“If you declutter your things, you will declutter your mind.” In this way, the renowned expert in organization, Marie Kondo, expresses her philosophy of order that has had positive effects on hundreds of thousands of people who have put into practice her advice embodied in several of her best sellers such as: “The life-changing magic of tidying-up” and “Spark joy”.
Marie is a renowned tidying expert helping people worldwide transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration.
Whether you want a change to regain your motivation, achieve an inner change, or renew your energy, the first step is to make an external change. You can make these changes in your own home, starting with putting things in order, which, although it appears to be a superficial action, the effect it can generate is one of the first movements that will bring you closer to happiness or, at least, to the harmony and tranquility of the mental declutter.
Stress and frustration
Has it happened to you that you can’t find a specific thing in your home? Or that you can’t find your car keys just when you’re ready to go out? You start to get angry, you get irritated and you also waste time. You can avoid all this when there is order and everything is in its previously assigned place.
Different studies have verified that feelings of distress, frustration, and boredom experienced by many people can be caused by an untidy environment that affects mental health, while, on the contrary, order and organization generate tranquility and peace of mind.
Is it important to give up those things you DON’T need?
“Knowing how to organize is basic, but not enough. You can spend hours or days tidying up and still not be satisfied.”
That is why you should get rid of everything that does not inspire you joy. Keep in mind that if you do not want to let go of something, it may be due to some of the following reasons:
Either your attachment to the past.
Or anxiety about the future.
Marie advises us to keep only things that “speak to your heart.”
Getting rid of all those objects and things that you no longer need and that have been accumulating over time is a new way to improve your mood and get rid of the chaos.
Organize your drawers
With her KonMari method, the Japanese woman has revolutionized the world at home. We can get incredible benefits by following these 5 tips that Marie shares and that we invite you to implement in your home and your life:
- Be grateful for your space. Feel grateful for your belongings and also for a place (your house) where you can keep them and enjoy them.
- Commit to organizing. By making a commitment to tidy up your belongings, you will begin to create your ideal lifestyle: What do you want your home to look like? What kind of energy do you want it to transmit?
- Take things out. Clear out your closets, cabinets, and drawers. Then place all your things in the living room or in the center of your room. A place where you can see and classify them. Get rid of things you haven’t used for a long time
- Ask yourself: what brings me happiness? It is not worth taking up space in your house with things that are not useful, or that no longer represent a reason for happiness in your life. Be thankful for them and then place them in a bag to give away.
- Sort by categories. Avoid having books or clothes scattered around different places in your house. Choose a fixed spot in your house to keep each group of things such as your books, tools, photos, coats, etc. This way you will avoid wasting time looking for things in different places.
Organization tips
- Organize according to the frequency of use: Like this, you can optimize spaces depending on whether they are easy or difficult to reach.
- Use the category method: When organizing, the key is to keep order with categories, not locations.
- Folding method: This will help you store things vertically, which helps to take advantage of space and clearly see and distinguish clothes and everything else more easily.
The perfect atmosphere
Get rid of things that don’t work, mismatched objects or clothes, old-fashioned clothes… To know what to throw away, ask yourself if it sparks joy. If so, keep it, if not, throw it away.
This principle is not only the most simple but also the most accurate to judge. Before getting down to work, create a calm atmosphere, where you can evaluate the things that are part of your life. A good time to do this is early in the morning, as your mind is clear and relaxed. If you are hesitating to remove a certain item, stop and think about whether it has already fulfilled the mission for which you acquired it. If it really has already ‘lived’ beyond its purpose, it’s time to get rid of it.
Core principles
Store things with the utmost simplicity, ensuring that everything is at hand and has easy access;
Keep all similar objects in the same place and do not spread out the storage places.
Don’t just stack things; Take advantage of vertical storage with ceiling-high cabinets or shallow, high-height shelves.
Remember that to store things you do not need complicated or extravagant appliances.
