Marie Kondo is an expert on tidying. Her Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, took the world by storm by introducing the idea that we should eliminate things from our homes that do not “spark joy.” Her distinctive method of decluttering or tidying up is called the KonMari Method TM.
While sometimes we all wish we could have Marie Kondo come into our homes to help us clear out the clutter in our bedrooms, there’s no reason you have to wait on her arrival. You can clear the clutter from your bedroom by using these Marie Kondo inspired tips for decluttering instead.
Begin by Greeting Your Room
Gratitude is one of the essential elements of Marie Kondo’s unique method for decluttering your home, room, and life. Thank the space for what it has offered you over the years before breaking it down to build it up again. Use this opportunity to visualize how you want your room to be when all is done. Focus on how clean and orderly it will be as well as how much joy it will provide when finished.
Tidy by Category Instead of Location
The KonMari Method focuses on tidying one category at a time. In the bedroom it might look something like this:
- Clothing
- Books
- Papers
- Miscellaneous
- Sentimental Items
She recommends in all her clearing that you hold each item for an instant to see if it “sparks joy” in your heart, and then to thank the items you will not be keeping, while neatly replacing those you will. People love this method because it is mindful rather than impulsive, and ensures that the possessions you keep are more meaningful.
Working in this order, from clothing down to the sentimental items, helps you see bigger results faster. Clothing is usually the largest clutter causer in a bedroom, followed by books, eternal stacks of paper, etc. etc. With each new accomplished category, you will discover more space in your room, and greater joy in your surroundings.
Make Your Bed
In fact, to get the full benefit of an orderly room, making your bed needs to be one of the first clutter-cutting actions you take each day. Without this one key action, your bedroom will continue to feel untidy and disorganized.
Don’t think a clutter-free bedroom matters all that much?
Think again. According to U.S. News and World Report, the amount of clutter in your room indicates your risk for a sleep disorder. If you have large volumes of clutter in your room, the risk is greater than if you have relatively little.
When Decluttering, Discard then Organize at the Same Time
The KonMari Method also includes a very specific method for folding clothing that keeps them neat and tidy while organizing them. As you’re sorting and discarding, go ahead and fold your clothing, so it is easy to organize. This makes it possible for you to cover the same ground multiple times while organizing.
Getting in a habit of organizing in one-shot allows you to accomplish so much more, visually, within your space, giving you that sense of pride that comes with clearing out large amounts of clutter from the start without dreading the act of organizing, and putting things away at a later date. It’s done. Getting in a habit of completing the task when clearing out clutter will change your life, and help you avoid becoming overwhelmed by clutter in the future.
Change How You View the Discarding Process
Some people have a difficult time letting go of things. They’ve created emotional attachments to possessions. But not all emotional attachments are related to positive emotions. That is why Marie Kondo recommends holding an item before deciding whether to keep it or discard it, and seeing if it sparks joy.
The idea is that you’re not getting rid of things simply to clear out space. You’re not discarding for the sake of discarding. Instead, you’re focusing on keeping things that “spark joy.” The process is completely different, mentally and emotionally, while the differences appear subtle on the surface because you are clearing out a lot of clutter and baggage in your bedroom through the process. You’re making room for the things that bring you greater joy.
Hopefully, your discarded items will have a new life to bring joy to someone else. The other aspect of this phase is that you must learn to be honest with yourself about the things that bring joy. It’s a good idea to make a pact with yourself to determine if items that look attractive at first glance in the store are also items that spark joy, before buying them. It’s a safeguard against creating more clutter in the future.
Eliminate Discarded Items Before Storing Items
This allows you to see all the items you plan to keep together in one space before attempting to store them. Only by doing this can you fully determine the right space in which to store the items you plan to keep – the ones that bring you greater joy.
Latex for Less understands that clearing out the clutter in your room helps you breathe easier in your living space, and also helps you to sleep easier. We want you to have your best night’s sleep yet. Contact us today to learn more about our 100 percent natural latex mattresses that are good for your space, your health, and the quality of sleep you get night after night. Plus, our small box shipping doesn’t leave you with even more clutter to clear out of your bedroom.
