Declutter your life
It’s very easy to find our enthusiasm for acquiring things getting out of hand, says Louise Richardson
In an increasingly loud and fastpaced world, our homes are supposed to be our sanctuaries; a place of uniquely private peace and relaxation. But with an ever-increasing array of mass-manufactured goods on the market, at incredibly low prices, at least in relative terms, it’s very easy to find our enthusiasm for acquiring things getting out of hand.
Often our cupboards, living rooms and benchtops are filled with stuff that looks attractive but that doesn’t fulfil any particular purpose.
Obsessive hoarding is a recognised mental health issue, and most of us really don’t fit that criteria — despite what friends, family and partners might say in jest — and yet, it’s still very possible to fill up a home with goods you don’t need, then find it incredibly hard to let them go.
Knowing that getting our lives and possessions into some kind of realistic perspective can be a challenge, minimalist-culture gurus such as Marie Kondo, who has singlehandedly launched a whole new ethos for home owners with her ground-breaking ‘KonMari’ downsizing method.
She was even listed as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2015.
Her approach is simple, starting with the need to embrace minimalism as a refreshing solution to the complications of our daily lives: making changes that enhance and enrich our everyday experience.
Her KonMari Method involves just a few simple steps, starting with firmly committing yourself to ‘tidying up’. Next, she asks that you imagine your ideal lifestyle, in terms of an environment that feels peaceful, with everything in its place, and only the bare minimum of possessions. The first physical step is to discard things, putting like-with-like together in one place in order to decide what goes and what stays.
So, in other words, gather absolutely all of your clothes, all of your books, all of your shoes, and so on. Then, actually hold or touch every item, one by one, and ask yourself if it brings you joy. And if it does — then keep it. The KonMari method isn’t just about discarding things. It also helps people organise their environments, in order to make finding things simple. Kondi even has a special method for folding your remaining clothes, after the big purge. It’s designed to make diving into overcrowded cupboards and drawers in search of something to wear, a thing of the past.
Like Japan’s Kondo, Scandinavian author Margareta Magnusson has realised that having loads of possessions can really weigh a person, couple or family down and her book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
, which isn’t as spooky as it sounds, has become a phenomenon, advocating a plan which may take a bit longer than the KonMari method, but is well-suited to people in their middle years — especially in the sense that it should save loved ones left behind from having to undertake difficult property cleanses themselves. She acknowledges that we are living longer so she suggests that we shed our worldly goods thoughtfully and regularly as we pass through the later stages of life. And it’s not only typical household possessions, but also paperwork and even digital information.
It is always distressing for families to lose a loved one so realising that they cannot access important aspects of a person’s online life, including social
...hold or touch every item, one by one, and ask yourself if it brings you joy. And if it does – then keep it
media accounts and vital passwords is an added burden. Magnusson advises followers to prepare a document with password information, in advance, and make sure family members know where to find it.
Natalie Jane of Be Organised, in Auckland, has always been an organiser herself.
“When I was a little girl, I used to line my dolls up in neat rows and every Sunday I would tidy my room and polish my silver spoon collection,” she says.
Jane knows that she’s in a position of responsibility when clients invite her into their homes.
“It’s a very personal, intimate thing, showing a stranger what’s inside your drawers and cupboards, so I take my role in helping them declutter or downsize, then reorganise, very seriously.
“I don’t tell people what to do, instead, I coach and guide them in a sensitive and respectful way according to their own needs and wants.
“The bigger the mess, the more excited I get.”
Jane says that paperwork often features in terms of tidying.
“It’s a really big thing and if you don’t get on top of it, it can become overwhelming.”
She says that even if they can’t bring themselves to throw out guarantees, bank statements and other paper paraphernalia, she helps clients get it to a point where they can handle it.
She says that the best part of her work is seeing how good people feel when the job is done.
“It’s always so rewarding to watch their relief and satisfaction!”