Conquer Your Clutter Anxiety Without Going Marie Kondo Crazy

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

Just as I finally learned to embrace the heaps of paperwork my husband piles on our kitchen counter and island, the tornado of clothing and sports equipment our messy teen leaves around the house, and the mountain of toddler toys accumulating on my living room floor (thanks Grandma!), Marie Kondo had to pop up on Netflix with her cute little voice and tidying skills to KonMari the world with organizational splendor.

If you’ve been lost in Uranus, the KonMari method is a way of simplifying and organizing your humble abode by getting rid of physical items that do not bring joy into your life. This system came to light by organizing consultant Marie Kondo and is described thoughtfully in her best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

KonMari teaches you to ask yourself one simple question when you go about cleaning up your home. Of each item in your home ask, does it spark joy? If not, get rid of it. It sounds easy, but, most of us have some sort of sentimental attachment to most of our belongings. Like, baby onesies and that killer cocktail dress you rocked pre-baby that now makes your figure look like a popped can of buttermilk biscuits.

It is for this very reason, Kondo has a recommended order in which you should tidy up.

1. Clothes
2. Books
3. Papers
4. Komono (miscellaneous stuff)
5. Sentimental

I didn’t want to watch the show, read the book, or have anything to do with organizational effectiveness because clutter and I finally have reached a place of understanding. I will relax on the clutter and the messes my husband and children make in exchange for my sanity and keeping a happy home.

Happy home meaning less fights with my husband about where the heck I put the pile of papers that was sitting on our island for months, no more attitude from my stepson about where his phone charger, jacket, and headphones are, and less care about the myriad items that create little valleys and hills on what seems like every open space of the house.

Believe me, I’d much rather have that simple minimalistic home that you see in lifestyle magazines. The home with oversized blank rooms donning clean-lined furniture and random pieces of arts and woven mats strategically placed to please the eye. I’m assuming those homes have no children running amok and must have a basement or huge garage to store their crap in. Let’s not forget the most important, a minimalist partner who supports the idea of “less is more.”

I lived a Marie Kondo approved life pre-marriage and pre-children, but now it’s not worth fighting the battle. I’ll continue to sort and donate Violet and I’s clothes and books, maybe toss an old memento or two. But, attempt to tidy up my husband and stepson’s gidgets, gadgets, and clothing? Nah, I’d rather stay married.

I’m not saying that I don’t organize our space somewhat. Living with three messy peeps, bins and containers are my savior for organizing just about every room and they make for quick clean-up.

Here are my go-to devices for concealing the clutter that accumulates around the house.

For hiding toys (and diapers, etc.) in the living room, go for a structured fabric or thatched plastic bin that matches with your house décor.

Buy on Amazon

For art supplies, buy a clear shoe-boxed size bin that you can put on a shelf and still see what is inside.

Buy on Amazon

For your junk drawer, use squared-off bins in a variety of sizes to help you make the most of every nook and cranny.

Buy on Amazon

For your bedroom closet, choose a breathable container so your clothes, scarves, and belts can stay crisp and fresh smelling.

Buy on Amazon

For your piles of aging creams, dry shampoo, lotions, and other miscellaneous toiletries use a behind the door storage device to hide your smorgasbord of products and save space in cozy bathrooms with limited counter space.

Buy on Amazon

For the car keys, wallets, loose change, and trinkets, look for a funky flower pot (or several) to hide the man clutter while adding a burst of colorful flair.

Buy on Amazon

For the pile of shoes at the door, use a beautiful storage box that doubles as a spot to sit and take off your shoes. You conceal the mess and jazz up your entryway at the same time.

Buy on Amazon

Don’t think clutter is a big deal?

A Cornell University study found that individuals living in messy, chaotic environments eat more junk food. Yikes. Another study by Princeton Neuroscience Institute uncovered that in disorganized spaces people are more stressed, distracted, thus, less productive.

Still not convinced?

Clutter also raises levels of stress hormones in mothers, according to “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors,” a book by researchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families.

When you can’t rock a full Marie Kondo approved home make-under, concealing the clutter will help to lower your stress, keep your clutter anxiety at bay, and lessen the amount of bitching from your husband about where you moved all his stuff.

I’d say that’s a win-win, Mama!

What do you do to help keep your home organized?