Learn what to keep and what to discard

KonMari, a tidying method developed in Japan, is helping people declutter their homes and hearts.

Marie Kondo has taken the world by storm by getting people to clean their houses and feel happy about it.

The Japanese tidying expert and organising consultant is now a brand, with bestselling books, an exclusive Netflix show and a lifestyle business— all based on the concept of decluttering and discarding things that ‘do not spark joy’.

Rashmi Swamy

Rashmi Swamy, freelance photographer, first heard about Marie Kondo in 2016, and gave her method a shot.

“I was quite enthusiastic when I started out. It took me a long time — my own room took about a month — but it’s easier now that everything has a place,” she says.

For Rashmi, the initial challenges were understanding what sparks joy and not discarding stuff for the sake of discarding.

“I needed to keep things that meant something and discard things that had served their purpose and were taking up space in my room and my life. It was also physically exhausting; I had to sift through years of things,” she recollects.

But true to Kondo’s promise, Rashmi felt lighter after she was done.

“Over time, I realised that I didn’t miss the things I threw out. Half the time, I didn’t know I had these things,” she says.

It is easier and faster to tidy up her room now since she knows where everything has to go.

Shruthi Gowda

“I was actually going through a bad phase when I started tidying up and the process helped me think clearer. It may have been a coincidence but I made much better connections after that,” she says.

The sentiment is echoed by Shruthi Gowda, who says she feels lighter after following Marie Kondo’s tips.

“I feel that nothing is weighing me down. Sometimes we tend to be emotional about our things and that might not help us if we are looking to make changes or move
forward. The KonMari method helps you organise your things but at the end of the day, you are organising your life,” she says.

Shruthi adds that she didn’t find it difficult to give away things because it helped her understand what she wanted in her life.

What does KonMari mean?

The KonMari method, which gets its name from Marie’s nickname, is about folding clothes with care. A vertical folding technique that makes it easy to spot items, it also ensures that clothes don’t get misplaced when you pull out something in a hurry. This neat method of organising works especially well in a dresser. However, this is just one of the many tips she offers to a clutter-free lifestyle.

Sensitive and empathetic

In her Netflix show, Marie has won praise for her sensitive approach to things people have collected over the years. She doesn’t treat everything as junk and is instead respectful of people’s belongings and the reasons they keep them.

Marie Kondo’s six rules for tidying

- Commit yourself to tidying up.

- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.

- Finish discarding first.

- Tidy by category, not location.

- Follow the right order.

- Ask yourself if an object sparks joy.