Marie Kondo’s new series “Tidying Up,” sheds a light on something that we’ve known all along: being organized creates not only physical space but mental space as well. Somehow, everything having a designated area makes us feel more in control of our lives and by extension, happier. It’s amazing that something as small as cleaning up could be the start of a calmer, more fulfilling life.
I was excited when I saw “Tidying Up,” come up in my Netflix queue. Firstly, I remembered her book “The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up,” and how popular it was. Secondly, I have an affinity for Japanese culture after living and working there for 3 years. Watching Marie brought feelings of nostalgia and intrigue as I watched her help each family in her charming and delicate way. After a few episodes, I looked on YouTube to learn her KonMari Method. I began folding my clothing into small rectangles and positioning them vertically in my dresser. It saved space, although it’s a bit more tedious than my normal folding method. I couldn’t argue with it’s accessibility and effectiveness because I could see every article of clothing and didn’t have to search for anything.
A study published by the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin used language analysis to measure how 60 women talked about their homes. Those who described their spaces as “cluttered,” were more likely to be depressed than those who described their homes as “restful.” The women with cluttered homes were shown to have a higher level of the stress hormone, cortisol.
At Princeton University, researchers found that clutter can make it difficult to focus on a particular task. It found that the visual cortex becomes overwhelmed by uneccesary objects, making it harder to focus on the task at hand.
There have been various studies proving that being clean and organized directly effects our quality of life. There are people who feel like being unorganized is apart of their personality and not a big deal. However, if you’re suffering from depression, anxiety or overwhelm, tidying up is a small sacrifice for finding peace. The worse that can happen is you’ll know exactly where to find your red blouse.