KonMari Insight Series Blog.

One of the most often asked question about KonMari tidying is “Do I really have to thank my stuff?”  “It’s silly ( or dumb, or embarrassing, or crazy).” “These things aren’t alive, they’re just objects.”  “It’s just going right into the trash!”  I know, it’s all just stuff, right?

No, actually, it’s not.

As frustrated as we are with all of the clutter, it pays to take the time to thank your belongings. You see, these things did not start out as discards.  You paid good money for them, or they were given as a gift, and you gave them value at one time.  They have lived with you for awhile. Just because you see no value in them now, doesn’t mean they didn’t have a purpose.

Here are 6 reasons to consider thanking your items:

• You have already given your belongings life. Every time you look at an item you own, you get a physical response. You may love it, hate it, feel guilty about having it, or dread it.  But every time you look at it, you react to it. In that way, it has become alive to you.

• Because you have a relationship with your belongings, when you decide to discard them, you are, in a sense, ending the relationship. Thanking the item, acknowledges it’s space in your life.

• As well, if you end a relationship without closing it, seeds of doubt form. “Did I do the right thing?” “Should I stay with it?”  “Maybe it can still work.”  Your choices become weak and you doubt the decisions you’ve made. You may end up keeping something you really don’t want, just because you  haven’t said goodbye.

• If you take the time to acknowledge  value in the item you are purging, about  it’s impact on your life, what you have learned, and so on, you can then put a period on the relationship. It’s final and it’s at an end.

• Going forward, any new purging choices will be easier.  Your new found confidence will help each future selection go faster. The more you say thanks and goodbye, the easier the decluttering will get.

• Saying thanks to your things promotes gratitude.  When you’re grateful, your heart opens up and wonderful things happen. You become more at peace. You see the possibilities, instead of the problems.  You have hope.

Hope, peace, possibilities and a clutter-free home; that’s a lot to get from just saying thanks.