A tidy house helps us preserve our precious mental and physical energy, reduces stress and makes us lose weight faster and keep it off longer.
Just kidding.
I find the first two to be true though, I have always become tense and distracted and irritated when a space in my home is cluttered with too much messy stuff that isn’t where it belongs. This is the also the reason Marie Kondo developed her method and it is life changing.
The KonMari Method has some pretty simple elements:
- Tidy Everywhere – Declutter Your Whole House
- Tidy By Category Not By Location – Gather Each Category Together
- Only Keep Items That Spark Joy – What Ever That Means To You
But what if…
YOUR WHOLE HOUSE IS MAKING YOU INSANE AND IT’S ALL TOO MUCH!
CATEGORIES?! I CAN’T SEE THE CARPET!
BUT… I LOVE AND NEED AND WANT EVERYTHING IN MY HOME! IT ALL SPARKS JOY!
If you are completely overwhelmed or you’ve tried to follow the KonMari method and gave up in a defeated, JUST BRING ME SOME WINE, heap – take it easy on yourself.
You don’t have to do it all in one go and you don’t have to spend whole days on it like they do in the TV show. You can follow the process at your own pace, make it work for you, make it manageable.
Emotional decluttering doesn’t work for everyone, maybe you find it exhausting, or silly, or unhelpful. There are many other decluttering systems, don’t beat yourself up about it, move on, try something else that suits you and your home.
If you are dealing with Epic Clutter you will need to decide what YOUR categories are. They are likely to be unique to you –
- Paper – Those drifts of junk mail, unimportant paperwork, receipts and kids art
- Fabric – Clean washing, dirty washing, day old clothes, washing that needs drying, crafty stuff and pet blankets
- Plastic – Broken toys, expensive toys, unloved toys, new toys, old toys, unopened toys
Make it work for you. And if the KonMari Method is still not right for you, there will be another way. Don’t give up!
The Silver Rule Of Clutter Control
If absolutely EVERYTHING in your home either brings you joy or you feel anxious at the thought of getting rid of it, take a moment to think about your priorities.
Why are you contemplating decluttering? Are you running out of room to live? Is your growing family struggling to find space? Are you becoming aware that your house is causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed? If there’s a reason you are thinking of decluttering – you probably need to.
Instead of using emotion to make decisions, which isn’t going to work for you, try using your goal as a starting point.
- Would you like to bring admiring guests into your spacious and clean home?
- Could your kids play better together if there was a clear space?
- Would it make you feel calmer if you had clean uncluttered surfaces in your kitchen?
- Would you love to be able to park your car in the garage so you don’t get wet in the rain?
Focus on your priority and work towards it, one space or category at a time. Assign a place for everything that you need to keep. Start by putting only the things you need and like into that space. When it’s reasonably full, anything that’s left over can be donated.
To maintain your clutter-free space try following The Golden Rule of clutter control, shop mindfully, and declutter regularly.
