Is your home a mess. Does it seem like you just have too much stuff that doesn't has a purpose anymore? Do you often lose items in your home? Then the Konmari method is the way to go!
During my week off I found this series on Netflix called Tidying up with Marie Kondo. She is the bestselling author and famous tidying up expert who wrote "The life changing magic of tidying up".
In this series she explains the Konmari method, where she divides everything in 5 categories that you have to tackle chronologically during the tidying process. By following these categories you will make the cleaning process a lot easier.
With this method you will not tackle one room at a time but one category at a time. The categories go as following: clothing, books, paper, komono and sentimental items.
Before starting Marie always takes the time to thank the house. Thank your house for putting a roof over your head, protecting you, creating a home and tell that you are going to start the process of tidying. Then it's time to tackle the first category!
CLOTHES
Clear out your closet and throw al your clothes on a big pile (on your bed for example). This will really put in perspective how many items you have. It may seem overwhelming when you put everything in a pile, but it will get easier. You just have to trust the process.
The next step is to pick an item that sparks joy for you, an item that you would really like to keep and put it back in your closet. When you get to a clothing item that doesn't spark joy anymore say thank you to the item and put it on the side. Do this until you have no items left.
Marie also uses a specific folding method for items that you put in drawers or baskets. This video will show you how to do it.
BOOKS & PAPERS
For books and papers it is the same process, except for the folding part! I chose to keep books that are close to my hart or contain info about my field of study and will be handy later on. Next, it's time to get rid of the hundreds of papers that are lying around the house. Just keep the important ones and put them in a folder or a box. For example, throw out the messy notes you took during class but keep your summary's organized in a folder.
"It's important that all your items have a home, so you can always put it in the same spot and you know where to find it."
KOMONO
The fourth category consists of: kitchen, bathroom, garage and everything miscellaneous. This is a big category to tackle, but they are also the areas with the most clutter. So take everything out of you drawers and cabinets again and throw away the items that don't spark joy or you don't need anymore. Because let's be honest, how many body washes can a person need?
When putting everything back put items with the same utilities and/or size (e.g. height) together and always make sure that you can see everything when opening your drawers. Don't pile things up! Simply stack one in front of the other.
"By using boxes in your cabinets or drawers it's easier to compartmentalize them."
SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
The last category can be a little trickier, since it's harder to get rid of sentimental items. But you have to keep in mind that objects don't contain the memories that you have. So ask yourself do I really need this item of does it spark joy? For example, get rid of old birthday cards or pictures that are really similar (just pick the best one) and put these in an album or stack them behind one another in a box.
"This method focuses on putting stuff away vertically instead of horizontally."
The tidying up process isn't just about decluttering your home, but it's also about giving everything a right place, about creating a peaceful environment, a place that makes you happy. This way you will become closer to the life you want to live. Because if something doesn't make you happy, why would you keep it?