Sorting therapy

We agree, sorting is far from being the most pleasant household chore.

And yes, you tend to run away or procrastinate rather than take the plunge.

I understand you, I am the first to be concerned by this observation, I must say.

However, after having just returned from France where I went to recharge my batteries, I got stuck into it. It hit me like I needed to pee.

Between two jobs, having just lost it a few days before my trip, I suddenly felt the need to clear out my house (Good also because I had the time to do it)

So I became interested in the question of sorting therapy.

Sorting but for what purpose?

• Empty your mind

As with sport, the body is tired and the mind is emptied, which brings an incomparable feeling of zenitude and calm. 

Sorting out helps to declutter the mind

According to an article by Psychology Today, Tidying up your home creates a sense of confidence and helps you feel competent and independent.

Activity is energizing, reduces anxiety.

It stimulates creativity, gets you moving physically and reduces relational and family tensions.

• Detaching oneself from the past to reserve new space for the future and projects

You tend to quickly hoard things for fear of losing a part of yourself.

Throwing away even if it hasn't been used for a long time can be seen as difficult, there is a kind of attachment bond, it can reassure you to have them there.

Everyone has their own relationship to their business.

According to psychologist François Vigouroux, author of The Soul of Objects (Hachette Literature, 2008). "The pain comes mainly from giving up rather than from attachment to the object itself. The fear is strong because one ultimately feels as though one is breaking an emotional bond." It's not so much the object you feel like you're leaving behind as a part of your history, and possibly the person who gave it to you.

• "Less is more"

Getting rid of the superfluous, refocusing and concentrating on the essential, this is how we could summarize minimalism. Simplifying your life means getting rid of everything that clutters you physically and mentally. Doing a big sort out at home is one of the best ways to feel better.

• Getting your life back in order following a life change (work/mourning/separation)

Sorting can be done throughout life

At each stage, each transition, occasion (moving, job loss, mourning, separation, etc.), sorting allows you to tidy up your life and work on yourself at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone, isn't that wonderful? 😉

Yes, you are thus making a sort of inventory/balance sheet of the accommodation but also of your own existence.

A way to tidy up and declutter at all levels.

• Feeling good at home, like in a cocoon

Clearing the space brings better energy.

Personally, since I started sorting, seeing my cupboards emptier and everything tidy at home, straight in its place (well, I know myself, it won't last months like that ^^), feels great.

And brings this zen and soothing side. My state of mind in alignment with my living space and it's pleasant. Especially in this in-between period, where I don't know what tomorrow will bring. Where I could be more stressed.

It is not for nothing that Marie Kondo, famous author of the book “The magic of tidying up”, implies that sorting would influence well-being.

According to her, some have even lost weight or regained clear skin thanks to the detoxifying effects of her tidying method.

So ready to get started? Here’s how to do it according to the latter.

12 Basic Rules According to Marie Kondo

• Don't tidy up by room, but by category of objects rather than by space.
• Keep only items that bring joy
• Don't get overwhelmed by paperwork

Keep the papers you keep to a minimum. But be careful not to throw away important documents.

For the French, here is the link to the list of retention periods for papers on the site Public service :

• Do all your tidying up at once to feel the detoxifying effect
• Keep only the essentials

Starting in this order: clothes, then books, then papers, miscellaneous objects (DVDs, makeup, electronics, etc.) and finally souvenirs (the most difficult category)

• The wardrobe is evil

Forget balled socks because they lose their shape and take up too much space compared to folding them.

Fold your clothes instead of putting them on hangers

You tend to overload the wardrobe, the clothes are no longer visible and crease

In his book, Marie Kondo also gives tips for reorganizing the wardrobe.

• Don't let guilt overwhelm you and be honest with yourself. Eliminate sentences "You never know" Or "just in case" of your head.

You have to face the facts: ladies, you will no longer fit into your famous "jean test" which you desperately hope to get back into one day.

Take an objective look at the objects around you, it will then be easier to declutter.

• When you come across something you can't part with, think carefully about its true purpose in your life.
• Favor vertical storage rather than stacks
• Don't buy a lot of furniture or storage accessories. Sort your things first and then find where to put them.
• Store items in easy-to-access locations. Disorder is quickly caused by the inability to put things back in their place.
• Ask yourself about the pleasure of owning

You have no more excuses, it's up to you to play, or rather to sort 😉