I was listening to a podcast on Dutch habits to simplify your life. Which made me wonder: what are some culturally distinct ways, beliefs and habits from your area and/or heritage that are practiced for a simpler and happier life?

I've had my beautiful Konmari tidying festival, discarded so much and ended up with so much knowledge about myself. And after a couple years, I suddenly got annoyed with my clothes and decided to go through my closet once again.

I made the pile and only put the things back I really like, things I would never toss unless it would break. I ended up with like 20 items.

I put everything I felt ambivalent about up on the attic and thought, well, if this is only what I like, let's see how long I can go without missing something. And it turns out, quite long. (I had one dance workshop at work and didn't have something in my closet to dance in because I don't dance, but had something in the attic that would work.)

I looked at my clothes and realised I always liked to look nice, mainly because the way others perceive me. I liked it when I looked cute, because I thought "other people think I look cute". And I don't care that much about others anymore now that I grew older and my life is more stabilised.

I don't think I really understand how looking nice just for yourself works. If I want to make myself happy, I wear pajamas.

So now I look at this closet with 20 items in it that make me happy, mainly because they're comfortable. After wearing special outstanding clothes for years, I ended up with quite a boring closet. I like to wear jeans, shirts and sweaters with comfortable sneakers. (Although most sweaters and shirts do have a fun print).

And to be honest, I think I am okay with this. Which is so weird, especially when I look at this pile of ambivalent clothes.

So yeah, this was just me mumbling about my relationship with clothes. Maybe more will come, would love to hear what this story sparks in you.

I have several items of unworn items of clothing from the company I work for. I want to donate them. Normally, I would wash everything before donating, but in this case I'm not sure if that best. would it be better to donate with the tags on or to remove the tags and wash them?

Vent

A couple of years ago I decluttered all of my sparkly hair bows after an incident where I was accused of using a fake id. The store owner made a big scene about me buying alcohol. I was in my mid 20s but wearing a giant sparkly hair bow. I felt that this accessory was part of the reason the store owner did not believe my id was real, and in response I got rid of all the sparkly bows.

I know I can re-buy them but I feel that I own too much already. Some were gifts that I had received and those I feel the worst about decluttering.

I feel like I might be doing this process incorrectly (I'm honestly doing my best) but I want to know I'm not alone on this sort of occurrence...

I've had a SHINee merch bag since I was 16. There's a lot of fan merch I've collected over the years, but this was one of my first purchases... And thus has a sentimental place in my heart that no other bag I own does.

In 2021 when I did my first KonMari, I found my misprinted "SHIHee" ring and burst out laughing. I held onto it for many years because it was just so funny that I paid that much money for something misprinted. It sparked joy, but a momentary joy, not a permanent joy. I thanked the ring for its memories, let it go, and now every so often chuckle at it on my Instagram.

But my bag. 12 years later, it's shown its age. The zipper is entirely busted and because it's a PVC material, it got straight-stitch sewn but also glued into the plastic. I'm unable to perform any repairs. Can't be donated, can't be used, and it sits there in my closet doing nothing except reminding me of its existence (and my guilt of keeping it.)

But oh boy. It's hard. I admit, I cried so much holding this bag. There weren't sparks of joy, rather, the melancholy you feel when holding said sentimental items that you will eventually let go of. (Of which none I regret, I haven't wished for them back, it just HURT to do this part.)

Because I did my Actual KonMari years ago, I've been able to do mini-sweeps over the last few years and implement the technique with finesse. I know what I'm doing, and I can do it far better than I did back then. My life is tidier, organised, decluttered, and I surround myself now with items that bring me peace and joy. I understood the assignment: it's not about getting rid of things, it's about making your home a place of contentment.

So I know deep down I have to get rid of it, there's just a 16 year old girl in my heart that's crying buckets she has to in the first place. Not every object lasts forever. You can't hold onto the past forever. That's what the emotions are for me: holding on and not changing, even though the bag deteriorated and changed.

