1. Context

In this article, I review 2 very popular methods for decluttering one’s home (KonMari and Danshari), followed by a novel method seeking a balanced vision that I call The Middle Way of Clutter.

2. KonMari method

近藤 麻理恵 (Marie Kondo) teaches a method [01] for decluttering your life that includes the following key principles :

  • Review each item by category, keeping only those that "spark joy" when you hold them in your hands;

  • Designate a specific home for every item you keep and consistently return it there;

  • Follow specific folding techniques to store clothes efficiently and respectfully;

In her method, decluttering emerges from the principle that if an object no longer "sparks joy", you should express gratitude for its service and the happiness it once provided before respectfully discarding it.

3. 断捨離 (Danshari)

断捨離 (Danshari) [02] is a decluttering philosophy created by 断捨離 (Hideko Yamashita) that focuses on reducing clutter at its source. The name combines three concepts:

  • Dan (断): refuse

  • Sha (捨): dispose

  • Ri (離): renounce

Inspired by Buddhist principles of non-attachment during her stay at Mount Koya temple, the method follows three key practices:

  • Refuse: Prevent unnecessary items from entering your life in the first place;

  • Dispose: Remove things that overwhelm your home;

  • Renounce: Renounce your attachment to material possessions (achieved through consistent practice of refusing and disposing).

Core Principles:

  • Transform your visible environment to change yourself and your behavior;

  • Fewer possessions means less time organizing and cleaning;

  • Objects must be used, and placed where they’re indispensable at the moment you need them;

  • Items should "live" where they’re needed.

Storage Guidelines:

  • Hidden storage (drawers, closets): Fill only to 70% capacity to allow movement and sorting

  • Visible storage (glass-front cabinets): Fill only to 50% capacity for aesthetic reasons

  • Display storage: Fill only to 10% capacity

  • Exception: These guidelines don’t apply to books/CDs

The approach resembles nomadic Mongol practices of carrying only essentials when moving. The ultimate goal is better self-knowledge and a simpler life.

4. The 5 Rs of Waste Management

Danshari naturally connects to the 5 Rs of waste management, inviting us to view clutter as a form of waste in our lives.

The 5 Rs of waste management are:

  • Refuse: Decline unnecessary items before they enter your life;

  • Reduce: Minimize consumption and acquisition of new items;

  • Reuse: Use items multiple times before discarding them;

  • Repurpose: Give items new functions instead of discarding them;

  • Recycle: Convert used materials into new products;

A 6th R is sometimes added: Rot (composting organic materials).

5. The Middle Way of Clutter

Life exists in balance—it is not all about utility, nor is it all about emotions.

The Middle Way is The Way for a balanced approach to possessions.

Objects can be bought for their utility.

Objects can be gifts that represent our connections to the people that matter.

We must refuse objects in our life that lead to clutter, and work on reducing our attachment to them.

Gifts can be non-material, and those should be favoured. A new object in our life must be carefully considered for its utility.

The Middle Way of Clutter:

  • Refuse too many things from entering your life in the first place;

  • Reduce your belongings based on both practical and emotional value;

  • Renounce binding your identity to the things you own, avoiding being the slave of your possessions.

  • Repurposing can help: a serving bowl with a lid that doubles as a storage container.

References

  • [[[01]]] Marie Kondo. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. 2021. ISBN: 978-1-78504-044-3.

  • [[[02]]] Hideko Yamashita. DanShaRi, L’art du rangement. 2016. ISBN: 978-2-7467-4522-3.