OUT WITH THE OLD: DECLUTTER YOUR SPACE THIS NEW YEARS
OUT WITH THE OLD: DECLUTTER YOUR SPACE THIS NEW YEARS
Minimalism and decluttering have been a hot topic in the last five years. Everyone’s rushing to throw out their junk and start fresh. So what better time to adopt this concept than during New Year’s? Cleaning up isn’t just about picking up your household cleaning products and scrubbing till everything is spotless. Tidying up requires long-term thinking, and involves prioritizing the right items in your living space. The key to decluttering your living space is by embracing the notion that less truly is more. But it's easy to just say “get rid of stuff you don’t need”. Putting the mantra into practice can get a bit tricky. Here’s a little guide from us at HerbsDaily to you on how to streamline your space…
You’re probably living under a rock if you haven't already heard this technique. Japanese organization extraordinaire Marie Kondo invented a revolutionary method for tidying up spaces. As a cleaning consultant, she told her clients to organize items category by category, rather than room by room. There are six basic rules for getting started:
- Commit yourself to tidying up. You’ll never get far in terms of cleaning up, if you don;t first find the motivation to see the project through to completion. Organizing and getting rid of things is a tedious but rewarding task. So make sure you commit yourself to the entire process.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle. It is vital that you are able to properly picturize the kind of life you want to live. This will help you develop the right framework for the kind of living space you want to create for yourself. Try inculcating sustainable practices like using organic cleaning products around the house.
- Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose in your life. Think about the memories you had with each item before bidding them one last farewell. It is an excellent exercise in gratitude, so that you can appreciate all the items you decided to keep.
- Tidy by category, not location. Most people attempt to organize their houses room by room, like starting from the living room, then the kitchen, and so on. However, this may give you an inaccurate gauge as to what or how much stuff you own. Marie Kondo suggests moving from category to category, like books, clothes, papers, etc.
- Follow the right order. In doing so, you will be able to start with the easiest category and hone the skill of decision-making. Below is the order of the 5 main categories through which to sort:
- Clothes
- Books
- Papers
- Komono (Miscellaneous items)
- Sentimental items
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy. The crux of Marie’s technique is choosing what to keep rather than what to get rid of. Tidying up requires devoting your energy into selecting objects that spark joy in your life. If they don't, then let them go with gratitude.
We hope these 6 steps help get you started on your journey towards a cluttered space and an organized life. To learn more, check out her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”.
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