QUESTION OF THE WEEK: I’ve heard that the location of clutter accumulation in the home means something. Is this true?

Yes, it is! Looking at where your clutter is concentrated can give insight into what is going on subconsciously, revealing surprising things about you and your life. Below are some generalities about what clutter means in certain areas of your home.

• Bedroom. Clutter in the bedroom can reflect on your relationship with your partner or even yourself. If you have a disorderly bedroom, you may be trying to avoid intimacy or gradually are losing intimacy in the relationship. Creating a sense of order can help to open up the communication with yourself or between you and your partner.

• Bathroom. The bathroom represents personal intimacy and transformation, a space of renewal where we go to release the old or “transform” ourselves. If your bathroom is cluttered and messy, you may feel that things in your life are old or stagnant and in need of renewal.

• Kitchen. The kitchen represents the family unit, the place in the home where you nourish yourself and your loved ones. How you care for your kitchen is a clue about whether or not you are nourishing yourself in other ways. A cluttered or chaotic kitchen may be a sign that you have unstable family connections or feel disconnected, fatigued or stressed, not getting what you need on other levels.

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• Living Room. The living room represents fun and leisure activity. Concentrated clutter here may signify that you are not taking enough time to relax and engage in social activities — either alone or with others.

• Garage. Garages, representing the “space” in your life, are not only where you park your car, but also where you store things. If your garage is cluttered, you may feel constricted in some areas of your life.

• Hallways. Just as arterial roads connect main thoroughfares to smaller thoroughfares, hallways are the arterial highways of your home, connecting the main area to the different rooms. Clutter in the hallway has the same effect as a traffic jam, making you feel disconnected.

• Closets. Symbolically, closets represent that which is hidden, unknown or suppressed in our lives. When we fill our closets with clutter, we likely live some part of our lives inauthentically.

Do you have a question for Alice? If so, send it to alice@yourhappinessu.com. Alice Inoue is the founder and Chief Happiness Officer at Happiness U. Visit www.YourHappinessU.com.

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