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How Spring Cleaning can be good for your health and wellbeing.
Aug 12, 2021
There's no better feeling than the one that comes after decluttering and cleaning a home.
It's that time of the year again to start thinking about spring cleaning, which means some serious decluttering, reorganisation, scrubbing and polishing. Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that a good spring clean is a worthwhile exercise.
Need some inspiration?
Our all time favourite 'declutterer" Marie Kondo
is returning to Netflix 31st August with "Sparking Joy". Based on her best selling books and previous success with Netflix's hit show, "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo," Marie is back to tell us how to organise our homes and ultimately our lives. Enchanted with organising since her childhood, Marie began her tidying consultant business as a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo. Today, she is a renowned tidying expert helping people around the world to transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration.
The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go. People around the world have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking.
We've gathered information from Marie Kondo's website so you can organise and plan your Spring Clean the KonMarie Method™ Way. This is not just a "spring clean", according to her millions of fans, it's a way of life.
Why Tidy?
Tidying is a powerful tool, but it’s not the destination. The true goal of tidying is to clear away clutter so you can live the life you want. When you put your house in order using the KonMari Method™, you have no choice but to listen to your inner voice – because the question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. When you reassess your belongings and organise your home, you set the stage for a huge transformation. This is the magic of tidying!
Tidying Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
A key element of Marie’s philosophy is to tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little. Intermittent decluttering – donating old clothes every once in a while or cleaning out storage bins before a move – may result in brief moments of tranquility but the clutter will always come back.
A true, once-in-a-lifetime tidying festival can take several weeks, though it certainly doesn’t have to. Set aside space and time to do it properly; know that things may feel topsy-turvy in the process, but you’ll come out clearer on the other side.
Before You Begin
The first step in the KonMari Method™ is to imagine your ideal lifestyle. If you’re serious about tidying in a way that will change your life forever, this is the most important step – it cannot be skipped. Clarify why you want to tidy and what sort of life you want to lead when you’re done: What will your day look like? Who will you surround yourself with? What are your emotional and mental states? These are the sorts of questions to ponder at the beginning of a tidying festival.
Tidy by Category and Follow the Right Order
Tidy by category – not by location. Going from room to room makes it hard to truly comprehend what you own – and will inevitably lead to a rebound. The order in which you tidy is the secret sauce of Marie’s method. By starting with the easiest category, you hone your decision-making skills and clarify what sparks joy.
This is the order:
- Clothes
- Books
- Papers
- Komono (Miscellaneous items)
- Sentimental items
Gather all of your clothes, for example, from throughout the house – the hall closet, storage bins, underbed organisers, trunks, etc. – and make a huge pile. Once you have every item of clothing you own in one place, it’s time to dive into the nitty-gritty of tidying the KonMari way.
Focus on What to Keep
Marie’s tidying method is about choosing what to keep – not what to get rid of, and this is an important distinction from other techniques. Tidying is about looking forward, so devote your energy into choosing objects that spark joy for you. Here’s how:
Pick up each item one at a time.
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy – you should feel a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising.
- If it does, keep it!
- If it doesn’t, let it go with gratitude.
Using the order outlined above, follow these steps – and your intuition – until you’ve gone through all of your possessions, one category at a time.
Discard With Gratitude
Marie believes that tidying is a celebration, a special send-off for things that will be departing from the house. There’s an opportunity to learn from all the things in your life, including the ones that you discard. If you’re letting go of something you’ve used extensively, thank it for its service and for enhancing your life. If you’re letting go of a belonging you never used, it taught that you have no purpose for something like this in your life. Thinking deeply about each item you discard will affect how you live and acquire new things moving forward. They also might spark joy for someone else now – win win!
Give Everything a Home
Clutter is caused by a failure to put things back where they belong. The trick to never reverting to clutter after a tidying festival is to designate a place for each thing – a home for every single one of your items. But remember: Before even thinking about storage, it’s imperative that you finish discarding first!
Store similar items close together and keep storage solutions simple. If you’re not sure where to put something, remember this advice: When you’re choosing what to keep, ask your heart; when you’re choosing where to store something, ask your house!
People around the world have been drawn to Marie’s philosophy and the KonMari Method™ not only because they work, but also because of the importance placed on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking. Tidying is a powerful reset – your real life begins after putting your house in order.
Spring Cleaning makes you happy, reduces stress and helps you focus. It's a fact!
Taking the time to thoroughly clean and maintain a tidy home makes people happier, studies have shown. The act of cleaning provides a sense of satisfaction, which in turn can put you in a good mood. Cleaning and organising your personal spaces lets you enjoy a tidier and more organised environment and this can relieve stress. Levels of stress can also be reduced during the act itself as cleaning is considered to be therapeutic. Those who make a point of clearing out the clutter are able to free up the brain for more essential decision-making, according to a study carried out by the founder of America's Anxiety Disorder Centre. A thorough clean helps to clear your mind of things that need to be done around the house and makes it easier to focus on more important things... such as getting out exercising, meeting friends and family or even learning a new skill.
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