Feng Shui: How Quiet Is Your Bedroom?

A starting point for organizing any room is to identify the function of the space. What kinds of activities are going to happen there? Those activities then guide your decision-making about what to keep in the space.

Bedrooms usually have three primary functions:

1. Rest
2. Changing clothes
3. Intimacy (for couples)

In my work as a professional organizer, I’ve had the opportunity to see some bedrooms that include everything but the kitchen sink. How anyone could get a good night’s sleep in one of those rooms is beyond me!

Feng shui teaches that everything is alive with energy. Everything!

Energies are positive or negative. And, the energy of things talks to you. For example, a pair of pants dropped on the floor could say, “Why don’t you hang me up?” or “The wife’s not going to be happy that you’ve left me here!” Everything out and visible in a bedroom is talking to you--all at the same time! So, it only makes sense that there is an inverse relationship between the number of things in a bedroom and how peaceful the space feels.

Going a step further, there are specific types of items that are particularly noisy and problematic in a bedroom:

1. Anything associated with work has energy that says, “You should be doing this task!” And, you’re likely to “work” in your dreams. This includes bills, sewing projects, exercise equipment, house plans, day planners, and computers. The bedroom is about rest, not work. To make your bedroom a haven where quality rest is possible, remove everything that has to do with an activity not related to the function of the room (rest, intimacy and changing clothes).

2. Energy enhancers like mirrors, fountains, and televisions. One mirror or fewer is recommended in bedrooms. Not only do fountains stir up the energies in a space, they have been known to make people have the urge to urinate. Televisions stimulate both the nervous system and a person’s thoughts. It’s recommended that you not watch television right up until you turn out the lights. You’ll be left with an overactive brain, one that won’t let you rest well.

3. Books--The words in books are fire elements. The paper of the pages is wood. Wood feeds fire. So, books are little bonfires! They have a stimulating, hot energy. Add to that the fact that when you are sleeping, your subconscious can access the content of the books. If your husband likes to read war books, you’re sleeping in a space that has the energy of war. Your brain is accessing the horror of the content of those books. And, I think the negative energy of war books can lead to conflict between a man and a woman. I recommend that you keep just one to three books or magazines at your bedside. Limiting the quantity will limit the stimulation. I also recommend choosing books that are a gentle read, preferably positive stories with little violence.

4. Photographs--Images of people in photographs are also fire elements. To make your bedroom peaceful, limit the photographs in the bedroom. Photographs add a great life-affirming energy in any other part of your house, but in the bedroom they “talk” loudly and can disrupt sleep. Photos of your children can distract you from the opportunity for intimacy with your spouse. Photos of parents and children can keep your subconscious working on ideas for parenting and caregiving.

How quiet is your bedroom?

The condition of your bedroom can have a profound effect on your health. Because you spend more time in that one place on a daily basis than anywhere else, the noise of negative energies in the bedroom can affect the body negatively, resulting in health issues. Take steps to eliminate conversations and sources of stimulation like energy enhancers, books and photographs. Make your bedroom a lovely, peaceful place to rest.