having a conversation with the person who gave it to you to let them know you’d like their permission to give the item to another person in the family. Ultimately, some people prefer to wait until the living relative has passed on before selling or getting rid of the item. If this is the case, place the item you do not love in storage or in a cabinet, rather than having it on display. This ensures you visually are prioritizing things that you love in your environment.
- Gadgets and tools can also pile up in some people’s homes. Do you have too many hammers or screwdrivers? Did you get a juicer for Christmas that you never use? Whether it’s power tools, kitchen items, too many storage containers, or specialized items, don’t let your drawers and garage pile up. Determine what you actually use now, and how you can best organize it so it doesn’t become junk.
- Give it away immediately or organize for sale
Let’s be real- most of us have a pile of things to give away, whether it’s in our home or in the trunk of our car. Once you start with the small area and have determined what to give away or sell, don’t just throw it in that pile. If you plan on selling it, decide the price right then and there, and either list it in an online marketplace (such as Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, eBay, or Poshmark), take it to a consignment store, or place a price tag on it and put it in a box to get ready for a yard sale. If you are planning a yard sale, by doing this in bits and pieces as you tackle each small area, you will reduce your mental load later and everything will be marked and ready to go once you have accumulated enough items. If you want to give away the items, take them immediately to the donation center or place them in your car and schedule it in your phone for the following day or so to ensure they don’t stay in your car. Treat it like a meeting you cannot skip; you are clearing space for the things you want in your life, and cluttering your car is not part of the deal. It’s important you pass it on for another person to enjoy and use.
- Slow and steady wins the race
Now that you’ve made some progress with one small area, take your time and tackle a new small area at whatever pace you can handle, whether it’s once a week, once a month, or once every couple months, until you’ve gotten through the areas in your home, office, and car that need decluttering.
- Repeat as needed
Between birthdays, holidays, buying sprees and people off-loading items onto you, you’ll likely continue to accumulate things. I personally like to go through items seasonally and determine if there are any more things that need to be given away or sold. I recommend scanning your belongings at least twice a year- spring and fall are great times to do this!
Don’t get discouraged if it takes you longer to declutter than you’d hoped. Take consistent steps, do what you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. The reward is worth all of your effort! With less clutter in your life, you create space for things you truly love and use. This creates more happiness and peace, improving your well-being.
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their July 2025 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
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