When it comes to feng shui, one of the most asked questions is: Do closets count?
And of course, the answer is YES! Everything in your home counts in feng shui, including the closets (and the garage!)
In feng shui, nothing is “hidden.”
This is why you can place your feng shui cures behind furniture or in drawers – everything counts towards the energy in your home.
And if your closets are cluttered, disorganized, or full of things you no longer use or want, it can drag down the flow of Chi (life-force energy.)
Cluttered closets can cause energy flow to get stuck.
And depending on where that stuck energy is located in your home, it can cause things like:
- Arguments
- Frustration
- Confusion
- Less wealth circulating
- Low energy or health issues
- Stress
- Problems in relationships
- Problems in your career or job
- Insomnia or sleep problems
- Lack of concentration in all areas
- Accidents
- Lots of things breaking or problems popping up over and over
- Lack of new opportunities
- Things feeling stuck or like there’s no forward momentum in your life
Just think about how you feel on a morning when you’re trying to leave the house but everything is going wrong.
Maybe you woke up late, or you realized you were out of clean clothes, or one of your children told you they have a project due at the last minute.
That frustrated energy in the morning can follow you throughout your entire day, cascading into a whole host of issues that might not have happened otherwise.
The same is true of the energy in your closet. If you open a closet and everything falls on your head, or if you’re looking for something and you can’t find it — that energy can spill over into all areas of your life.
Even when things are going well, don’t underestimate how much energy that cluttered closet is taking up in your life!
One other thing to think about when it comes to cluttered or disorganized closet feng shui is the bagua map.
The feng shui bagua map is the energy map that shows you which areas of your home relate to the different areas of your life.
Take a look at the feng shui bagua map – do you see an area of your life that you’d be okay with energy being stuck or stagnant?
Do you have an area of your life where you’d like to feel confused, frustrated, or annoyed all of the time?
In fact, if you do have cluttered closets in some areas, are those the areas of your life where energy is the most stuck?
Often times when things are going “wrong” in an area, you’ll find something in that feng shui area of your home that correlates with that energy.
The good news is that if the thing dragging down the energy in that area is a closet – it’s an easy fix!
What do closets represent in feng shui?
Like everything in feng shui, your closet represents your intentions.
Clothing closets, for example, can represent your current and future self.
Clothing represents how you see yourself and also your hopes and dreams for the future.
If you are hanging on to clothes that represent a past version of yourself, it can be hard to move forward.
Clothing can also represent how you were feeling when you purchased it.
For example, if you have lots of clothing you bought and never wore, it can represent energy that you haven’t fully stepped into, but it can also represent the energetic state you were in when you purchased the clothing.
If you were sad when you bought it, for example, you might not reach for that outfit because you aren’t in that mindset anymore.
If you have clothing from past jobs that you can’t part with, it can mean that part of you hasn’t fully let go of the old and embraced the new.
Closets can also represent things that are hidden or that you want to keep away from public eyes.
If you tend to stash things that you don’t know what to do with or that you can’t bear to get rid of, closets can represent repressed feelings or secrecy.
If you tend to stash things that you “might” use later, they can represent fear and scarcity (the feeling that you might not be able to replace something later.)
5 Easy Closet Feng Shui Tips
Closet feng shui is actually really easy.
Basically, you want closets to be: clean, organized, and full of things that you actually use.
Closets shouldn’t be storage areas full of things you don’t want or need.
They don’t have to be gorgeous, boutique closets (although that works too!)
They just have to be functional and organized.
Declutter your clothes and shoes.
Donate or give away clothes that:
- No longer fit
- You no longer wear
- That have holes, stains, rips, and tears
- Don’t make you feel great when you wear them
- Are uncomfortable
- Are from old jobs or phases of life you are no longer in
- Clothes you kept “just in case”
One way to keep track of whether or not you’re wearing clothes is to turn the hangers backward.
When you wear something, turn the hanger back the correct way.
Then after a few months, you can declutter the clothes that aren’t being worn.
One quick feng shui tip for clothes is: Clothing should reflect where you are in your life right now.
Not where you’ve been in the past.
If you are trying to move forward in your life but your closet is only reminding you of the old you, it can drag down your energy.
Every time you open your closet, you are making decisions (even unconsciously!) about where you’re going.
That energy can drag you backward and make you feel confused and frustrated.
If you can’t bear to get rid of certain things yet, try moving them to one side of the closet or putting them in box for a few months so they are separated from your day-to-day clothing.
It can help you to create separation and make it easier to get rid of those items later.
Declutter other items.
If your closet is full of other items, like a storage, coat, or linen closet, look for:
- Items you’re keeping that you no longer use.
- Broken items, like hangers or things you’re keeping in order to “repair later”
- Items you have multiples of but aren’t using.
- Old home decor items you no longer love or use.
- Coats/scarves/hats/shoes/etc. that no longer fit, you no longer wear, or are in disrepair.
- Items you’re keeping out of obligation or guilt.
- Old towels or sheets you aren’t using or are in bad shape.
- Clutter that you’re keeping because you don’t know what to do with it.
Organize.
Closet organization is deeply personal, and only you truly know what will work for you.
Organize your clothes in a way that makes sense.
In feng shui, like goes with like.
Each room has a purpose, and that purpose should be reflected in the use and decor in the room.
For your closet, that would translate to the different types of clothing being kept together.
For example, put all of your work clothes together, all of your leisure clothes together, your intimates together, and so on.
Keep all of your shoes together.
Organize your jewelry and drawers the same way.
Like items go with like items.
This makes it really easy to get dressed and also easy to put away laundry!
Closet Doors.
If possible, keep your closet doors closed when not in use.
This contains the energy so that it doesn’t spill over into your space.
This is especially important in the bedroom because the energy of the closet can disrupt sleep and rest.
If your closet doesn’t have doors, you can hang curtains or use a room divider to block off the energy.
Feng Shui Your Closet: Q & A
Are mirrored closet doors bad feng shui?
Mirrored closet doors are not always bad feng shui.
In feng shui, mirrors double everything they reflect.
They also bounce energy, which can be really helpful when you want to move Chi around your home.
But in the bedroom, mirrors directly facing the bed can keep your body on high alert, which disrupts sleep.
If you struggle with insomnia, try covering your closet doors and see if it helps!
You can hang curtains, cover the mirrors with frosted window film, or even get new closet doors if they bother you.
If they don’t bother you, try to make sure that your room is clean and tidy, because the mirrors will double any cluttered or disorganized energy and bounce it around your room.
What should you not put in your closet?
Don’t keep anything in your closet that you hate or that makes you feel bad when you see it.
Keeping items out of guilt, obligation, or even just because you spent money on it can lower the overall energy of your home.
That goes for everything in your home, not just your closet!
Every time you see something that makes you feel bad, whether consciously or unconsciously, it affects your energetic footprint.
Those items are weighing you down, whether you actively realize it or not.
Ask yourself this question: Are you willing to be held back by that item?
It’s perfectly okay to admit if you don’t like something or don’t want to keep something.
It is perfectly okay for your wants, dreams, and needs to change.
Your closet doesn’t have to be a museum of your past self.
Allow yourself to make room for the new and for things you actually want, need, and love!
The more you love the things in your home, the more your home will love you back!
Now that you know how to feng shui your closet, you might also want to know:
give your bedroom a makeover with these DIY feng shui bedroom tips!
8 Quick & Easy Ways to Feng Shui Your Dining Room
how to design the perfect feng shui living room!
7 feng shui kitchen tips for creating a healthy & wealthy home!
