Mess vs. Clutter: How Feng Shui Can Boost Your Energy and Productivity

Balancing a busy career with everything else life throws your way can sometimes feel overwhelming. One minute, your home is a sanctuary; the next, it’s a chaotic whirlwind of life’s demands. But what if the spaces we live in could actually impact how we feel and function—not just personally, but professionally? This guest blog by Linda Bischoff, Wellness Guide and Feng Shui Practitioner, dives into the fascinating difference between mess and clutter, and how understanding this distinction through the lens of Feng Shui can help you create a home environment that uplifts your energy, sparks creativity, and clears mental roadblocks. Whether you're navigating career changes, chasing that next big goal, or simply trying to find more balance, your space matters more than you think. Get ready to look at your home—and your productivity—in a whole new light.

There are people that believe extreme minimalism is the key or basis of Feng Shui. While clearing the clutter is a great start to beginning the practice of Feng Shui, it’s important to recognize mess versus clutter.

So - what’s the difference between Mess and Clutter?

Feng Shui can be simply described as connecting with our environment. Having a sense of place - feeling comfortable in our homes, creating an energy that makes a house your home. When you're connected in this way it opens many opportunities to live authentically.

Chi is energy … the energy around us – the energy that impacts how we feel. The energy around us is changing all the time. We can clearly see this through the moon phases and the change in seasons. Spring cleaning – you know when the air is fresh and clean outside, you instinctively want to open all the windows. It feels refreshing to get all the old stale, stagnant energy out of your house. You can breathe easier as it fills with new energy that flows and moves through your home. That is Good Chi and that is an example of how we can feel it.

Clutter can affect this energy in a negative way. Clutter represents an energy block. I’m sure we are all aware of the impact that clutter can have on our mental health. It’s not good.

But if we get too hung up on keeping things clean that can also create anxiety. One of the key things to remember is that there is a huge difference between clutter and mess. Evaluate what is mess and what is clutter. Don’t allow your day-to-day messiness create anxiety. Life is messy. For example, when I am writing or in the middle of a project there is a lot of creativity happening and that creativity can sometimes be messy. When you are cooking dinner and have used every dish in the cupboard or when the kids come home from school and scatter their belongings everywhere - there is a positive energy that is held in that mess.

You can feel the difference in the energy between mess and clutter. Messiness has a positive “moving” energy, whereas clutter is a stagnant energy. Stagnant energy is heavy and can be felt when you have stacks of paper in your office. Think of those boxes in your spare bedroom that haven’t moved for quite some time. 

When I need to be creative, I enjoy the energy of the creative mess...and when the project is completed, I generally spend some time getting things back in order before I embark on my next project. If I were to leave everything untidy and scattered for an extended period, the energy becomes stagnant and has the capacity to turn into clutter.

I’m not so sold on the concept of minimalism. If you are too extreme you remove all the energy. Organization “having a place for everything and everything in it’s place” is critical in being able to remove clutter and enjoy the energy of your messiness when it needs to happen. And messiness needs to happen – life is messy.

Pay attention to your home and how it feels for you – by making it an extension of your energy you can make your house a home. Do things that will make you love it. Think about what you need to do to get the energy moving in your home. If you have a room that you never use, think about why…is it too dark, does the furniture not feel right? Does it need to be painted a different colour? What can you change in that room to make you love it?

But be mindful, if you know something is not right and you just can’t quite put your finger on it – consult with a Feng Shui Practitioner and they can help you get the energy moving.

Written by: Linda Bischoff - IFSG Red Ribbon, PMP; Well AP; Diploma Interior Design
Wellness Guide and Feng Shui Practitioner

Linda Bischoff is a Feng Shui Practitioner and Wellness Guide with over 20 years’ experience in the planning of interior spaces. In 2018, in addition to participating in a ten-day noble silence meditation program, she began her studies with a Feng Shui Master.

She leads in person and virtual meditation and has created several workshops to assist in the understanding of the impact of our physical space on our moods, thoughts and behaviors. She holds the designation of Red Ribbon Feng Shui Professional as recognized by the International Feng Shui Guild and is a featured speaker in their 2025 Summit.

Avalon Lane Studio’s ensures positive energy flow by layering the practice of Interior Design, the basic principles of Biophilia and several Feng Shui concepts. When we enhance the vibrations around us we become more likely to achieve our dreams and goals.

Linda lives in Halton Hills, Ontario with her husband and their cat Molley. Find out more about her and her practice at www.avalonlanestudio.ca.