What is the KonMari Method™?
The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items),and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.
If you are experiencing anxiety or depression about your space, this method will be one to help you. I have had chronic depression since I was 9 (I am 30 now) and the KonMari method has changed my life. The entire goal is not about “getting a clean house,” “putting things in boxes,” or even “sparking joy,” it’s about imagining your life and fufilling your vision.
If you’re like me and suffering chronic depression, it can be hard to see past today– much less envision a life you want to live. KonMari really teaches you to embrace what makes you happy and create your life around that. She doesn’t want you to have a goal of “just a clean house,” she wants you to envision even the smallest things pertaining to your life.
For example: After much planning and thinking about little things that would make me happy: I came to the conclusion that a “drop zone,” a place to drop your items when you enter your house, is what could bring me a little joy. A place for your keys, backpack or purse, sunglasses, wallet, etc., as soon as you walk in. That’s what I focused on creating, and now it’s a nice system I can rely on when things go haywire.
Another example: I’m a plus sized girl with size 22 pants. Those pants are not easy to fold and even harder to make space for. With the help of the KonMari method, I am now able to have room in my pants drawer and have everything stacked back-to-back and nice-and-neat. This makes me feel like I’m shopping for an outfit everytime I open my drawers!
***Books featured in this post are not promoted, but merely opinion based.
Marie Kondo (KonMari Method) Book
The life-changing magic of tidying up – the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing
This is the first book I recommend reading in the Marie Kondo line of literature.
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home–and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
Found on Amazon.
Envision Your Dream Life – Even if you can’t afford it.
Before you start tidying, you need to envision the life you want. If you don’t, then you won’t know how to fill your space with things that make you joyful. Close your eyes and take a moment. If you are a writer or artist, it may be time to put pen to paper and write or draw your vision. Imagine what you want your life to be or what brings you joy. Is it the color pink? A color coded closet? A more femenine lifestyle with purses and heels? A more comfortable lifestyle with sneakers and sweatpants? What brings you joy?
The best question is to ask yourself “What do I enjoy and how can I incorporate that into my life?” If you are like me and there are times where you do not know what brings you joy– don’t fret. When your mental health is better in a few days, try to imagine a life you want to live and how tidying your space and getting rid of junk items will help you acheive it.
Welcome Change Into Your Home
When you are about to start a large project that will change the way your home looks forever, it is smart to welcome change into your home. Sitting in your favorite room and talking aloud or saying in unison with your family “Welcome Change Into Our Home!” is something less extreme than the prayer that Marie Kondo starts with. Do what feels right welcoming your home into this new change.
Start With Your Clothes
Clothes are typically the least sentimental items in your house, but they are physically close to you and on your skin daily. Pile all of your clothes in a single pile– I mean all of them– closet, baskets, dressers, hanging on chairs– and find one or two items that bring you joy. Use those two items of joy to guage your joy as you pick up your clothes one by one. Discard any that don’t bring you joy by making a donating pile. However– things like work clothes may not bring us joy, but we certainly still need to keep those in our closet. Be practical.
The Folding Method
The KonMari folding method is wonderful because it takes even the largest plus size clothes and turns them into little pockets of fabric for easy storage or travel. You are able to see all your clothes in one place!
Tidying Books & Papers
After your clothes, the next thing to handle is all your papers and books. Keep only the books that bring you joy, and the papers below:
- Papers that are currently in use (papers for current projects, bills that need to be paid, items that need to be signed and returned, etc.)
- Papers that are needed for a limited time (warranties, policies, tax forms, etc.)
- And papers that need to be kept indefinitely (social security cards, birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, etc.)
Komono – Small Everyday Items
All of the small items listed below; gather the items in a pile and begin to sort what brings you joy and what doesn’t. Organize them using bins, shoeboxes, etc.
- DVDs & CDs
- Skincare products
- Makeup
- Accessories
- Valuables
- Electrical Equipment
- Household Equipment
- Household supplies
- Kitchen goods
- Other
A more extensive guide on Komono here: “KOMONO – Decluttering ALL. THE. STUFF. KonMari Style” by jaimelesh
The Guilt of Letting Go – Decluttering Your Sentimental Items
Sentimental Items are sometimes right in front of us or stowed away in a box under the bed. It’s important to keep items that mean a lot to you; however, there are times when these items may no longer have the same weight they held for you in the past.
For Example: I had a wood box that my first ex-boyfriend had painted for me. I kept it for years, until I found it during my decluttering phase. I decided after years of witholding it, that this no longer brought my joy now that I was married. It was time to let that item go.
“Treat yo’ self” is more self-soothing than it is self-care; consider this journey into the KonMari method a form of self-care. It will take more than one day to fix and you’ll be tidying for a lifetime– so why not make it more enjoyable for yourself?
Additional KonMarie Method Books
Spark Joy – An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to usingher acclaimed KonMari Method to create a joy-filled home that works the way you need it to.
Spark Joy features step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. Kondo also answers frequently asked questions, such as whether to keep “necessary” items that may not bring you joy. With guidance on specific categories including kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, hobby goods, digital photos, and even building your own personal “power spot” in your home, this comprehensive companion is sure to spark joy in anyone who wants to simplify their life.
Joy At Work – Organizing Your Professional Life
The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being.
There is another way. In Joy at Work, bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters.
Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.
Hilary Underwood 