We often think to ourselves, "throw it away" if it can't be donated or recycled. What we might miss, for the creative souls, is how we can repurpose the object into sentimental art. You will make it spark joy by bringing life back to the lifeless.

I'm going to do this with my horse riding helmet, as I found out it's past expiry date. But it was my first ever riding helmet, and I hold so many lovely memories of riding horses now departed from this earth. I'll strip the insides, drill a few drainage holes, and I have a new plant holder. Getting to water a living, breathing being in an object that can't be used but holds immense sentimental value, will spark joy in an entirely new way.

So for my bag, I'm going to cut off the diamond logo that has the members of SHINee's names on it. (Including Jonghyun, who departed from this world in 2017.) The rest of the bag will be thrown away, as local council laws say it's Waste bin. The logo will be given a reinforced backing, a keychain loop through it, and then it'll become a bag charm to hang off of the bags I do use. (Bag charms are currently On Trend, but I don't want to buy into it and create more fast fashion waste in this world.)

What better way to make an unusable sentimental item spark joy than repurposing it to find a new way of existing in your life?

If you've reached the end, I hope I inspire you to consider your sentimental items in a different light. Not everything has to be fully decluttered, but maybe reused in a way that couldn't be used before. If it didn't spark joy when you held it, could it spark joy in another form?
And if you can make it spark joy again, you've done exactly what you're supposed to ♥

When folding in half, she says to leave a gap. Why?

Are one of these the reasons?

1. When rolling/folding thirds, the inner layer doesn't get pushed out. But, I think there is much more gap than needed for this reason.

https://preview.redd.it/fng6kwpwla0e1.png?width=1479&format=png&auto=webp&s=c448731e2b6eb891b594f562ca0fab94dc035d96

2. When folding thirds, the the overall thickness is "constant"? There are "6 layers" of fabric in the middle.

There are only "5 layers" of fabric near the edge, but since it is folded near the edge, the "5 layers" is the same thickness as the middle "6 layers"

https://preview.redd.it/rj531me1ma0e1.png?width=1479&format=png&auto=webp&s=b95416744a7c8945e3bb3b4759d7a836e88e19ef

I have a lot of office decor and tchotchkes that I actually like but since I was let go and spent over a decade there, they make me feel icky. But then I look at some things and think, this is really nice and wasn't cheap and I genuinely like it! Any suggestions for helping me spark NEW joy with these things that are still dear to me despite me feeling very sour about my experience at the job?

Pull everything out, putting it into catagories as you do. You can see how many tees or jeans or long-sleeved buttonups you have at a glance and it's easier to get rid of unjoyful jeans when you have ten others. Much better than my previous system, which was grabbing a random armful all mixed up with tops and bottoms.

Hello everyone,

I have a lot of pictures & general memorabilia that I want to store because keeping it in my house is too emotionally triggering, but the thought of getting rid of it is equally upsetting. Also there are other people in my life who would be hurt if I tried getting rid of it any of it, at least not right now. It's personal journals, letters, kids drawings, photos, etc. not large physical objects.

A storage unit seems a bit overkill, is there alternative places to store things like this?

I right now have it in a back closet, but even that feels too much, it makes that part of my house feel kind of sad and haunted (metaphorically).

If I have to get a storage unit, I guess I could put more things in there, but I have heard that they are a money pit and the raise the price for the unit as time goes on. Is there some kind of in-between?

I’ve been on a journey recently on bettering myself and getting rid of things that no longer hold value.

The only issue?

I struggle with getting rid of photos. I have at the moment 20k photos and videos on my phone and I just don’t know what I should keep, etc.

So I did my major, life-changing decluttering a few years ago, and since then it’s just been the occasional upkeep, maybe every six months or so. One issue I frequently run into is with clothes, and only with clothes (which is where most of my mess lies). I’m an only child, and even though I’m an adult, my parents still love getting me the occasional shirt, jacket, etc. Sometimes, they’re amazing—my mom got me an outfit a month ago that I absolutely adore and plan on keeping for a very long time. Sometimes, it’s a funny t-shirt my dad got off of Amazon—I still find use for them, they’re funny and comfortable, and I needed some tops to lounge around it anyway.

