How to Tame the Chaos and Clutter in Your Home
Feeling the spring cleaning bug and cabin fever? I know that everything is changing right now, but staying home doesn’t mean you should neglect the space around you.
I just recently got rid of a lot of clutter in my own home and wanted to share my experience with others. With my recent move, things had to change. I didn’t want to bring all of the clutter and mess with me from my old home. As the Events & Rentals Coordinator for Porter County Parks, I know how important it is to feel relaxed and content with the space around you. Recently, I was extremely inspired by the show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” and I watched the first five episodes before I convinced myself that I also needed to see if the things I had been accumulating “sparked joy” in my life.
As I was in the process of moving into my new home, I wanted to make some changes. Here’s my experience of decluttering and creating a sense of peace and organization in my home.
I used the KonMari Method while going through my home before packing it away to move:
Commit yourself to tidying up.
Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
Tidy by category, not location.
Clothes
Books
Papers
Komono (a.k.a. Miscellaneous Items)
Sentimental Items
Follow the right order.
Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
As I went through the steps first starting with all of my clothes in a big pile, I realized I had absolutely way too much going on. It has been a goal of mine in 2020 to start compiling a capsule wardrobe. This article talks about how most of us only wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. After going through this step, I noticed that was true for me too.
The most interesting step was to thank each item first before getting rid of it. If you have watched Marie Kondo’s show she explains why you should do this in depth. For me, I have a huge problem letting go of pieces of clothing because some of them have sentimental value or I think, “Maybe I’ll wear it again someday.” That’s what I would tell myself when I tried to go through my clothes.
However, saying “Thank you” to each piece that didn’t spark joy as it left my hands and my life was incredibly empowering. I no longer had an excuse to hold on to the piece of clothing. It was now going to be donated so someone else could have the same feelings that I had while wearing it and they could get joy out of this item the same way I did.
This is an ongoing everyday process. Yes, I am slowly but surely moving into my new space with less and less, but I am more conscientious about what I bring into my home. I highly encourage you to go watch the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and try to apply these steps to your life. It has certainly given me a new perspective.