Small Spaces Need Big Feng Shui

As COVID drives many back into their homes, many rooms end up doing double duty…sometimes triple duty, with kids going back to school at the same time! Here are some tips to keep the multi-tasking room from becoming chaotic.

1)      Carve out the space. Sometimes a runner or small area rug is all that is needed to help the eye (and energy!) adjust from Work mode to Home mode. If this isn’t an option, try blue painter’s tape on the table to separate meal time and deal time.

2)      Recognize that piles aren’t the enemy. There are so many books that shame people for not living a pristine life, but many are “horizontal filers” who need to see what they are working on for a task to get done. If a pile has begun collecting dust, try flipping it upside down and work bottom to top. This will immediately tackle the heavy emotional connection to the reason for the piles to have accumulated in the first place!

3)      Edit your belongings with the Joy Test. What is the story of the stuff that is around you? Too often we get caught up in the fantasy of what our homes should look like and forget how important they are to feel calm and nurturing! If the story of an item in your space makes you feel shame, guilt, annoyance, or anger, it’s time to let it move on. Donate, dispose, or sell it.  A way to get creative with those larger items is to organize a “lending library”. This is most common with tools and kitchen gadgets, and could easily be expanded to include office or craft supplies.

I hope these three tips will help you open your mind to the possibilities! Of course, I’m a big plant lover, so they can also be incorporated with any of these. But that’s for another post!