If you haven’t been gripped to TV watching the new Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, you have probably heard friends or family talking about it. So why all the buzz about the “KonMari method” of folding? While it may sound a little faddish, it certainly is founded on practical wisdom that has solid research behind it.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Having been at home for the past few months, I can completely understand that when the house is cluttered, with toys everywhere and a constant pile of ‘things’ on the kitchen bench, it really impacts my mood. This seemingly insurmountable collection of things didn’t matter so much when I was home less often.

There’s some good evidence (see references below) to show that when we have a negative perception of the space around us, eg when we feel our house/room is cluttered/messy/disorganised, our cortisol levels go up. The effect is more pronounced in women than in men.

This increase in cortisol gives a sense of stress, anxiety and can even contribute to depression. The more time we spend in this environment, the more stressed, anxious or depressed we can become. To make things worse, when we live in a cluttered environment we are more likely to procrastinate!

So what can we do about it?

The first thing to try is to change the way we talk about our house/room. Remember ‘clutter’ is in the eye of the beholder. A study of 30 families in California, USA found the correlation between the way a person spoke about their house, the language used, and the increase in cortisol. By changing our language to be more positive this can give an initial boost.

Start with one space. The KonMari method starts with piling all the clothes in one space and sorting them out, then moving on to books, kitchen cupboards etc. This may seem out of reach for some. Pick a room you spend a lot of time in, then pick one spot in that room and sort, tidy and clean that one space. Just having a small space you can keep tidy and focus on can make a big difference and give you the energy to tackle the rest of that room.

The benefits

Researchers have found that the act of tidying up can increase self-efficacy, which is a motivational boost we get from completing a task. As mentioned above, it can also reduce stress - particularly for women. Lastly, it can help us appreciate and uncover what we really value and need in our homes. This in turn helps our energy and mood.

It won’t happen overnight….

Well, you know how the saying goes! It will happen over time. It is supposed to be a methodical process that engages you in thinking about what you value and need and also what you no longer value or need. It is not meant to be done in a hurry. I know for myself, it took a week to clean up my children’s play area - to sort the toys, and find and put together new storage. It took another 10 days or so just to go through the walk-in robe! I still have a whole house to finish, but just by making a start I feel much lighter and energised to do more!

Need more help?

If you’re finding things are generally getting you down, or you have low motivation and are not even sure where to start, see your preferred health care practitioner. Just talking to someone can help, and your naturopath, nutritionist, acupuncturist or other health practitioner can work with you to put together a holistic short and long term plan, supporting you to achieve your health goals.

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Further information:

Ferrari & Roster (2017). Delaying Disposing: Examining the Relationship between Procrastination and Clutter across Generations. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-017-9679-4 Saxbe & Repetti (2010). No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol. DOI: 10.1177/0146167209352864 Saxbe & Repetti (2010). For Better or Worse? Coregulation of Couples’ Cortisol Levels and Mood States. DOI: 10.1037/a0016959

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