If you’re anything like us, you started the year hooked on Marie Kondo’s every word as you watched her transform spaces (and lives!) on her Netflix show, Tidying Up. But Kondo is an old hand at the organisation game, giving out her own brand of tidying advice since the release of her book - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up - in 2011.
Kondo’s method revolves around decluttering your items by holding each one and asking yourself, “does this spark joy?” It pays off - there’s a proven link between organising your home, and feeling less stressed overall.
If you’re wanting to give your bedroom the full Marie Kondo treatment, here are some tips to have the organised bedroom of your dreams.
Start with small actions
Have you ever had to stop what you’re doing at work, needing to organise your desk in order to think straight? The same goes for a cluttered room - a messy space can lead to feelings of stress that you may not even be aware of.
Start small each day by making your bed - 71% of people who straighten their sheets each morning describe themselves as happy, while 62% of bed-making shirkers admit to being unhappy. Changing your sheets regularly is also good for your mental wellbeing, while ensuring you don’t get a buildup of any unwanted bacteria and germs. Try lacing your wash with scents, or light a candle to amplify the fresh clean feeling.
If you find yourself constantly battling a floordrobe, try to spend 60 seconds putting things away each time you enter your room. Spending just a minute keeping on top of your belongings won’t seem like an insurmountable task, but over time will help you keep your room looking tidy.
Tackle your wardrobe
Once your clothes have been put away, it’s time to tackle them next. As we touched on before, clothing should spark joy to justify keeping it. If you don’t get some kind of positive reaction when touching an item of clothing, consider donating it to someone who may give it a new life.
For the clothes you are keeping, one of Kondo’s tips is to arrange them by colour! Sure, it may take a while to set up this rainbow wardrobe the first time - but her thinking is that the beautiful display will motivate you to keep your wardrobe organised, and may spread to other areas of your room, too.
If you’re feeling particularly game, Kondo also has her own folding method; believing items can be stored more efficiently when they’re standing up vertically instead of lying horizontally. Save a Saturday for this one - it’s harder than it looks!
Make your bedroom a retreat
Now that your room is organised and decluttered, it’s time to make it a space you can unplug and recharge in. Kondo recommends making your room feel as much like a dayspa as possible - so think dimmed lights, relaxing scents, ambient sounds and comfy surfaces. This isn’t an excuse to go crazy stocking up on new bedroom goodies, though - remember, everything in your bedroom should spark a sense of joy!
Another element of wellbeing Kondo believes in is gratitude - a huge part of her KonMari philosophy. At the start of each episode of Tidying Up, you’ll see Kondo sit down to greet and thank the home before transforming it. It may not be the most conventional thing to do, but try to be more mindful of what your bedroom does for your wellbeing; and be grateful that you have such a cosy and organised space to come home to each day.
