Want A Change In Your Love Life? Consider Cleaning Your Closet

The case for de-cluttering your home. (Photo: Jen Brister/Stocksy)

Single. Married. Divorced. It’s complicated. On-again-off-again.

For better or for worse, many of us let our relationship status define us. So, it makes sense that when there is a problem in that area of our lives, we do everything we can to remedy it. “Having a happy and healthy relationship is the emotional foundation for your life,” VH1 Couples Therapy psychotherapist Jenn Berman, PhD, tells Yahoo Health. “That is why we spend so much time and effort trying to make them work.”

But, what if there was a simpler way to help solve your love life woes — one that involved cleaning out your closet?

Enter feng shui, an ancient Chinese philosophical practice involving the harmonization between a person and his or her surrounding environment to promote prosperity and health. According to feng shui, “if the things in your environment are out of balance, things will be out of balance in your world,” feng shui master Suzanne Felter tells Yahoo Health. “Like the old adage, ‘Change your place, change your luck,’ if you make changes in your home, it will make changes in your life on a different level.”

While there’s no hard scientific proof that feng shui can actually cause better health, more harmony, or increased prosperity, research does suggest that our surroundings influence how we feel, act, and work. According to feng shui, there are different “adjustments” you can make within your space that are unique to each individual situation, and dependent on the layout of each person’s living environment.

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Feng shui is highly individualized, practitioners say, so if you’re giving it a full-on try, you should have a feng shui consultant give you a personalized prescription. That being said, there are some general guidelines that do apply to all (and keep in mind that feng shui is not a one-time process; it’s ever-evolving and must be worked on constantly). Here are four rules to consider from Felter:

1. Clear Your Clutter

Does your relationship feel stagnant? Do you wish that special someone would come into your life? According to feng shui, clutter stops energy flow and that will inherently stop energy flow in your life. Removing items that have built up over the years will help to clear away old energy and allow room for new people or perspectives. “Energy and chi [life force] are like water,” says Felter. “So, you always want to make sure there is a clean and clear path into and around your house.”

Having a lot of stuff — even if it’s organized — means that there’s no opening for change. But beware if you have vast empty spaces in your house, because that could lead to too much energy — and difficult and sporadic relationships.

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2. Fix Anything That’s Broken

Maintaining your home is the equivalent of maintaining your life, according to feng shui, so when things are broken, clogged, and creaky in your house, so too will be your relationships. If you have a squeaky door, fix it. If you’re drain’s backed up, unclog it. If a light bulb is burnt out, change it.

"A lot people face problems with their significant other when they are going through home renovations," says Felter. "There is so much change and items being broken and knocked out, and it creates that same stress and overhaul of emotions in the relationship."

3. Remove Past Items And Photos From Your Ex

If you still have that box of memories from your past boyfriend(s), it may be time to get rid of it. There should be nothing in your home that has a bad memory associated with it because that negative energy remains in your life, according to feng shui —so if those items are removed, the bad chi is, too.

4. Set An Intention

While all of the steps above are great for beginning the process of making changes, none of them are useful without intention. For instance: When you go to the grocery store, you don’t just walk in and say, “I need food.” You have a list, go to specific aisles, and gather the ingredients you need to make dinner for that night. The same notion holds true in feng shui, Felter says. Saying, “I’m looking for someone to come into my life” is too broad — instead, make a list of all the traits you want in a partner and meditate on that while going through the physical acts of clearing your space. “If you prioritize and clarify your intention, what ever it may be, it makes the energy easier to find you,” Felter says.

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