WILL SHAKING UP MY SPACE HELP ME ACHIEVE MY GOALS?
Writer Elizabeth Archer, 29, lives in Yorkshire with her partner Conor
As I showed
Suzanne into my bedroom, I felt a hot prickle of embarrassment.
Shoving a pile of laundry to one side with my foot, I hoped she wouldn’t notice.
But if Suzanne sees the crumpled clothes, she’s too polite to mention it. She’s here for a guided tour of my home via Zoom, and to impart some interior therapy wisdom.
Suzanne says she can help people achieve financial success, romantic happiness and career satisfaction simply by helping them rearrange their homes.
It sounds ideal. And I’m keen to give it a go. Before the session, I think about my goals for the year – travelling more and spending time in nature.
But with my newly bought home constantly in disarray, it feels like I’ll be spending the year stepping over clutter, not achieving my dreams.
As we start the tour, I show her where I work – a desk tucked in the corner of an attic room. “Do you often feel tense at your desk?” she asks.
Suzanne’s eyes lock on to a spiky mother-in-law’s tongue plant. That is making me feel on edge, she says. What’s more, sitting under the sloping roof is making me feel pressurised.
Next we move into the bedroom and she points out our two matching bedside tables – these are good for keeping my relationship harmonious, she says.
I feel pleased by this. After two years locked down and working from home together, the last thing my partner and I need is more disharmony. However in the bathroom, I’m dismayed to discover that all the “good” energy in the house is being sapped by the toilet, which has the lid open.
Finally we move into the living room, which I admit has never felt quite right since we moved in.
This is because the front door opens straight into the room, says Suzanne, and there’s nothing between the front door and the stairs.
This means we are letting the good energy from outside whoosh through without stopping.
She advises I place a small table with a plant near the entrance, to slow it down.
After the session, I feel buoyed. I move my desk to the middle of the room and move my plant to a less prominent spot.
The next day, I’m surprised by how much more settled I feel. I finish my work efficiently, and afterwards I start browsing websites to see where I’d like to go on holiday this year. Perhaps there might be something to Suzanne’s suggestions after all.