Tidying up can change your life! At least this is the view held by the petite Japanese Marie Kondo, who is currently on everyone's lips with her tips and advice on tidying up and decluttering. That definitely doesn’t sound bad, does it? And even if the tidying up doesn't result in a 180-degree turnaround, a little less chaos in your four walls will at least make you feel a little more comfortable, right? We'll give you a brief overview of how Marie Kondo's method works and what you need to keep in mind.
Everything in order
The basic idea is to tackle your belongings in a very specific order. So you should first start with the things that are easier to clear out and gradually work your way to the things that are more difficult to separate from emotionally. And that's the procedure: clothes, books, documents and papers, "komono bits and pieces" (items that you can't properly identify, such as bathroom items and accessories) and at the very end, memorabilia such as photos or gifts. A very crucial feature is to proceed by category rather than by room. This means: When you look at your wardrobe in the bedroom, you also take the clothes you have stored in the basement or from the wardrobe at the same time.
Step by step to your happy place
Marie Kondo recommends first taking everything out of the cupboards and shelves and throwing it in a pile. This is the only way to become aware of everything that lies dormant in the depths of your furniture. Then it's time to get down to business: Each item is picked up individually. Whatever makes you feel good when you touch it can stay. In other words: Everything that doesn't make you happy has to go! The basic idea is to only surround yourself with things that bring you joy. Because that's the only way you can be happy yourself. In the next step, each item is assigned a fixed place where it is put away after use. This means that worn clothes either end up folded in the closet after use or end up in the laundry basket - and not, as is often the case, on some chair where they pile up for weeks. She has also developed helpful techniques for arranging your things neatly and clearly in your cupboards.