Your cupboards are too full and everything is jumbled together in your drawers? That’s a sign that the contents need to be sorted out and organized! However, it can sometimes be difficult to choose which room in the house to start with and, most importantly, how to do it! Discover the main principles of the KonMari method proposed by Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo, which will help you unclutter your home more easily.
Set a date and a goal
As it is easy to postpone such housework (we always have something more interesting to do!), decide on a few time slots that will be dedicated solely to this sorting out project. However, keep in mind that the sooner you complete this task, the easier and more motivating it will be to do so. Therefore, choose times that are as close to one another as possible in order to complete this project on the date you have previously set. Before you start, try to assess your needs in order to visualize the lifestyle you want. This will give you a better idea of what you should and should not keep.
Sort by item category and not by room
Our first reflex is very often to do our sorting out room by room. However, Marie Kondo suggests that we do it by category instead. In fact, even if we have it in mind to sort through our clothes by attacking our bedroom, we all have clothes in the hallway closet or in storage boxes in the basement, or in the garage as well! It is therefore wise to group everything together, so that you can see all that you have. To do this, Marie Kondo proposes 5 categories: clothes, books, documents and papers, komonos (everything that is jumbled together: small miscellaneous items, such as those in the kitchen, toys, electronic items, DVDs and decorative objects) and sentimental objects.
Keep only what brings you joy
Once your objects are grouped together, ask yourself if they bring you joy and make you happy. For clothes, there is no need to keep the ones you no longer wear or that you bought only for their low price. The idea is to keep only what you really need now, and not in anticipation of future weight loss or thinking that the garment will come back in style. Even if you paid a big price for an item, if you no longer use it, it is not worth storing it. For each item you want to get rid of, take a moment to thank it for its services, then place your items in five piles: those that can be repaired, those that you will sell, those that will go in the garbage, those that you want to give to an organization, such as Entraide diabétique, and those that you will offer to your loved ones.
Fold your clothes and store small objects in open boxes
For the clothes you want to keep, fold them into a small rectangle and place them vertically rather than flat. This will allow you to maximize space, while keeping everything you own in view. Your busy mornings will be made easier by this unique folding technique! Group small objects in open boxes, so you can see their contents quickly. To do this, use square baskets or shoe boxes or other cardboard boxes. The idea is to see—at a glance—everything you own, while avoiding stacking objects. This way, you will be more likely to use what you have kept.
In a simple way, the method proposed by Marie Kondo allows us to get to the essentials. To learn more, read her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or watch the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. For anything you want to get rid of, don’t hesitate to contact Entraide diabétique du Québec in order to arrange for a home pick-up, or simply drop off your items in one of our many donation bins. Sorting out and tidying up will have never been easier!