And other times they’re….eh. I am usually good about telling them what to return, but sometimes they look so happy I can’t get myself to say it. So it ends up in the deep, dark, depths of my drawer, or awkwardly hanging in my closet. It is so hard for me to get rid of them. I want to, so badly, but I remember how happy and excited they were, and a few were expensive. For me, it’s a representation of the fact that people love and care about me when I’ve had more than a few bad days. I also know they’d be sad if they found out I’d donated those items.

I also have clothes I personally adored when I got them (I got a few after my first Konmari session). I no longer feel that way, but I feel a sense of guilt toward my past self, if that makes any sense at all.

Does anyone have any tips as to how I should get past this roadblock? I know Marie says to express gratitude and toss them, but it’s much harder said than done.

Edit: Spelling

I have a bunch of clearview Sterilite boxes. The labels I've been using are not adhesive enough: they stick to the box for a while, and after a few days (and if lucky months) they don't stick anymore. Any recommendation for cheap and good labels for these sort of boxes? The boxes will be stored in the attic (high temperature variance) and garage (higher humidity).

I'd rather not use these label printers (I don't want to buy yet another piece of equipment).

I've been slowly working my way through KonMari and have been working on komono. Today I got through most of my figures and collectible toys, and I know that I would get so much more joy out of my really prized items if they were on display instead of in a storage box under my bed. But I'm allergic to dust and can't afford nice display cabinets/cases right now to help mitigate the buildup (and I'm not sure where I'd put them if I could!). They're back in the box for now for safe keeping, but I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions?

P.S. I do dust regularly and we have an air filter.

I know it’s stupid but my favorite sweater got a bleach stain and I genuinely felt like crying.

I think I’ll try to embroider over the stains and use it as home sweater. I know marie kondo is against delegating clothes to “home clothes” but idc. I like the stuff I badly embroider even if I’m too embarrassed to wear it outside.

in a way i'm kinda both. I splurge on nicer quality things I know I will love. I buy less junk or disposal/temporary items.

I was having difficulty determining whether something really sparked joy or not because I have depression and, well, not a lot sparks joy. But I realized I clench my jaw when I come across something that is emotionally complicated and likely something I should discard. I was wondering if anyone else had tips like this for people who are doing this process with clinical depression.

I'm going through a house move and could use any advice for sentimental items.

My name is Erin, I'm 23 y.o., and I've just begun my KonMari journey. I am a trans woman, and am having an exceptionally difficult time going through a lot of my belongings from before my transition.

Funnily enough, i found discarding unwanted clothes to be easy, but the situation with books has proven itself to be much more challenging. I keep on finding old textbooks or notes from the previous era in my life. Very few of them spark joy within me today, but I know there was a point in my life where I clung so desperately to such things in order to give myself a sense of stability in a time where it felt like every waking moment was consumed by emotional chaos. These books have been sitting at the bottom of my bookshelf, untouched for years, because I could not bring myself to make a decision on whether I wanted to keep them or not.

Today I finally pulled the trigger and set aside the books that do not spark joy, even if I have complicated emotions about them. There is a part of me that is relieved, but there is also another, almost louder part of me that is incredibly sad to see them go. The rest of my day has been pretty gloomy because of it.

All of this has led me to almost rethink the decision to get rid of them, even though I know they do not spark joy. Is it normal to have a mourning period like this, or should the process be easier than what I'm making it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

So, I live in a rental apartament and I have a high closet with no shelves. I really don't know how to organize it and how to use that space efficiently. Obviously, I can't add shelves or anything that could do damage to the closet. Any ideas?

Thankies.

Hi. We have these deep shelves in a new wardrobe for our 11 year old. We need to maximise the space but it also needs be practical for a not especially tidy child. Any ideas very welcome. Thanks

These always seem to get separated in the laundry and then a mess when they’re in a drawer, even if initially they were placed together.

