Organization guru Marie Kondo has already revolutionized the lives of millions with her famed tidying tips – and now she’s sharing hacks to help people to make the most out of working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The tidying expert-turned-Netflix star shared her top tips for turning your home into a productive space in her upcoming book, Joy at Work, revealing three simple techniques to give your at-home working life a serious boost.
And while the tips were penned prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, and the subsequent quarantines that were put in place as a result of it, Marie’s tips have never been more relevant, as millions of people have been told to hunker down at home and work from the safety of their own houses.
Sharing the wealth: Organization guru Marie Kondo has shared her tips for making the most out of your working from home space
According to Marie, the secret to at-home productivity is ritual and routine, with the tidying guru noting that it’s important to set certain things in place that help you to distinguish between your workspace and your personal space.
‘That way, you’re transitioning from your personal home life to work,’ she said, according to Domino.
One simple way to achieve this, Marie suggests, is through scent.
The organization pro sprays a very specific fragrance in her home office, opting for a fresh and invigorating scent: peppermint.
Her choice of fragrance gets a thumbs up from experts, who recently revealed to DailyMail.com that mint is a great choice of spirit-boosting scent to mix with mood-enhancing citruses.
NEST New York founder Laura Slatkin explained that fresh aquatic scents are also great for helping to invigorate you and provide a boost of positivity, noting that ‘notes of ocean breezes and coconut’ will help to make you feel better in an instant.
Similarly, if you don’t want your home to be filled with a pure citrus scent, Slatkin recommends mixing it with something else – naming mint as a great example.
Moving on to another sense, Marie says she also relies on sound to help her separate work and play, revealing to Domino: ‘I also ring my trusty tuner – that’s how I know it’s time to work.’
Easy as can be: The 34-year-old Netflix star shared three simple methods for becoming more productive while working from home
According to the publication, Marie likes to tap her tuning fork against a crystal, before waving the instrument around the room to ‘quiet her thoughts and take in the energy of the space’, helping her to start the working day with a calm mind.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up author’s final tip, although perhaps the most traditional, will likely be the most upsetting for many people who have hunkered down on their sofas and beds over the past few weeks.
Coming up: She is soon set to release a new book, Joy at Work, a follow up to her bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
According to Marie, avoiding all soft areas of your apartment and working on a hard surface is the best way to maximize productivity – whether that’s a coffee table, a breakfast bar, or a dining room table.
The organization experts latest tips come after she revealed to People the personal daily rituals she implements in her life in order to maintain order and a sense of calm.
Last year, Marie said her first daily ritual is to change out of her shoes into a different pair once she returns home.
‘When I come home at the end of the day, I wipe the soles of shoes with gratitude before storing them in the closet near the entryway of my home,’ Marie told the publication.
‘I then change into my house slippers.’
Her second daily ritual is to keep her handbag organized with special pouches and bags inside to separate items.
‘Instead of digging in an abyss for that chapstick, organize the bag you rely on every day. Then keep it that way,’ she advised.
It can be difficult keeping a handbag organized depending on the size and what people pack each day. But Marie recommends storing items vertically to help with organization.
She also purchased specialized pouches to help carry smaller items within the bag.
Organized: Last year, Marie revealed the daily rituals that she uses to keep her life calm
The organization within her handbag is also replicated in the refrigerator with boxes and containers inside to keep food tidy.
‘I use boxes to sort items and stand everything vertically in my refrigerator,’ she said. ‘I even use boxes inside the shelving on the refrigerator doors to keep condiments and sauces separated.’
Marie’s fourth and final daily ritual happens in the bathroom. Instead of leaving shampoo or conditioner bottles in the shower, she wipes them off after use and then places them in a basket underneath the bathroom sink.
‘This makes cleaning the bathroom easier and prevents the buildup of mildew,’ she revealed.
The key to helping the spread of any mildew is to make sure the bottles are completely dry before placing underneath the sink.
These daily rituals fit with the mindfulness Marie promotes to her clients throughout the first season of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo when they are working to declutter their homes.
Marie is famous for her concept of riding the life of any items that no longer bring the person joy — known now as the KonMari Method. But first, she recommends for people to thank the item before tossing it out.
Netflix has not announced yet if there will be another season of Marie’s show after the success of the first season. But more and more people are employing the KonMari Method because of its popularity.