It may only be March, but so far if I had to pick a phrase that seems to be everywhere this year it’s “Spark Joy”. Whether we’re encouraging ourselves to find the things that bring us joy, reminding each other to be someone else’s joy, or- more commonly- discussing whether the items in our lives spark joy for us, this year has been all about finding joy and I am here for it.
The reason, of course, for this sudden obsession with “Sparking Joy” is the KonMari method, the decluttering method used by organization expert Marie Kondo. The show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” dropped just in time for New Year’s Resolutions and even now, a couple of months later, I have been seeing lots of people still touting the benefits of their own KonMari journey.
Of course one clear benefit of decluttering your home using the KonMari method is having less stuff- but it can go beyond that in unexpected ways. Below are some ways that I {or friends of mine} have been surprised by the benefits of taking the time to declutter, specifically using the KonMari method.
Cleaning the House Takes Less Time
There’s a reason that there’s a saying that if you have less stuff, you will have less stuff to clean! This just makes sense and it goes beyond just picking up stray items after a day of use. There will be less laundry to wash, less books to dust, and less items to move out of the way every time you need to dust a shelf or vacuum the floor.
In addition to decluttering, the KonMari method encourages each item to have a “home”. When everything has a place, it’s a lot easier to avoid making piles and filling drawers. It also makes picking up at the end of the day a snap- everything just goes back “home”!Y
You May Save Money
After going through the Konmari method, we found a lot of useful items that had been buried in all our stuff, which meant we didn’t need to buy them again.
We also found that when you live in a home full of items that spark joy, you suddenly start to need and want less. Every time we saw an ad for something or saw a cute sign at Target, we weren’t so tempted by it anymore. Especially since that meant I’d have to find a home for it, and take care of it, and eventually get rid of it as well.
You’ll Enjoy What You Have More
When you have less stuff, it makes it a lot easier to take care of what you have. When you have a home full of items that spark joy, you want to take care of those items. They bring you joy, after all, so you don’t want to lose them. This mindset shift means that you are more careful with the things you own.
Once you’ve made more space for the items that truly mean a lot to you, you may even choose to display them in a nice way. Maybe those movie ticket stubs from when you were dating your husband can make their way into a shadow box. Maybe you can get a beautiful trunk to fill with momentos from your child’s first year. However you choose to enjoy your things, you can do so a lot more easily when there’s more room for them.
You Can Help Those in Need
I posted on Instagram stories when I went through my closet- my shirts and jeans alone resulted in four giant, overstuffed garbage bags filled with clothing I no longer wanted. I already planned to donate them to someone in need, but a friend messaged me and told me that she works for a charity that helps women in shelters get back on their feet by providing them with the essentials, like clothing. I will be happily giving my old clothes to her {the ones in good condition, of course!} so that she can pass them along to someone who will get better use from them.
As you can see, the Konmari method brings so much more to your home than just joy! I hope that by following this method, you are able to find so much more than a clutter-free home for you and your family.
Have you tried the KonMari method? Has it made an impact on your daily life?
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