Clutter, Calm, and the Homestead Nervous System: How Feng Shui Restores Balance
- Therese Livella
- Sep 25
- 5 min read
Introduction: When the World Feels Heavy
Last November I watched in shocked silence, as Americans went to the voting booth. I was stunned that so many voted for the destruction of my beloved Earth and deterioration of human decency. As the weeks went on, I found myself retreating inward, orbiting closer to my grief. Looking around my home, however, offered little comfort — my unkept house had become a mirror of my own exhaustion.
The homestead lifestyle is rewarding in countless ways, but a handmade, home-based business blurs boundaries between work and rest. The seven-days-a-week rhythm, while deeply purposeful, can also leave the home showing signs of fatigue I am often too stubborn to admit. My house was calling me toward change.
When the Nervous System Meets Clutter
Science tells us that our external environment directly influences our nervous system.
Clutter increases cortisol. A 2010 UCLA study found that women with cluttered homes had higher cortisol (the primary stress hormone) throughout the day.¹
Mess clouds focus. Neuroscience research shows that visual clutter competes for attention in the brain, making it harder to focus or feel at ease.²
Order signals safety. Conversely, organized, predictable spaces help regulate the nervous system, signaling to the body that it is safe to relax.³
On the homestead, life is often messy by necessity — mud on boots, tools scattered after chores, jars piled high in the pantry. But when disorder builds up inside the home, it doesn’t just create inconvenience. It creates a subtle, ongoing stress load that keeps the body in a low-grade state of vigilance.
Finding Wisdom While Processing Chickens
Last fall, while processing chickens, I stumbled upon a feng shui podcast called House Therapy. At first, it felt almost comical to be elbow-deep in feathers and guts while listening to talk of energy flow and room arrangements. But the more I listened, the more I felt my shoulders drop and my breath deepen.
The ideas weren’t about decoration. They were about relationships — about the living dialogue between ourselves and the spaces we inhabit. When we intentionally arrange our homes, we are not just moving objects. We are signaling to our nervous systems: you are cared for, you are safe, you belong here.
The Power of Declaration
As I began experimenting with small feng shui shifts, I realized I was making declarations:
Bulk goods deserve honor. Flour, sugar, and oats were moved into large, visible jars, easier to reach and requiring less upkeep.
Processed foods lose their throne. Store-bought products were demoted, creating visual space for the ingredients that truly sustain us.
Flow matters. Pathways and counters were cleared, creating breathing room for both body and mind.
Each change felt like more than a household task. It felt like a nervous system reset. I could feel my body soften as jars lined neatly, or as a counter became clear. My breath deepened when my eyes landed on whole, nourishing ingredients instead of plastic packaging.
Why Order Feels So Good: The Science of Regulation
The homestead life is filled with stressors — animal care, unpredictable weather, never-ending chores. These stressors activate the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight branch), which is useful when quick action is needed.
But without recovery, the body can get stuck in “always on” mode. This is where clutter becomes a hidden antagonist:
Visual clutter = constant micro-threats. Each messy corner signals unfinished tasks, keeping the nervous system primed for action.
Clear spaces = parasympathetic support. Order and beauty activate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest mode), supporting digestion, immune health, and emotional resilience.
Ritual of arrangement = mindfulness practice. Moving items with intention grounds us in the present moment, slowing breath and softening muscle tension.
On a farm, where unpredictability is unavoidable, cultivating order inside the home becomes an act of nervous system repair.
Practical Steps: Bringing Feng Shui into Homestead Kitchens
Here are simple ways I’ve begun reshaping my kitchen — each one doubling as both a practical strategy and a nervous system balm:
Bulk Foods in Sight
Large glass jars of flour, oats, and sugar sit where I can see them.
Each time I reach for them, I feel grounded in abundance rather than scarcity.
Decluttering with Kindness
Instead of purging ruthlessly, I’ve asked: Does this item soothe me or stress me?
This compassionate lens softens the process, reducing guilt.
Creating Visual Rest
My kitchen table, often a place of clutter, receives a seasonally inspired table cloth to help me remember why I do this homesteading work in the first place.
This “beauty zone” gives my eyes a place to rest — and my nervous system follows.
Aligning Work with Ritual
I light a small beeswax tea light candle before beginning my day.
This signals to my body: you are moving into nourishment, not just another task.
Homesteading, Healing, and the Virgo Spirit
At its heart, this process is more than tidying. It is aligning with the deeper rhythm of life — a rhythm that wants to support us, not deplete us.
As a Virgo rising, the Virgo in me can’t help but see the Virgo in you 😉. Virgo energy reminds us that refinement and attention to detail are acts of devotion, not drudgery. In each jar labeled, each counter cleared, each ingredient honored, there is a prayer for wholeness.
Closing Reflection: Clutter as an Invitation
If you find yourself overwhelmed — whether by global grief or daily chores — look around your home. What one shift could bring your nervous system relief? Perhaps it’s clearing a single shelf, honoring your bulk grains, or creating a small altar of beauty amidst the busyness.
Because in the end, clutter is not just about mess. It is an invitation. An invitation to pause, breathe, and declare: I choose peace, I choose nourishment, I choose balance.
🌱 Even here, even now, order can be medicine.
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Bibliography
Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. L. (2010). “No place like home: Home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71-81.
McMains, S., & Kastner, S. (2011). “Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex.” Journal of Neuroscience, 31(2), 587–597.
Kaplan, S. (1995). “The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182.