First off, I would like to start by saying that we are all living in difficult circumstances. There is a pandemic sweeping the entire globe, and we’ve been asked to "socially distance" ourselves from the rest of society.
Fun!... If you couldn't tell, I was sarcastic.
Anyways, I was about to leave for Okinawa, Japan, to visit my family when I started to realize how serious COVID-19 had gotten all around the world. My mom called me in a panic two days before my flight and told me that I should go to the store to buy masks. She wanted to make sure that I protect myself and others in a highly populated place like the airport. That was right before the cities and airports turned into ghost towns, and we were still able to sit down to eat in a restaurant.
I spent three weeks on the island of Okinawa, and the vibe was completely different than the ones in mainland Japan. It felt like corona wasn't even on the minds of the islanders, and I was able to experience some great times with my loving family.
With that being said, I was still struggling to be present in each moment. I was surrounded by some of the best beaches in the world but was letting my anxiety win. I wasn't happy with myself because I was getting over relationship trauma. We all have gone through a period in time where we lose hope in people. Well, that was me. I was having trouble sleeping one night, deep in my thoughts, and I decided I needed to make a change. At the moment is when I decided to try the KonMari Method.
"What is the KonMari Method?"
In short, this method focuses on cleaning by category rather than area. The categories are Clothes, Books, Paper, and Komono (miscellaneous) in that order.
Clothes
You must put all of your clothes in one big pile. It is essential to tackle clothes first because that may take you the longest. Ultimately, clothes are the way we express ourselves, so only you will know what to keep and get rid of, so focus on your own whether you live by yourself or with a family. Once you finish the first step, you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Books
Gather all of your books and only keep ones that you LOVE. You might come across fascinating books that you read halfway and forgotten. If the book didn't get read, there must be a reason why. Donate it. Maybe it will spark enough joy in someone who will actually finish it. I also was guilty of keeping a book or two on my shelf just as home decor as a flex. Donate that too.
Paper
For some, this might be one of the most tedious parts if you haven't already gone green! Folders are essential when it comes to storage. Also, try and recycle the papers that you may end up throwing away.
Komono (Miscellaneous):
The biggest game-changer is using boxes to separate your items. A key point while going through all of these categories is that you must only keep things that "spark joy" when you hold it. It is suggested you hold each item one by one, and if it doesn't give that amazing feeling we will all feel once this virus is in control, then odds are, you should NOT keep it. There are delicate items that you may have a hard time letting go with but always start with the easiest items first and the hard sentimental items last.
Marie Kondo
This "tidying" method was created by a 35-year-old Japanese woman named Marie Kondo. She is most famously known for writing the book, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up. Her book has made it on the New York Times bestsellers list, and with the success of her book, came her Netflix special called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. In this series, she goes to different American homes and guilds them through the KonMari method. It's clear she loves to tidy, and it brings her joy to help transform a home while also spreading her love. You will be amazed at how different everyone's energy changes after completing her method. This Netflix special pulled my heartstrings a bit because she truly brings the beauty of her Japanese culture to everything that she does. I even heard a rumor that she is currently filming another series, but instead of homes, she takes on a whole community. She is an angel. Not much detail on that yet, but and I am sure everything is delayed, due to COVID-19.
If you are interested in watching me go through the process, check out my video on Youtube: