Does it spark joy? Many of us have become familiar with that question as of late.

I came across the concept in a YouTube video while sorting through my closet(s) a couple of years ago. My closet space has always been very organized, but upon contemplating the phrase “organized hoarder” I decided to eliminate the excess in my wardrobe. Reference to the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing led me to make an immediate purchase on Amazon.

As I sorted through clothing in four different sizes as well as items I’d held onto since high school, I struggled with practicality and wondered what really made more sense.  Do you keep things because they may be useful or because you spent “good money” on them or do you truly get rid of it if it doesn’t spark joy?  Two years prior, I went through all of my clothes and gave away gorgeous pre-maternity pieces that I had loved so much.  That took a lot of determination since my boys were 14 and 15 at the time.  Oops… but the wonderful linen clothes, the little black dress… I had to let them go.  When I attempted to make more space in my closet again, it was a little easier because I didn’t have much love for my “chunky clothes.”

Again, I find myself facing the task of spring cleaning my closet.  Now that I live in a loft with an open closet that takes up one full wall in my bedroom, I must make more space while swapping the winter and summer clothes.  Again, I have a range of sizes, but this time I am going to tidy up Marie Kondo style by tossing every single clothing item into a big pile and picking it back up piece by piece and determining whether or not it truly sparks joy in me.  I cannot wait to tackle the task this time!

And, what about incorporating KonMari methods into your digital world? Beyond the emails and unused apps, have you considered how you’d approach tidying up your social media accounts? Although Marie Kondo does not have a specific process for organizing digital files, you could start by considering whether or not they spark joy in your life.  If you don’t want to remove yourself from a social platform, each one offers tools that can help you better control what you see in the feeds.

Every platform allows you to adjust privacy settings to accommodate your preference. On Facebook, you can mute or unfollow people without unfriending them. Twitter lets you create lists that help organize your interests. You can fill your Instagram feed with things that make you smile like animals, landscapes, or gourmet food.  Many people suffer from depression and anxiety while being active on social media.  Who you follow can spark joy or not, so perhaps filtering what you see would help decipher between feeling joy or angst while browsing your social feed.

Other suggestions for tidying up your social accounts include organizing your images, your groups, your interests, friend lists, and who you follow.  Go through the accounts or pages you follow and unfollow or unlike the ones that don’t bring you joy.  Unfollow or unfriend, people who don’t make you feel good about yourself or the relationship.  Thank them of course for their roles in your life and let them go.  Remove yourself from any groups that no longer resonate with you. Specifically on Facebook, delete books, movies, shows, and music that you may have added on a whim but that no longer matter that much to you.  Delete posts or images on your profiles that aren’t truly in alignment with who you are.  Sorting your photos into albums on Facebook may also make you feel more joy when looking at your pictures.  Clear out and reorganize your Pinterest boards so that your pins don’t confront you with everything you haven’t done that you intended to do like create a pallet garden or bake a fancy cake so that you will enjoy the platform more.  Prioritize your skills on LinkedIn and remove people from your network if they stir any negativity about your professional progress.  Essentially, eliminating, minimizing, and reorganizing aspects of your social profiles will help you feel happier while engaging with others and sharing your interests.

Consider that social media is an extension of your personal or professional brand and how you share yourself with the world.  Represent your truest self by not only showcasing the things you think others want to see but show who you are by sharing those things that bring you the most joy.

As I watched the series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, on Netflix, I felt proud of myself for already being on track with many of Marie’s practices.  Things that she addresses from lighting candles to folding clothes to being conscious of your space are things that I have been naturally doing since I was a child.  Seeing so many people around me incorporate her principles is inspiring.  People are improving the quality of their lives by practicing KonMari.  Wouldn’t it be great if people also eliminated all the excess and nonsense they throw out there on social media?  Our social networking would be so much more enjoyable!

Kate Van Huss
Digital Content Strategist