Since I was a child I shared clothes with my mum and I still do as an adult since we're about a similar height.

So the lines of what belongs to me and what is hers are blurry and she might not wear something that she bought but I still feel like I shouldnt throw it away even though only I wore it for years. It slowly became mine so I feel responsible but also not like I have the right to decide.

Since she grew up very poor and has a scarcity mindset she will keep anything even if it's completely torn apart and wear it at home. But Marie Kondo said that even at home you should wear clothes that feel good and I don't wanna burden my mum with clothes she never missed or clothes that simply look bad. Marie Kondo also had a chapter on not telling your parents but I still feel incredibly bad because I know my mum will keep anything even if it's just collecting dust.

Also she keeps buying duplicates to hoard them and I have a collection of unopened leggins that don't suit my tastes anymore. And I have to keep ugly clothes that I don't want wear at all or don't fit because they were gifts from relatives or expensive etc. I feel like this relationship to clothes is unhealthy.

Also I always had my clothes in my parents bedroom since they have two big closets and my clothes are completely split up. Most are in their room and only a few ones in my room. I dont have space for a closet because I have to store a living room cabinet in my room after moving places and there is nowhere to put it in the living room and my dad is also the type to keep stuff because he feels too bad to throw it away, even furniture.

This is all really messy I've realised and I have to go against my parents to make it out. Maybe create a whole new wardrobe and break the bank.

Do you have any tips or experiences?

I have inherited a deceased friend's physical belongings and don't know what to do with it all, nor do I need most of it personally. If I don't take it, his family will throw it all away since they don't know what to do with it but they're giving it to me to do whatever with as long as I can clear the space for them and set up the funeral process. I have set up the funeral and space for burial service while reaching a great amount from gofundme donation and need a bit more to cover the costs.

I was thinking of first offering items to closest friends of the deceased person before putting the rest for auction. We are very fortunate to have a large local group of close to semi-close friends we all saw frequently, almost weekly for friend gatherings, food outings, social events, music festivals, etc. After closest friends of the deceased person claim items to remember them by I think the next step would be to sell the rest or donate. I would love to keep it all but its too much for me, maybe auctioning off some stuff once I feel it is okay to part with. I notice many donate items or trash in these situations but trashing isn't a preferred option for me. Any advice is greatly appreciated since this is all new to me. I will update post with more details if needed depending on if comments question something I missed.

I have two keyboards and a melodica- I presume you should simply go by touching them rather than playing them to decide if they should be kept but I’d just like clarification…

I’m new to the KonMari method of have a question about the functional category.

I’m struggling with the ‘does it spark joy’ prompt. For example, I’m looking at my entertaining space. In that I have drinks, glasses, etc. and for this example drinking straws.

Drinking straws are never going to spark joy. They’re practical and come in packs of like 100. Why would I throw out straws when I’m inevitably going to need one the next time I entertain?

Am I overthinking this?

I have always had a lot of bad habits, like eating poorly or not exercising. I realized today that konmari is one of the few things that has stuck as a permanent habit - I always fold all of my clothes now, for example. It got me thinking of if there is a way to extend this method to other parts of my life? I think it has something to do with respecting yourself and putting in effort for yourself but I can't make the connection. Wondering if anyone has suggestions.

Hi,

I am tidying my new room up following the konmari method. I have moved to a new place and am sharing, so the process can only focus on my room.

I am sorting through my clothes and I have realised that there is nothing I want to keep, with the exception of an apron, a shirt and one pajama.

It is a somewhat intense moment: looking at all my clothes lying on my bed, I see that almost all of them are gifts. I have kept them because it felt wasteful to add new stuff to what I have, and yet I feel like this is a lense through which I now see my life too. So much of the stuff I do feels like I am preserving something that I didn't actively pick.

I don't know what to make of this, but it certainly is quite intense.