"Throw away the old stuff and get a new life!" this is an old saying that once was enthusiastically put into practise at the end of each year. If you think this is just superstition, you’re wrong. Getting rid of unused items and junk that clutters our homes is a real therapy that is based on the principle that the environment in which we live, reflects our inner self, and consequently an untidy and overflowing with superfluous home, corresponds to a confused and inconclusive existential approach. Literally "space-clearing" means purification of space: in my vision, it has become much more! It is the art of making space in the house as in the mind: a journey of self-knowledge through the objects in our houses, which, if practiced with care and consistency, becomes a way of life.

Born in the United States from a branch of Feng Shui, space clearing inherits the Eastern concepts of the ancient Chinese art of arranging objects and environments to enhance wellbeing and personal fortune, combined to English pragmatism. In my approach, it teaches us to free ourselves from the unnecessary, while preserving the essential, giving space to our creativity. We never use 80% of the objects inside cabinets and desks, which become an accumulation of junk that fills our living space and blocks our lives. Everything else is "clutter", a burden of superfluous things that people accumulate day after day, stifling the home of an unnecessary weight from which we can free ourselves only with great effort.

Why people accumulate things?
There are many different reasons. Some people develop a strong sense of ownership towards objects. Others derive a sense of identity. Some keep everything including concert and flight ticket stubs, dating back to many years ago, not to mention tools or clothes sitting in the closet, unused for ages. Because ... "you never know, it might come in useful." It reminds me of …" A typical attitude of the insecure, leading to clinging on to things, to ward off the anxiety of time passing by and unresolved fears. It is as if unconsciously people think of hiding their problems in overflowing drawers, along with dusty trinkets.

There may be an emotional reason that prevents us from throwing away unnecessary items, a sort of unspoken bond. Remembrance of the past, something that we have experienced, symbolically enclosed in an object, prevents us from moving on. It happens frequently at the end of a relationship. Drawers and closets overflow with photographs and gifts from the ex; emotional gaps that act as an obstacle for the beginning of a new relationship. Thanks to the method I have developed over the years, it is possible to live lighter and more organized, having more time for ourselves. Making space, we let go of situations that no longer belong to us anymore, as well as dust. An object not only occupies space in the house: it occupies space in our minds and in our lives, which is why, making space in our home means giving nourishment and oxygen to our existence.

In the next appointments we’ll discover why we accumulate and we’ll find out why it is so difficult to let go of things; the relationship between our environment and our life as Feng Shui imagines it. We’ll discover the harmful effects of "clutter", and the accumulation of things on our body, our mind and social life. What happens when we learn to read our home as a mirror of ourselves, of our desires and aspirations, and also our emotional blocks? Taking action on our house with this awareness, all our life is set in motion in the direction of achieving our truest desires. We can make room for creativity in our home or office and discover new talents buried under paperwork and unnecessary ways of thinking, now overtaken, which belong to the past. The house, the objects, the space around us (including our desk!) will become new and unusual masters, leading us by the hand, revealing a lot about ourselves.

It's time to tidy up
Space clearing does not mean spring-cleaning or radically changing your home or daily routine. It means eliminating the unnecessary in every field starting from the objects that you do not use or do not like anymore. Here are some rules to proceed according to the method that I have developed over many years of experience in Italy and abroad, in order to take full advantage of the cleaning operation, or rather, the elimination of clutter ("de-cluttering").

Write a list
Where to start? The chaos is a bit everywhere. To avoid wasting energy, you need to set priorities with the help of a list. Get pen and paper and take a walk around your home or office highlighting the areas at risk. Each time you finish, tick them off the list, and enjoy the feeling of letting go.

Locate the object
You have found an item to throw away. Before you make the fateful decision, ask yourself the following questions: do I still like it? It is related to special memories? It is in good condition? Can I use it? Do I need it? For example: do I really need all those tablecloths, even the old and ruined ones? If the answer is no, then why keep them? Sell them; give them away or to charity. Or if you are creative, transform the objects that you want to get rid of into something new and useful.

Quit the guilt
Abandon the fear of identifying the objects to be disposed of, and stop feeling guilty after having done so. Trust your instincts. If at a glance you decide that that object is no longer part of your life, don’t look back. It's a waste of energy!

Step by step
Take your time. It is impossible to tidy everything up at once, proceed step by step. First, set a specific time for this activity: for example, half an hour or an hour a day and respect it. Start from confined areas. Emptying all the contents of the wardrobe on the bed to tidy up can make you feel powerless in front of the chaos. Start for the first time with a drawer or your handbag. Then, go to the furthest corners of the house, the spaces behind the doors, under the bed, on top of the wardrobes or near the entrance. No objects on top of the bedroom wardrobes or under the bed, as they can become burdens that impede rest. Finally, when you are more trained, tackle the larger areas of the house like the living room or the library.

Find a place for everything
To make the cleanliness of your home a real start of an inner journey of change, it is necessary to re-look at your consumer habits. To throw away objects and end up buying more in the same amount is a waste of time and money. Giving a specific place to the remaining items, you will immediately see that you have everything you need, because you already have the essentials. Also, from now on it will be more immediate and it will be easier to find what you’re looking for.

More creativity in the office
The tendency to accumulate things may also become an obstacle for the free flow of creativity in the workplace. An organized desk definitely helps work. Furthermore, it is proved: it promotes good mood and gives a good impression of efficiency and professionalism. To make space, simply discard the useless paper and rearrange ideas based on priorities. Throw away old invitations, press, newspapers, faxes or photocopies. Just keep the absolute necessary on the desk, what you need for the day. After the desk, it's the computer's turn. You should first trash the old useless files, which weigh down the system and waste your time. Avoid accumulating e-mails: from time to time download the messages and, once you’ve read them, store them in a subfolder and discard those that are merely informational, and that quickly become obsolete.

Get rid of negative thoughts
Spaceclearing put into practice by following these practical tips can become an opportunity to make the point on your life and embark on a journey of inner transformation and personal growth, as well as finally getting rid of unnecessary items, even those rigid attitudes that weigh and slow down our lives, consuming energy. In other words, making order helps to clarify ideas and overcome doubts, increasing self-confidence. This helps us to read our reality in a new way, gracefully "erasing" what we do not like and what prevents us from being happy. The emptiness can make room for other goals, experiences and, why not, other people. The first step to start changing our habits is to come out of our interior conflict and learn to love ourselves more. A harmonious environment filled only with the things we use and love, pleasantly sustains us every moment of the day.