19/10/2025

ON SUNDAY October 19, 2025 theSunday Special X

I T started with a mountain of clothes on my bed that had been there for over a week. Then two. Then, some how, I was sleeping beside them instead of moving them. The more I ignored the mess, the heavier I felt. The room began to reflect my state of mind: Chaotic, unmotivated and increasingly dark. I’d developed a shopping addiction during a particularly low point in my life, triggered by anxiety and long-unprocessed traumas. The short-term dopamine hit of new clothes and shiny parcels gave me a sense of control, but it didn’t last. The items quickly joined the existing piles, tags still on, barely worn, along with clothes I hadn’t asked for, which were gifted by my mother-in-law. I had signed up for a complimentary 30-minute consultation call (available only to first-timers) through Spark Joy & Flow, a decluttering service offered by Rebecca Jo-Rushdy, a certified KonMari consultant trained by Marie Kondo. I didn’t expect much, but I hoped that talking to someone who had guided others through clutter might finally get me to confront mine. The decision to seek help Decluttering always felt too overwhelm ing. I’d start, stop halfway, then beat myself up for not following through. But the longer I let it slide, the more helpless I felt in my own space. Studies from the University of California have shown that a cluttered home can significantly increase cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone. Another research piece in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin noted that people with untidy dwellings were more likely to experience fatigue and depression.

Joyful decluttering

BY DAYANA SOBRI

which surprised me. She asked me to take a breath and feel my feet on the floor, something simple, but incredibly centring. Then, we began by identifying the real reason I booked the call. “I need to feel better,” I admitted. “I can’t keep pretending this mess doesn’t affect me.” Rebecca explained that clutter often masks deeper discomfort. It’s not about laziness, but avoidance. “We can’t declutter from a place of shame. We need to start with compas sion,” she said. Then came the practical part. Using one of her free worksheets, she helped me identify my “spark vision”: How I actually wanted my space to feel. I scribbled down things like “clear surfaces”, “soft light” and “a room that feels like rest, not guilt”. Next, she guided me to choose one starting point. Not the whole room. Just one area. We decided on my clothing pile. “Your mother-in-law must love you very much, judging by how many clothes she bought for you without asking.” As I panned my camera to show her the overflowing wardrobe and the mound of garments on my bed, she chuckled gently and said. I told her how my generous mother in-law would often surprise me with new clothes, which were oftentimes oversized, undersized or just downright not my style. We both laughed because it was true. And hearing it framed with humour instead of judgment helped me let go of some of the guilt I had been carrying.

Decluttering isn’t about discarding, it’s about choosing what truly deserves space in your life.”

I n Malaysia, mental health advocacy is gaining traction, but conversations around how our physical environment impacts our psychological state still feel lacking. It’s not just “malas nak kemas” sometimes, we’re paralysed by our own survival mode. So when I saw that Spark Joy & Flow offered a free consultation call complete with free tools and resources, I booked it. No excuses. What actually happens during the call I expected a gentle chat. I got a gentle reality check. Rebecca saw me exactly how I was: curled up on a chair, apologising for the mess behind me on camera. We started with a grounding exercise,

A complimentary consultation with certified KonMari consultant Rebecca Jo-Rushdy (left) offered the first real push to face the clutter head-on.