Marie Kondo's tips for people nervous about decluttering make tidying simple, no matter your experience level

It seems like the hardest part of decluttering would be going through all of your items, but what's most difficult comes before. Often, the most taxing part of decluttering is the emotional piece. From nervousness around starting to attachment to items you don't want to let go of, decluttering is psychologically arduous.

Luckily, Marie Kondo is here to make it easy. The acclaimed Japanese organizing consultant became famous for her pared-back approach to decluttering. Ahead of her appearance at the Clean and Tidy Home Show in London, Kondo revealed all of her top tips in an exclusive interview with Homes & Gardens.

When asked about how to approach decluttering for someone nervous about it, she responded with an intellectual exercise to address an emotional discomfort. Kondo states: 'First, I would encourage them to envision their ideal way of life. It is understandable that they feel nervous if they think only of the task of tidying up.' In other words, tidying techniques are about more than the task itself, it's about achieving your ideal life. What would your life look like if you could get all of the clutter in check?

She continues, 'Tidying is a means, not a goal. Before you start tidying up, you need to envision the ideal life you want to achieve through tidying up, freely and happily. Try to imagine so concretely that you can picture yourself living in a tidy room and feel the excitement and happiness you would feel.' Rather than dwelling in the stress and negativity of how difficult the process of decluttering might be, it's important to focus on the positives that will come out of that process. This is an approach that will help you realize the goal of a clean home making you happier.

Kondo further advises turning the fear of decluttering on its head: rather than getting rid of items, you are choosing what makes you happiest to keep. She states: 'Another thing I would recommend is to choose what sparks joy.' This is the easiest way to make cleaning fun.

Kondo states: 'Choosing what sparks joy is the most important mindset to turn tidying into a positive experience. When tidying, you tend to think you have to throw things away or you have to reduce what you own. Instead, think of tidying as a positive process to choose what makes you happy. It makes the process of tidying up more enjoyable.'

In addition to allaying your nervousness, we recommend organizing one step at a time to spend less time cleaning. This will help decluttering and tidying feel less overwhelming as well as help you prioritize doing the most important work first. With advice from Homes & Gardens and Marie Kondo on your side, you can't go wrong.

・Marie will speak at the Main Stage of the Clean and Tidy Home Show on October 19.

・Also, in partnership with the Clean and Tidy Home Show, KonMari will hold an In-Person Consultant Course, which will be the first one in 5 years in Europe. The registration closes on September 30. Why don’t you leap and change your life in 3 days?