Tidying Up is Self Care.

This article was originally written for Awake Ari Magazine, Fall 2019.

Picture this: It’s a Sunday afternoon. You just put down the book you’ve been devouring all morning. You gaze out the window and listen to the birds sing as they float through the crisp autumn air, the wind pulling leaves from the trees and whipping them into tiny tornados on the street below. You take a deep breath and turn your focus indoors, looking around your cozy apartment and realize….crap. This place is a mess.

You are not alone. We’ve all had that moment where we’ve asked ourselves how we’ve accumulated so. much. stuff. Many of us have so many material possessions that it becomes overwhelming to maintain them. Even if you’re not actively thinking about it, the feelings of clutter and chaos creep into your subconscious and add noise to your everyday life.

This is where Marie Kondo and her Life-changing Magic come in. If you haven’t read her book or binge-watched her Netflix series like I have, allow me to explain: Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant (and author, mother, and human personification of joy). Her book, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, outlines her specific method (called the Konmari Method) of decluttering. This method isn’t about throwing things away and organizing what’s left, it’s about taking an introspective journey to determine which material possessions bring you the most joy and treating them with respect and love. Here’s an outline of the process:

1. Declutter your things according to categories. Begin with clothes, then books, then papers, then komono (miscellaneous items) and lastly, sentimental items. It’s important to declutter in this order to avoid getting side-tracked by paperwork or sentimental items.
2. Only keep items that “spark joy.” According to Marie, the key to identifying items that spark joy is to analyze your body’s reaction when you hold an object. She says that joy feels “as if every cell of your body lifts up little by little.” For me, it’s the feeling of wearing my favorite dress or lighting a brand new candle. Keep these items, and get rid of the rest (within reason! Some items just serve a practical purpose and don’t need to spark joy. Don’t throw away your toothbrush because it doesn’t give you tingly feelings….you need that.)
3. Before donating, recycling, or throwing anything away, hold it close and say “thank you” for the ways it has served you. This part of the process can feel kind of silly at first, but it’s a great way to practice gratitude for the lifestyle you have and the small joys you experience every day.
4. Organize your space. Now that your discarded items have left the premises and you’re surrounded by items that bring you joy, it’s time to organize and store them in a loving way. Clothes are folded thoughtfully like origami, baskets, and bins are employed to keep small items organized, and your space is optimized for easy access to all of your things. Every item has a “home” and you can take a deep, cleansing breath because you’ve finally reached Decluttering Nirvana.
5. Maintain the practice of conscious, meditative tidying. In order to keep your space looking and feeling this joyful, make sure everything goes back to its home when you’re done using it. Practice loving your things. Cherish your clothes. Appreciate your kitchen tools. Heck, fall in love with your chapsticks and your salt and pepper shakers — I did!

The Konmari Method is all about finding small doses of joy every day. It’s an act of mindfulness and presence, in direct defiance of consumerist culture which tries to make us feel like we need more things instead of loving the things we already have. I look at my possessions in a whole new light now, and I happily spend my Sunday afternoons folding laundry (according to the Konmari folding rules) and tidying the kitchen. The formerly daunting task of tidying up has become an act of meditative self-care that truly brings me joy.