17th August 2021 / Prue Fletcher: Can Organising Our Homes In Lockdown Really Help Us Cope?

As homes across the country double as offices, schools and group therapy rooms, we've brushed up on our knowledge in the decluttering space to help us find some clarity amongst the chaos.

Australians rate selling a home as one of the most challenging times in their lives, however we would also argue that sharing a space with loved ones for a continuous period of time whilst trying to work, home school or navigate toddler emotions is also high up there on the richter scale!

In a recent interview with AFR, celebrity tidying expert and New York Times bestselling author, Marie Kondo, presents a different perspective in that the pandemic is allowing us all an opportunity to push the reset button when it comes to how we really want to live our lives. "We're all mired in vague unarticulated anxiety right now," she says. "And tidying provides you with a strong foundation to ask questions of yourself: 'What's important to me right now? How do I really want to live?'".

Here we find positive ways to help 'clear thy space clear thy mind' :

Where Do I Start

The thought of 'where to start' is actually one of the main reasons why people never do. If you've let your space get slightly out of control, it can be a daunting process to begin.

Here you will find a Mindful Discarding Resource List to help you get moving. Ideas on how to :

— RESELL

— DONATE

— RECYCLE

Assign a Place for Everything

A key component of the KonMari method is to designate a place for everything. In Kondo's words, "Once this is done, tidying becomes a breeze". An example of how to do this would be ;

— Keep your mail in a basket

— Store bed linen in matching sets inside one of the pillow cases

— Use dividers in drawers such as stationery, cutlery

— Use tubs or baskets for kids toys

An added bonus with this is that it makes packing up at the end of the day really easy, allowing you extra time to do the things you really love to do.

Let the Indoors IN

As we bid farewell to Winter and prepare to welcome in some of that fresh Spring air, opening up your windows and doors will not only improve your air quality but also help elevate your mood, boosting Vitamin D absorption whilst promoting restful sleep. "Letting fresh air inside is one of the simplest ways we can purify our homes", Kondo says.

Find the JOY in Tidying

Keeping a tidy house with children is challenging at the best of times, but as we continue to find ourselves locked in our homes . . It's proving more and more difficult. Let it not be! Let it be fun! Model to your children that tidying and playing together go hand-in-hand. "A small trick is that I am always going about my tidying with a smile on my face. That's very infectious for my daughters", Kondo is often quoted as saying. Pop on a 'cleaning up' song, talk to them in a positive, happy way as you pop things where they belong during the day so they can begin to associate tidying up as a positive, everyday activity.

To help us find clarity, Kondo has just launched a 10-episode online course for $US39.99 ($56). It is a step by step guide where she shares with us her wisdom with everything from her folding techniques to storage solutions.

She also has a new Netflix series starting August 31, 'Sparking Joy'.