2. Japan

desorden
Image by Kasman in Pixabay under public domain.

Get talking

  • What's minimalism?
  • Do you know people who try to live a minimalist life?
  • What do you think about minimalism?
  • What things can you get rid of?
  • How can you declutter your home from stuff you don't need?
  • How can you simplify your life?
  • Do you accumulate a lot of stuff?
  • What aspects of minimalism don't you like?
  • What's minimalism taken to extremes?
  • How can you get out of debt when you barely make ends meet?

Adapted from: https://englishpost.org/questions-about-minimalism/

Actividad desplegable

Read the following text about Marie Kondo and choose the best title for each paragraph.

Decluttering expert Marie Kondo: My 6 rules of tidying

Once you have experience what your house feels like when it is completely tidy in the true sense of the term, you will never want to return to clutter, and the strength of that feeling will empower you to keep it tidy.


The KonMari method does require time and effort. But once you have made up your mind, all you need to do is apply the right method.


You would rather start tidying right away? That is precisely why so many people suffer rebound after tidying up. When you picture how you would like to live, you are clarifying why you want to tidy and identifying the kind of life you want to live once you have finished. The tidying process thus represents a huge turning point.


One characteristic of people who never seem to finish tidying up is that they attempt to store everything without getting rid of anything. When things are put away, a home will look neat, but if the storage units are filled with unnecessary items, it will be impossible to keep them organised, and this will inevitably lead to a relapse. Consider any storage solutions made during this process as temporary and focus all your attention on sorting the next category.


For example, when tidying clothes, gather every item of clothing from the entire house in one spot. This allows you to see exactly how much you have. It's very important to get an accurate grasp of the sheer volume for each category.


It is: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellany) and finally, sentimental items. Have you ever run across old photos while tidying and found that hours have passed while you were looking at them? This is a very common blunder, and clearly illustrates the point of tidying in the proper order, which is designed to help you hone your ability to distinguish what sparks joy.

Clothes are ideal for practising this skill, while photos and other sentimental items are the epitome of what you should not touch until you have perfected it.


Remember: you are not choosing what to discard but rather what to keep. Keep only those things that bring you happiness.

Adapted from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/decluttering-expert-marie-kondo-my-6-rules-of-tidying/

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Curiosidad

Watch the following video on how to fold clothes. After you watch it, go to one of your drawers and try this method.

Get talking

Discuss  the following questionswith a partner:

  • Has this folding method helped you?
  • Do you think you could declutter your home following Marie Kondo's method?
  • How much time does it take you to organize your home?
  • Why do you think that Marie Kondo has become so famous around the globe?


Video by Ebury Reads on YouTube.