How Marie Kondo's Decluttering Tactics May Improve Mental Health

Leave it to the queen of decluttering Marie Kondo to get us excited about cleaning. If her energizing ethos about organization has you sprinting to your nearest Container Store, you're not alone. Her Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, which was released January 1, has catapulted the consultant and her KonMari organizational method into stardom. The internet has been buzzing with articles about folding techniques, purging books, and donating clothes, but what's got everyone so hooked on tidying up? Science says it may have something to do with mental health.

In her New York Times best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Kondo outlines her method of organization, aptly named KonMari, which focuses on the principle of joy to make decisions about whether household items should stay or go. It's almost too simple: Hold the object in your hand. If it brings you joy, keep it. If it doesn't, pitch it.

Another study found a correlation between the tidiness of homes and levels of physical activity. Those with neater nests were more likely to be active, which the study postulated came from the physical activity that comes with cleaning.

While clearing out your clutter may seem like a daunting task, the benefits go far beyond aesthetics. Finding the joy in decluttering very well may have a direct effect on both our minds and bodies.