The concept of ‘thanking’ items when you get rid of them has always been a bit of an enigma for me. While gratitude practices certainly help some people release emotionally charged clutter, for me, it feels a bit silly.
I couldn’t take myself seriously enough to declutter seriously when trying to find items that ‘spark joy’ – that’s why when I stumbled across the anti-Kon-Mari method, it was love at first sight.
This refreshing decluttering method lets you get angry at all the ways an item didn’t serve you, and after trying it at home, I found it to be seriously therapeutic.
The Anti-Kon-Mari Method
Don’t get us wrong, Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, from Amazon, is packed with useful tips for avoiding tidying mistakes, but they are not for everyone.
I have tried rage cleaning in the past and found it perfect for venting anger and frustration healthily, without it being taken out on other people, so I knew I had to jump on this rageful decluttering tip.
I originally found this trick on the r/declutter subreddit, where the original poster shared, ‘I'm the anti-Marie Kondo, instead of thanking things as I toss them, I'm telling them why they suck and need to get out of my house.
‘Being ridiculous and loudly telling off clothes for being uncomfortable/ unflattering/ not my style actually made it way easier to not talk myself out of, for some reason, keeping stuff I don't, and won't, wear. It's also kind of fun if you get silly enough with it.’
Using this method in a closet can help you feel less guilty about items that you don't wear.
I decided to put this hack to the test over a weekend, using it to help declutter a house in 10 minutes. Unlike rage cleaning, I didn’t wait until I was already feeling tense, but dove straight in, pairing it with my trusty ski-slope method and folding laundry basket (from Wayfair) to help work systematically around rooms.
Starting in the furthest back corner of my home office, I used the anti-Kon-Mari method to help organize art supplies. As I still struggle with a scarcity mindset sometimes, I am prone to holding onto craft supplies ‘just in case’ or because I spent money on them, even if I hate them.
With the anti-Kon-Mari method, however, I brought all of these negatives to the fore. For example, telling some of my old polymer clay that it was useless to use without cracking, that it never blended correctly, and was a nightmare to cure in comparison to using air-dry clay, made it very simple to toss into the basket for decluttering. The same went for my first-ever set of cheap clay tools.
The items that I couldn’t find bad things to say about were then neatly stowed into some stack and carry boxes, available at Walmart, for easy transportation when I wanted to use them.
The anti-Kon-Mari method was not unlike the one-emotion decluttering method, albeit a little more over the top and allowing you to explore the negative emotions an item brings more deeply.
It works great in practical spaces where you are more prone to keeping items 'just in case'.
It isn’t just me who loves this trick for being more ruthless when decluttering, either. Professional organizer and closet designer Lisa Eckerle, owner of The Designer Organizer, shares, ‘I'm right there with you on this – which is why I created my C.R.A.P. Decluttering Method. It's the opposite of loving your stuff. It explains how to decide what is rubbish and needs to go.
‘Under this method, you get rid of anything that is: Cheap, Repetitive, Aggravating, and Past its Prime.’
To avoid decluttering when you feel overwhelmed, Lisa suggests starting small to set yourself up for a successful decluttering session. Then, as you gain momentum, move on to bigger spaces, or those you know are filled with tough or emotional items.
What to shop
I find stack-and-carry boxes to be the most practical for organizing items that you use all over the home. They keep everything neat and accessible, are are simple to transport without having to balance different baskets on top of one another.
A collapsible laundry basket is my favorite organizing tool. It can collect up items that need to be decluttered or live elsewhere to deal with at the end of a decluttering session, stopping me from getting distracted in another room mid-task.
Keep items easy to access (be it practical tools or accessories) to ensure you use them more often. This prevents items from becoming cluttered and makes clearing out storage easier in the future.
There are some essential items that you don't particularly love, but you have to keep for practical reasons. Keep these in hidden storage, such as under bed bags, to keep them out of the way, but still easy to access.
Two sizes
Baskets are the best go-to for creating drop zones. Be they in your entryway, living room, or hallway, they can quickly corral clutter making it easier to put away at the end of the week.
Sparking joy can certainly help for some people. Go back to where it all began with this bestselling book that packs so much information into a mere 200 pages, in a readable and digestible format that's accessible to all readers of all ages.
Meet the expert
Lisa is a natural problem solver turned professional home organizer. She is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), who has helped hundreds of families restore order in their homes.
So, if you can never work out exactly if an item sparks joy or not, this ‘sparking rage’ method may be more suited to you, helping to finally break through decision fatigue and avoid decluttering resentment.
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