Marie Condo and her KonMari method of cleaning is big right now. What do you think of it? Do you have issues with clutter? I’m going to use her method to declutter my house and document my progress here.
Usually reality TV shows strike me as exploitative, stupid, and/or boring. So I was not expecting to get so involved in the new Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Condo. I’ve always struggled with cleaning and my own clutter makes me anxious and unhappy. What makes her method so appealing is her focus on the emotional aspects of tidying. Lots of people avoid it because it’s stressful, like I do. Marie Condo addresses this problem by physically holding each object and asking if it sparks joy. If it doesn’t, she thanks it for its service and throws it out or donates it. She developed this method before she noticed herself buying too much stuff to fill the emotional void left by efforts to declutter and throw out other stuff. I think her process is very smart. A lot of the people on the show clearly have deeper emotional issues that prevent them from managing their spaces well, and it seems like focusing on what makes you happy is a good way to address that.
Sadly I’ve seen a ton of backlash against Marie Condo on social media, mainly from people who are extremely threatened by the idea of owning less books. I will write a post about that later because excessive typing on my phone does not bring me joy.