There’s an old saying in Fen Shui: “When you feel stuck, move 27 things in your home.”

While I’m no expert, I subscribe to Feng Shui’s most basic tenet that our homes and the items within them have energy which influences us, and which we can influence in turn.

(Also, according to Feng Shui it’s okay that I have one zillion house plants.)

The so-called “magic of 27” suggests that interacting with 27 things in our homes can clear out stagnant energy and get some good vibes flowing again, bringing us more opportunity, clarity, and prosperity.

We can clear an item out from our house entirely, or simply rearrange it so we experience it anew. Sometimes this audition in a new space makes it clear that the item is really a keeper; other times, we get the clarity we need to give it away.

I love the target number of 27 because it strikes the balance between achievable and significant. We’ll truly feel a change after moving and/or removing 27 things, and yet we can do it relatively quickly.

I don’t support “just doing a little decluttering each day,” but I do appreciate that we can move 27 things when we’re feeling restless or stagnant to refresh our space.