The manufacturing process of goods has changed over time, primarily after the industrial revolution, the event responsible for the production line that completely transformed industry production. Fabrication was now in greater scale and faster than it used to, as time went by the amount of existing brands increased tremendously, and so their competition.
Before the twentieth century, consumerism, the "situation in which too much attention is given to buying and owning things" was not a problem to consider, all industries would produce only to stand up for demand and people would buy to fulfill their needs. Then, companies started investing in marketing to sell goods that would please the public, in order to trigger an impulse to purchase.
Home decluttering have become a must nowadays, consumerism has become a way of living for the western hemisphere mainly because people are influenced subconsciously to buy, doing it out of their emotions, instead of need. Piles of stuff inside modern homes seem to be uncontrollable, leading to a desperate call for a quick and easy solution.
Index
Decluttering ABC
What is decluttering, after all? According to the online Oxford Dictionary, this term corresponds to "the activity of removing things you do not need from a place, in order to make it more pleasant and more useful".
Home organization activities promoted by professionals, such as personal organizers, incorporate clutter removal as a part of their process, in which there is a choice of emotional and physical disconnection between owner and things. Accomplishing such activity permits the advancement into the next steps towards a clean and organized home.
What Science Says about Messiness
Research has proven that living in a crowded, chaotic space can have serious negative effects on human health. A study conducted by Catherine Roster, showed that "clutter had a negative impact on self-reported well-being and a 'strong negative impact on feelings of security, safety and other positive emotional benefits derived from a sense of psychological home,' a term that refers to the concept of 'home' as a 'vital source of meaning, belonging, and identity.'"; wrote Chloe Reichel on her article "Cutting through the clutter: What research says about tidying up".
The real technique
KonMari Approach
When writing about this subject, it is mandatory to highlight Marie Kondo's approach on tidying up, a popular method called KonMari spread widely after her Netflix series "Tidying Up" and book release "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up".
According to the KonMari approach:
You should keep the objects that spark joy:
It is a method focused on keeping what is more important to you as a person, instead of choosing what you could throw away.
Category intended:
Organization is addressed by type, not location as other techniques. You start working on clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items and, at last, sentimental items.
Despite her great knowledge and fame concerning home organization, Mari Kondo's declutter method can be hard to follow. On Chloe Rachel's article mentioned on the previous topic, a research conducted by Hsin-Hsuan Meg Lee, found that it was hard for participants to attribute any connection with objects by thanking for their service during the act of letting items go, or to determine if an object sparks joy in order to keep it.
A huge factor that should be taken into consideration, is the fact that most shopping is done by impulse during the unconscious pursuit of real happiness. Even though there can be an emotional attachment to certain possessions due to their relation with certain past events or dear people, objects often are bought in the attempt of coping with inner emptiness, difficult life situations, problems, stress or even trauma.
If we look at compulsive buyers, their act is a result of inner emptiness or self soothing, however there is no emotional attachment to objects, in most cases; shopping by itself is their reward. Although there are instances of strong emotional connection to objects, such as in the case of hoarders, who seek a sense of security and control over their lives, it does not correspond to the overall picture.
Tidy Secretly's method
The first step for home organization is to declutter, without it is impossible to make an assessment of what you really own, how you could organize it all, and if it will ever "reclutter" (which is very likely).
Below, we give you a few steps on how to cut clutter from your home for good.
Step-by-step process
Start by thinking which rooms are the most cluttered, they will be your priority. By doing it this way, you will be motivated to go all the way through.
On this stage, sort one category at the time such as clothes, electronics, books, etc.
Let items with unsure destinies for last, this way you can be a lot more productive quicker. A box can be a great place to separate these pieces for later review.
Use the "one in, one out" rule, for every thing you acquire, remove an equivalent one from your home. It prevents clutter from building up.
Store items less frequently used in a separate storage in order to dedicate space to frequent pieces.
Donate things you no longer use or need. Help somebody else!
Opt for containers and baskets for your home organization. You can even repurpose old storage containers that cannot be sold or donated for a more sustainable living.
After your first serious decluttering operation, it should become a regular practice in your organization routine, you will notice the difference in your home as it stays clutter-free and organized over time.
Organizing your space can be a challenge, to declutter it is only a step for a beautifully arranged home. Consumerism, the main culprit of untidiness, is a quite recent phenomenon, that led companies to sell and retain more returning customers.
A few things that should be attained: getting free of clutter is essential for human wellbeing, science proves its bad consequences for mental health; multiple methods and techniques exist out there, you should choose the best one for you, happy tidy up!
If you liked this article, share it and follow us on social media.
Sources:
Comments