Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life

by Marie Kondō

Clutter also adversely affects health. According to a study by scientists at UCLA, being surrounded by too many things increases cortisol levels, a primary stress hormone. Chronically high levels of cortisol can make us more susceptible to depression, insomnia, and other mental disorders, as well as such stress-related physical disorders as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

Don’t trade an activity you’d love to pursue for a reward you don’t value.

Rule #1: Show up. Really show up.

Rule #2: Come prepared.

Rule #3: Put away your electronics.

Rule #4: Listen… really listen!

Rule #5: Speak up.

Rule #6: Do no harm.

When we care for the things we choose to keep, they give back positive energy. Many years of experience have convinced me that any place where things are treated with respect and gratitude, whether a home or an office, becomes a relaxing and energizing power spot.

“Don’t think of it as tidying. Tell yourself it’s interior designing.” That’s what my friend’s mother once told her when she was balking at the idea of tidying up. What a great way to describe it. When we tell ourselves that we have to do something, it feels like a chore. But when we see tidying as a creative endeavor that will spark joy in our workspace, we’re happy to do it.