Article 1 in a Series: Creating Space
“Where the hell is the red pepper?”
I felt irrationally enraged by my spice cabinet.
The jars were mismatched, the labels were faded, and why do I have four containers of cinnamon?
One day, I snapped. I ordered the cutest jars and labels. I threw out the expired jars, lined up the new ones like happy little soldiers and the result felt magical. Not just because it looked beautiful — it felt better.
Because here’s the thing:
Clutter — whether it’s in your kitchen, your calendar, or your mind — is an energy suck.
Let’s talk about energy.
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging your environment so that energy (called “chi”) flows smoothly, creating balance, harmony, and support for your life. It’s like interior design with a focus on how the space feels as much as how it looks.
One of the key principles of Feng shui is that everything has energy.
That time you walked into a party with the balloons and music playing and immediately felt like dancing? That was good energy. When the lights go down in the theater and there is a hush over the crowd, that’s an energy.
When you open a closet door and feel frustrated because you can’t find what you’re looking for . . . woof, that’s energy. And not the good kind.
Clutter doesn’t just block energy from moving through you. It drains you — silently, steadily, day after day.
When you reduce friction in your environment — physically, mentally, emotionally — your choices get easier. You can think more clearly. You can breathe deeper. You can show up feeling like a better version of you — mind, body and joy.
I’m sure the way you show up is perfectly lovely, but speaking from personal experience, I find that when I cut out some of the crap, there is even more room for light to shine through.
It’s more than a tidy shelf
Sometimes life feels like a messy kitchen.
The counters are piled high with obligations. The pantry is stuffed with “shoulds.” And somewhere, shoved in the back, is the thing you actually need — your own time, energy and joy.
That spice cabinet makeover taught me something unexpected: when you create space in one part of your life, you open the door for good things to flow into all the other parts.
You also build momentum for creating more space, says the woman who has been finding joy cleaning out every closet, drawer and cabinet in her house.
Space invites clarity and calm. If you’ve spent even 10 minutes on a yoga mat or in meditation, you’ve already experienced this for yourself.
Space reduces stress (and if you’re a fire sign like me, it helps prevent those “pot boiling over” moments).
Space allows us to be fully present. And presence is where the joy shows up.
When we’re not in survival mode, we open ourselves up to what Dr. James Doty calls heart mode: state of being open, caring, and operating from a place of love and connection rather than fear or threat.
In heart mode we can experience clarity and calm. We open ourselves up to lead ourselves and those around us with love.
If you are curious about heart mode, I encourage you to listen to Dr. Doty talk about it with Mel Robbins.
From kitchen counters to mental clutter
Space isn’t just physical. It shows up (or disappears) in every area of our lives. Here are four places to look if you want to start creating more room for your own energy and light:
Physical space
Your home, office, car . . . the places where you live your life. When they’re cluttered, your brain works harder just to exist in them. That pile of unopened mail? The laundry basket in the corner? They’re background noise you don’t even realize is draining you—until they’re gone.
Mental space
We’re bombarded with inputs every day: texts, emails, Slack pings, podcasts, news alerts. Mental clutter can be as exhausting as physical mess. Creating mental space might mean unsubscribing, muting, or simply giving yourself permission to not respond instantly.
Time space
Look at your calendar. Is there room for spontaneity? For rest? For something that’s just for you? Even one unscheduled hour in your week can feel like a deep exhale.
Emotional space
This one is harder to see, but you feel it. It’s the room to process emotions without pushing them down or rushing past them. Sometimes it’s journaling, sometimes it’s a long walk, sometimes it’s a friend who will listen for eight minutes. Emotional space lets you meet life from a grounded place instead of a frazzled one.
You may have seen it pop up in social media and it’s real. Just talking with a friend for eight minutes can improve your feeling of well-being. It’s a real thing.
This is your space
I could end this with tips for how you can create space in these areas of your life. But then, that would just be more clutter wouldn’t it?
With my private clients, I meet them where they are. We take the steps that feel good and nourishing to them.
So here’s the question for you.
Where is clutter showing up for you?
It can feel overwhelming — like the whole kitchen of your life needs an overhaul. But you don’t have to tackle it all at once.
Start small. One cabinet. One drawer. One spice jar at a time.
And with each little bit of space you clear, you just might find a little more room for yourself — mind, body and joy.
Be well, my lovelies.
In the next article, I explore how to create mental space and let energy flow: What I Learned About Mental Clutter from a Game of Basketball.
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