Why You Shouldn't Store Things Under Your Bed, According To Feng Shui

Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of organizing rooms and objects in a way that brings harmony, balance, and prosperity, has increased in popularity in recent years. According to National Geographic, those who practice feng shui believe that it can help create positive energy or chi, and allowing it to flow freely throughout your home can bring good health and luck while also helping foster peaceful and harmonious relationships with those around you.

And while National Geographic also reports that Chinese civilizations have been using the practice to design the layout of their homes and even entire towns dating as far back as 4,000 years, a renewed, mainstream interest in the ancient practice has introduced other cultures to the idea of abiding by it when decorating their homes.

Since feng shui is all about energy, and more specifically, the proper flow of chi — organizing your space in a way that hinders the free-flowing movement of energy can work against you if you are trying to bring harmony and balance to your home. On that note, storing items under your bed can majorly work against you if you are trying to incorporate positivity through the art of feng shui into your place.

According to Love to Know, clutter blocks the flow of chi, and when that energy has nowhere to go, it becomes stagnant. Stagnant chi energy is said to lead to chaos and disruption in your professional and personal life and is a recipe for poor health, loss of wealth, and more. Clutter underneath your bed is especially troublesome, as stagnant energy near where you sleep can lead to poor quality sleep and insomnia — blocking chi flow around the area you sleep prohibits your body from being energized properly.

Because many people have limited storage space and aren't able to give up the idea of under-the-bed storage entirely, Feng Shui Beginner says if you absolutely must continue utilizing the area, you should only store things that would naturally go on a bed, like extra blankets, pillows, and linens — being mindful to keep them as neatly as possible to avoid risking the area becoming cluttered.

Buying a bed with built-in storage drawers and compartments is a great way to save space and give yourself some more storage options while still keeping the area beneath completely free, allowing optimal chi flow.