By Anna Thong January 23, 2019
Our homes are our havens. Full of life, love and…lots of stuff. Sometimes, a bit too much stuff. When it comes to our personal space, we think we know how we like it. But what if your walk-in wardrobe is starting to look more like a walk-in landslide? And what if that Hermes isn’t really lost, it’s just buried under your bed?
Take it from renowned home organiser, Marie Kondo. Having written four best-selling books on organisation and starring in her own Netflix original series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, it’s safe to say that she rules the decor cleansing domain. Here are the five lessons we learned from her.
Before the tidying process begins, Kondo says that you must first greet your home. Start by grounding yourself wherever you’re most comfortable and internally show appreciation for your house. By taking a minute to thank your home for protecting you, this opens it up to positive energy. This is a time to channel your vision into your house, preparing it for change.
We typically tidy according to location, cleaning out one room at a time. The KonMari method however, advocates tidying by category. Invented by Kondo herself, this tidying approach splits our household items into the five categories: clothing, books, paper, ‘komono’ (kitchen, garage, bathroom and miscellaneous) and sentimental items. When we categorise our things into these groups, we are able to clearly see what is and is no longer of value to us.
So you’ve implemented the KonMari method but your shoe collection is still heavily over-populated. Well, Kondo suggests letting go of what you no longer want, to make room for those that “spark you joy”. Does your heart flutter when you see those denim overalls hanging there? Or are you just hoping they’ll come back in fashion? If it’s the latter, say goodbye—but not before thanking them first.
Cutting ties with items you’ve owned for a long duration of time is definitely not that easy. For most, it’s a difficult and overwhelming process that never seems to end. To overcome it, Kondo encourages perseverance. No matter how frightening that Louboutin avalanche looks, persevere. Don’t be discouraged if you find yourself sat on the edge of your chaise longue on the brink of a meltdown—just keep going.
Kondo goes by the philosophy that we should treat our possessions as if they were alive. Just like we thank those we let go of, we must create a pleasant home for those we keep. Using Kondo’s now infamous folding technique, you’ll be trading in your hangers for deep set dressers. This unique art of garment origami is not only aesthetically pleasing, but makes clothing much easier to find.
(More life lessons: 5 Things We Learned From Michelle Obama’s Best-Selling Book)
