I love Peter Walsh’s book ‘Does this clutter make my butt look fat?’. I’ve read it a few times and listened to the audiobook many times. He said that in his years as a professional declutterer he came across many instances of people losing weight once they had decluttered their home. (I see he has a new book out too which looks great and gets good reviews 'Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight').
I can definitely see how this would be true. There is a definite difference in the way I feel when I've decluttered an area or a room. I don’t feel so bogged down, and this lighter feeling carries over into other areas of my life as well. I used to feel like a failure if I had to declutter again, because I thought I’d done it once. It was only when I realised that organising and simplifying is simply good personal hygiene much like brushing your teeth or taking a shower which you do on a regular basis that I felt better about it.
Sure you may do a big declutter like Marie Kondo says is all you need, but I do believe there is maintenance, because there is always a flow in and out of our home. And more than anything else, our home is a reflection of what’s going on inside of us.
If home feels messy and like you’re wading through things with cluttery corners everywhere you turn, how can you have clear thinking? When I think ‘I’m too busy to straighten out this room, I’ll do these other things first’ I invariably find I take more time than I might have because I can’t think straight.
I’m not following Marie Kondo’s category list to the T, but I am going through our home by category which is what she recommends. First was books, and I donated those this week. Then I started on my closet with my knicker drawer. Before, I just threw my undies in the drawer in a higgledy fashion and as a result was wearing the same ones over and over simply because they were on the top. I'd organise the drawer sometimes, but mostly it went back to the way it was. So I tipped out the whole drawer (it’s not very big) and then folded them KonMari-style. I only got rid of one pair which had fringey elastic (not in a designer way) because I’d had a big clean-up late last year and bought some new pairs too.
This photo may be too much for a blog, but how pretty do all my folded knickers look? I also did my singlet/tank top/camisole drawer. I love them all so I just refolded and stacked KonMari-style as well. My bras were also good, they had been sorted out when I did my knickers. Socks, I donated a few pairs and arranged the rest.
So all my small drawers are done and I’m ready to move onto my three large drawers. I haven’t organised them in so long – maybe six months? – that all my summer clothes are mixed up with my winter woollies, and home clothes and out clothes are mixed up to. I’m sure it won’t take long, maybe an hour or two, but oh, it will be so satisfying…
Are you sifting through your home decluttering and simplifying like I am? Do you feel slimmer/lighter when you have decluttered?
