Half of 2019 is already over, people! Where have you reached with your resolutions and action plans? You may not have achieved it all, but even if you have taken a step in the right direction, it’s a good start. Now is the time to take stock of your thoughts and plans, figure out where you are standing as of today and plan out the path for the rest of the year (at least). Basically, now is the time to (re)organise your life—emotionally, physically and materialistically.
Here, we shall deal with the easiest one—materialistic organising. This is nothing but some heavy-duty decluttering and cleansing of the home and hearth. Boring? Yes. Bugging? Yes indeed. But check out your social media. It’s all awash with cleaning influencers giving out gyan on how to go through dust and clutter step by tidier step. Even Netflix has a series on cleaning up! Well, we are certainly swept off our feet with the jubilance, but here’s a gem that we found from all the stuff that online: Marie Kondo’s KonMari method. Here’s a look.
The ‘joyful’ step
According to the KonMari method, the best way to get rid of stuff is to figure out if it sparks joy in your life anymore. If not, throw it out. You might feel a little hesitant. After all, you did spend good money on it. But then ask yourself, “Did it bring me joy at any point of time?” If your answer is yes, then that item has served its purpose. And you need not feel guilty about getting rid of it.
Getting down to the basics, according to the KonMari method, you need to first go through your home section by section—clothing, books, paper, kitchen, bathroom, garage and miscellaneous and last, sentimental items. So, scour your cupboards and shelves and storage spaces. Identify stuff that you haven’t used for the past six months or more. What you may realise at this point is that you would have completely forgotten that you even own these items. Well, the stark reality is that you are probably not going to use this product ever again.
Once you have identified and collected all the ‘stuff’, move to the next vital step. Pick up one item and ask yourself the crucial question: Does it spark joy in me? You know the answer, if it doesn’t bring you joy anymore, it has to go.
The ‘healthy’ twist
Now for the healthy twist in the cleaning game: don’t just throw it away, donate it. Find a charity or NGO that will take your old clothes. You can even ask your house help if they would like to take the clothes. For household products that have been lying around unused, ask friends if they would like to have it. Not only does this help declutter the house, it is also expected to have a deeper psychological bearing on your mind. A clean and tidy space or home, studies show, brings about clearer thought processes, increased confidence and abilities. All you need now is to become more aware, change your attitude and realise that cleaning can be fun. For more motivation, keep reminding yourself of this trending adage: a clean space is better for your mental health.