Could you become a MINIMALIST?

Writer Kim Willis, 39, decided to declutter every corner of her life. Here's how she got on

- Kim Willis

Recently, my phone notified me that its storage capacity was 99% full and I needed to delete files and create space. I know the feeling. There are too many tabs open in my mind and, as a result, data processing has slowed. I have the same problem with my house. Every cupboard and drawer is at peak storage capacity. I don't want to live like this. I don't know if it's the pandemic, the link between consumerism and the climate crisis, or heading towards 40, but I'm aching for a minimalist life. Can I turn my home and mind into a zone of tranquility?

The wardrobe

I have never Marie Kondo-d my wardrobe. I have so many clothes that the unworn items smell musty from too long languishing in the drawers. We even have a 'drawer of sentimentality' for items such as the dress my sister made me for my 18th birthday and the jumper my husband Gaz's mum knitted him for Christmas one year.

Sorting through my garments, I realize an almost-new jacket scratches my neck but might fit someone else. Maybe a beautiful dress I own in a size 6 might look better on someone who actually is a size 6. I bag up my best clothes for the charity shop, while the food-stained, deodorant-marked, daggy tops become rags for dusting. I'm left with the clothes I actually wear and promise myself I won't buy anything on a whim again, ensuring my wardrobe remains a place of calm, not chaos.

Paperwork

I still have MOT receipts for cars I no longer own. HMRC requires businesses to keep records for five years, but my bookkeeping paperwork dates back a decade, with files piled high in the office. I'm not alone. According to research by productivity app fyio, the average Brit stores thousands of paper documents unnecessarily for years, yet 82% of us say decluttering has a positive effect on mental health, making us feel happier and more relaxed.