Has anyone else watched the series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix? It has truly been a game changer for me. I know what you’re thinking… what the “f” does this have to do with sobriety? Let me tell you. I drank in excess because I have high anxiety… part of my anxiety is from all of the clutter and mess that comes from managing a household with 3 human children, one giant dog child , a husband who hates laundry, and two19 year old exchange students- oh, and I work FT.
This show is based on Japanese principles and philosophies of organization, tidying, folding, and overall appreciation for your “things”. One of her lessons is: if it doesn’t bring you joy, why are you holding onto it?
Well, I went through my wardrobe to find garbage bags full of items that do not bring me joy. The art of folding clothes in her way is also highly therapeutic.
Can anyone relate?
I think that taking care of the space you live in increases happiness, and decreases anxiety. Now, only 3 more hours of folding…
I was watching that last night. I missed the part of how she folds shirts and stuff though.
I did google ways to fold socks for some of my socks. I’m not sure if I’ll do it all the time though.
I’m pretty good about going through clothes and getting rid of stuff I don’t like it wear each season. I’m a guy so I don’t have much anyway…but my wife needs to do it since her part of the closet is filled with clothes.
She actually tidies and organizes in 5 stages… I’m just at clothes now. Haven’t started: books, papers, komono (miscellaneous), and sentimentals. It’s amazing how much “stuff” we have in our house… like overwhelming. My favorite is that I had to pile it all up to acknowledge how much stuff I have, and then hold each item to show it gratitude. It’s actually a really beautiful process
Hey Allison, I’ve not seen this show but am familiar with the principle. For years I’ve been trying to reduce the sheer number of joyless things that take up space in our home. I always ask “does this bring me joy?” “Does it bring anyone in the home joy?” “Does it bring my dog joy?” Nope? Off to good will…definitely want to check this show out. Question though - what happens when your spouse finds joy in soooooooo many things that you just view as simple clutter!? That, my friend, is a never ending battle here…
It’s funny because the other person was previously me. Get her to watch the first episode, it’s life changing. The couple has two small children and they totally fight about the “stuff” throughout the process! I’m still learning to let go of things. Hoarding is a whole other addiction, and the amount of stuff I had was getting out of control!
I really like the principles behind it. I’m unlikely to clean exactly as she does, but there are good practices. Finding out what you truly value. Being mindful of what you do have. Treating what you have with respect. Gratitude even for things you are about to throw away. The concept of mottainai comes to mind for that last one. The word often gets translated lazily as “wasteful” but actually communicates respect/reverence for the preciousness of what is being lost or used up.
I stopped watching after a few episodes, but I enjoyed it a lot. I like how it changed people’s lives beyond simply a clean house, and I have a rather strong fondness for Japanese culture in general because elements of it are passed down in my family.
Thanks for the summary. If I were to get rid of everything that doesn’t bring me joy… I would live like a monk. BUT all my clothes and shoes bring me less anxiety knowing that but for good jeans and formal morning dress, I can be appropriately dressed for pretty much any occasion. Although I need more horse blanket jackets. Lol
Yessss!! I have been slowly going through my stuff over the last year in a haphazard manner. I am good at organizing, but approaching the process in the manner she does is helping me not become overwhelmed at the process and gives me a place to start and end. I live alone but have schlepped stuff my kids left behind when they moved out, things my deceased family have given me or that I haven’t thought to get rid of, all out of duty/guilt rather than because they bring joy. What a way to flip that burden on its head! Now that I’ve started folding like she does, I realize my drawers are going to look much emptier because I no longer am tossing the contents around to find things. It’s all so empowering. Especially for families who need to teach the value of appreciation to each family member, and spreading the burden around so that everyone feels and takes responsibility for their own belongings. Get your whole family involved!
I’m all for living a simpler and minimalist life…but I look around my house and think it would take too much work to get organized. I want someone else to take care of it for me.
I didn’t watch the show but I would murder them ahahahahahahha I hate mess and clutter and today I tidied up cause I haven’t had the time , as I am going directly from work to a meeting and it was driving me insane, couldn’t sleep well. But I think this is a leftover in my mind cause every time I came back from a long time destruction I would say never again and then I would make everything tidy …
Like now it’s for sure. Look how neat everything is.
Yeah … That didn’t work…
I watched it too and I completely agree with you!! It changed my life and helped me get through my first 15 days of sobriety! I highly recommend it to everyone.
See I’m stuck in a predicament where my clothes bring me a lot of joy, I pride myself in having a pretty good eye for fashion. However, I even started to collect a copious amount of designer jeans and shoes. I probably have 60+ pairs of shoes… 30 pairs of jeans etc. it’s forced me to really evaluate each piece. As for you, you probably like clothes and shoes, but don’t have a massive collection like me (the sheer amount of the collection is what gives me anxiety). The way that she folds and stores, you should me able to see each item without digging.
I’m an emotional packrat so that’s my hangup and I’m getting ready to inherit more from my grandmother as she wants to clean out her house this spring but I’m the only one that cares about the sentimental heirlooms and their history, so a lot of it she will only let it go to me. Which will be great timing because I’ll have room for it later this spring buttttt I probably should watch this before I go overboard lol! I also have a LOT of craft stuff but I use that. I’ve gotten rid of it before when I went over a year without using it and kicked myself in the ass when I had to buy it all again later, I go thru spurts and rotate projects a lot. But I only have 3 pairs of jeans and 6 pairs of shoes including my boots and flipflips lol. I added this to my watch list last week, maybe I’ll watch that while I paint today! Thanks for the topic!
This will be a good watch for me while I put some time in on the bike. Double my self care! Will be back with reflections, or will not come back and will be tossing the stuff
I watched two episodes. The first one and the one with the widow. What I noticed was how many days were going by during this process. Here I am thinking I’ll knock it out in an afternoon but they are taking weeks! I’ll have to keep watching when I work out and learn some more. I definitely went to Lowe’s and Homegoods today and bought boxes and storage bins
I do have another set of clothes I have put away thay are the next size down too but I’m not quite there yet so that’s tucked away under my bed in storage bins lol. I didn’t manage to watch it today but I will one of these days! I’ve been enjoying the quiet and no tv’s on today instead.
, a husband who hates laundry, and two19 year old exchange students- oh, and I work FT.
I’ve been enjoying the quiet and no tv’s on today instead.