Ep 124 | KonMari and Staying Healthy at Home During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Physical and mental health safety considerations and our top 5 KonMari Tidying Tools to help you and your family declutter while social distancing and working from home.

If you’re listening to us today it is highly likely you’re inside your home, working from home, social distancing or even self-quarantined.

If tidying falls on your to-do list during this time, we designed this episode just for you. Today we’re going to review physical and mental health safety considerations and our top 5 KonMari Tidying Tools to help you and your family put decluttering your home behind you so you can shift 100% of your focus on navigating this challenging season.

We want to hear from you. Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life.

Head over to Apple podcasts to subscribe and review the show, which helps us reach others along their tidying journeys.

To extend your tidying experience, you can join the Spark Joy Club!

Visit sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Join the Club” to become a member of the Spark Joy Community or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

Center for Disease Control safety tips
Here is what you can do to keep yourself and others safe:
• Wash your hands frequently with warm water for 20 seconds

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth

• Stay home when you are sick

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

• Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed or for potential changes at your workplace

• Remember to take additional precautions for those at highest risk, particularly older adults and those who have severe underlying health conditions

• Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a checklist for individuals and families to help get your home ready for what’s to come. The list includes tips like:
• Check in with your neighbors, especially the older or physically challenged, to see what their plan will be.

• Keep surfaces disinfected.

• Gather emergency and community phone numbers and emails so that you can stay in touch.

• Choose a room in your house that can be used to separate sick household members from others.

During a pandemic it’s important to store a two week supply of water and food and periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home. For details visit ready.gov

***Keep in mind that the most up to date information may be found via your local government websites.

Here are a few suggestions that may help with your emotional well-being:

• The phone and FaceTime are social distancing friendly! You could do a group chat with Skype or Zoom. This is a great way to check in with your older relatives.

• Check whether you are more irritable with the people who share your home. This is very likely to happen when you combine stress, uncertainty and boredom. Forgive yourself and much as others.

• It’s ok to check into your social media accounts and little more than usual to stay current on the news, but avoid 24/7 news watching if possible.

• Volunteer! If you are symptom free, you could offer to pick up things from the store for your neighbors or even set up a phone-calling tree to make sure everyone in your social circle is doing ok.

• Take a walk! Taking a walk can be a great way to relieve stress and get some fresh air. Just remember to practice social distancing during your stroll.

• Don’t forget the basics. Try to maintain as much of a schedule as possible, even though things have changed. Getting dressed, making your bed and maintaining meal schedules can make a real difference.

• Reach out for help. Consider a virtual call with a therapist-or see if your current therapist will visit with you over the phone. Visit the American Psychological Association for resources.

Get Social At A Distance.
CNN released a great article listing creative ways to get social while limiting your contact with people and avoiding groups: CNN: What to Do This Weekend

You can:
• Take a virtual museum tour.
• Learn a new language.
• Get takeout to support your local and small businesses.
• Make a new recipe.
• Catch up on your self-care.
• Last but not least they suggest doing the tough stuff. This may include your KonMari tidying event!

Tidy Tools:

Tidy Tool #1: The Spark Joy Podcast.
Our podcast is designed for you to listen to while you tidy. If you’re new to Spark Joy we recommend checking out our most popular Episode 1: KonMari 101.
Now, more than ever, the importance of having a plan is very clear. So head over to Episode 73: How to Plan Your KonMari Tidying Journey before you dive in too deep.

Also, as extreme cleanliness remains top of mind, check out Spark Joy Episode 82: KonMari Quick Tips on Spring Tidying.

For a limited time, we are making our coveted Spark Joy Episode Map available for a limited time to help guide you through your listening experience.

Tidy Tool #2: The Spark Joy Club.
Now is a perfect time to lean on crowd sourcing with a virtual tidying community committed to providing you with a safe space to address your unique tidying challenges.

To join the club visit [sparkjoypodcast.com](sparkjoypodcast.com) and click join the club.

Tidy Tool #3: The Tidy Home Joy Journal - Your #1 Tidying Companion
Written by co-host, Kristyn Ivey, this Amazon Best Seller is available to be delivered to your door to help guide your Tidying Festival.

You can also recieve the Tidy Home Joy Journal by joining The Spark Joy Club at the Joy Sparker level. A copy of the journal is included with your membership. One of the many reasons you should join the club!

Tidy Tool #4: Virtual Tidying at For the Love of Tidy.
Virtual Tidying at For the Love of Tidy is a germ free alternative to in-home KonMari tidying lessons that also moves you towards your goals.
Here are some of the highlights:
• During video calls we walk through vision mapping and a plan.

• Take a virtual home tour.

• And address decision-making or storage related tidying challenges.

To get a taste of what virtual tidying is all about, follow For the Love of Tidy this month on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as I broadly share KonMari-themed tips you can implement in your home in 15 minutes or less

To instantly book your two hour KonMari Virtual Tidy which is accessible worldwide.

Tidy Tool #5: Virtual Organizing at The Serene Home.
The Serene Home Program includes:
• A home assessment and home tour
• Face-to-face virtual work
• Written step-by-step follow up following each session
• Motivational emails to help you over any bumps in your progress

The Serene Home newsletter: This can be delivered directly to your inbox later in the week with some additional ideas for making the most of this time. You can sign-up at The Serene Home Mailing List.

Special thanks to Spark Joy listener Kristine Rustia-Jourdan for suggesting we cover this important topic today.

You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home
You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy