OK, I’ll admit it. I collect paper. Rather, I should say that I collect documents because my computer desktop sends my organized friends into a cleaning panic, and I spend a lot of time looking for things I know are there but can’t find.

Does clutter affect us? Are we less productive and more stressed out? Do we have a more difficult time retaining information if our lives our cluttered (and therefore our internal space as well)?

Proponents of Feng Shui would say YES.

I am not an expert, but I think one basic premise of Feng Shui is balance. Clutter is not balance. I did a bit of web searching and this is what they said about the two…

Clutter is low, stagnant, and confusing energy that constantly drains energy from you … it can also negatively influence, or even completely block, the flow of events in many areas of your life…The reason most people avoid clearing the clutter is not because it takes effort and it can be time consuming… but because it is a very emotional process that feels like therapy, and it takes emotional stamina to go through it.”

Decluttering is one of the most important steps to good Feng Shui: it’s always a good time to be taking the initiative in your life and in your space.

Just as plants grow best when weeds and detritus are cleared, we grow and thrive best when our environments are set up to support and nourish us…. Huge piles of paper create a negative atmosphere in any space. They’re overwhelming and intimidating, and are likely to represent either unfinished business or completed projects that haven’t found a home.

I wonder; does poor Feng Shui (read: lots of clutter) in the classroom, study space, or internally affect language learning as well? Does it make it more difficult for creative types to create, students to study, or the average person to get daily chores done?

An experiment

Clean up the clutter. Throw away unnecessary papers. Deal with things you bring home right away (i.e. put them away). Sweep all those piles off your desk. Clean out your car, backpack or purse.

Does it make a difference?

As part of my 2012 “using time wisely plan” I am trying to clear the clutter, and I do think it is making a difference. Even though the clutter-clearing road ahead is LONG and winding, I feel more peaceful and that it IS possible to finish tasks in a more timely manner.

I am a big believer in the timer. Set it for 10 minutes and proceed with a clutter-clearing task. It is amazing how quickly time flies when you don’t have to concentrate on the time flying quickly.

And what does that mean for the future? Perhaps the roadblocks ahead are cleared and the journey forward can continue.

Try it. When you are feeling sluggish, stuck or frustrated… throw something away and see what new inspiration can come in to fill its place.

Good luck.

Heidi

Suggested Booklist

Clear your clutter with Fung Shui, Karen Kingston, Three Rivers Press ©1999

Feng Shui for the Classroom: 101 Easy-to-Use Ideas, E. Renee Heiss, Corwin Press, 2004

Pooh’s Little Book of Feng Shui, A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard, Dutton Juvenile, 2000