If you haven't heard of the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, or the Netflix series that sprung from it, well you're about to! Here is the KonMari philosophy in a nutshell:
The KonMari Method™
01 Commit yourself to tidying up
02 Imagine your ideal life
03 Finish letting go first
04 Tidy by category, not location
05 Follow the right order
06 Ask yourself if it sparks joy
But what does the magic of tidying up have to do with the 2-week period between trying for a pregnancy and testing for one? Well, as it turns out, implementing the KonMari method is so intense that it should keep you busy during every single one of the 20,160 minutes of your wait (minus eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, of course 😀)!
Here are 10 tips to follow....and don't forget to take before and after pictures!
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
1. Organize your stuff by category (not location).
According to Marie Kondo, there are only four groups, with a few subcategories:
A. Clothing
B. Books
C. Paper
D. Komono (Kitchen, Bathroom, Garage, and Miscellanous)
2. Make piles
That's right. Go ahead and make mountains of your crap. One mountain per category. Toss shoes in a big stinky pile, clothing in another, kitchen utensils in another, etc. Stand back and marvel at the amount of junk you've managed to accumulate.
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash
3. Have a one-on-one conversation with each treasure in your pile and prepare to take no prisoners.
I imagine your discussion would go something like this.
Oh lovely whisk, you have served me well. You have whipped up delicious omelets and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I thank you. I beg forgiveness for the mashed potato incident. Alas. your broken wires no longer spark joy so I bid thee adieu, fine friend.
Considering that most us of have a gazillion kitchen gadgets, closets overflowing with clothes, and garages packed with holiday decor, this process has some serious time-killing potential.
4. Give every item a home.
You must find a place for everything you decide to keep. Contrary to popular practice, clothing does not belong on the chair next to your closet, nor should batteries commingle with Expo markers and earbuds (just as an example).
Photo by Fischer Twins on Unsplash
5. Store items based on how often they are used.
For example, wine and chocolate belong within arms reach in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, family room, and office (obviously). Lesser used items, such as that veggie spiralizer you ordered from the Home Shopping Network can be stored up high where you can forget about it until you move to a new home.
6. Use clear boxes for storage.
See through boxes will allow you to see your crap without having to take the lid off. This tip alone begets hours of shopping. For a time-sucking challenge, treasure hunt your way through garage sales and consignment shops in search of said boxes.
Photo by Ryan Christodoulou on Unsplash
7. Organize items by size.
I have no idea how to apply this principle. You'll have to troll Netflix and fill me in.
8. Fold and store vertically.
According to Marie Kondo, the first step here is to "feel your clothing item and communicate your affection through your palms", which might explain the sad state of the clothes in my drawers. Clearly they are offended by the lack of quality time I've devoted to them. Anyway, some experience folding fancy napkins might come in handy here. You'll want to set your ornamentally-folded t-shirts around the dining table once you've finished and host a tea party.
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
9. Store sentimental items in a box that sparks joy.
This one is simple. Beautiful memories deserve to be wrapped in beauty. That top-10 medal you won at the Chicago 5K? The fancy handkerchief from your grandma? The flute you proudly played that reminds you of the unfettered days before infertility came knocking? Invest in a fancy home for these items that will make you smile each time you look at it.
10. Pitch any item that evokes negative feelings.
Actually, the 2-week wait is a great time to take inventory of the the negative detritus gathering sneakily in the corners. Do you have an outfit that reminds you of the night of your miscarriage? How about a pair of pants that stopped fitting three treatments ago? Or even a friend whose insensitivity you've tried to look past? If keeping things/people around costs you your peace of mind, it really might be time. as Marie says, to give thanks and let it go.
Until next time!
Your infertility cheerleader,
Sarah 📣