The new year often signals fresh beginnings. It is a time to reset intentions, realign goals, and start again with renewed clarity. For many, that sense of renewal begins at home. Redesigning a space or simply tidying up can have a meaningful impact on emotional and physical wellbeing. This belief rings true for Christine Dychiao.

Christine is a certified KonMari consultant, trained in the globally known organizing and decluttering method developed by Marie Kondo. The KonMari Method is built around intentional living, encouraging people to keep only items that spark joy. In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Christine shared how her personal journey led her to professional organizing and offered practical advice on how anyone can begin decluttering for a more balanced and organized 2026.

Christine admitted that she was not always someone who enjoyed tidying. Like many, she once struggled with clutter, until a turning point during her motherhood journey shifted her perspective.

“By the time I was pregnant with my third child in 2014, I was feeling overwhelmed with the stuff we had at home, and I realized that living in a cluttered environment was taking a toll on my health and our stress levels. I came across Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and just simply followed what she said in the book,” she recalled. “It truly was life-changing. My allergies cleared up, I was less stressed, the house looked more organized, and even my friends noticed the difference.”

As friends and family saw the transformation in her home and wellbeing, they began asking Christine to guide them through the same process. What started as casual advice soon revealed itself as a calling.

“I flew to New York in 2017 to attend the certification seminar, and when I came back to Manila, I put in the required practice hours, took the test, went through an interview, and got certified in 2018. This process took about a year to complete,” Christine shared. “I was drawn to the KonMari philosophy because I had tried so many organizing hacks and nothing really worked long term. KonMari is less about organizing or throwing things away, but really about connecting to gratitude and being intentional with what we keep. When I shifted my focus to this, that's when our home finally found some breathing space.”

As people step into 2026 with renewed intentions, Christine emphasized that decluttering should not be approached as a dreaded chore. Instead, it should be seen as a meaningful and even enjoyable practice.

“When your attitude toward decluttering is immediately fear-based, it will feel like a burden,” she said. “But if you approach it as self-care or a mindfulness practice (some would even say decluttering is a form of moving meditation), you will find that you will enjoy the process and will start looking forward to it, reaching a point where you would be looking for more things to declutter.”

To prevent burnout and overwhelm, Christine advised limiting decluttering sessions to a maximum of three hours per day and working by category rather than by room.

She also shared three practical reminders to help maintain an organized home:

First, assign a proper home for every item. Whether it is a dedicated drawer for chargers and cables, a filing system for important documents, or clear bins for extra toiletries, having designated spaces helps prevent clutter from piling up and reduces unnecessary repurchases.

Second, she recommends maintaining a checklist for daily, weekly, and quarterly cleaning and tidying tasks. Once this system becomes routine, weekends no longer have to be consumed by chores.

Lastly, she encourages mindful consumption. Before bringing anything new into the home, pause and ask whether it is truly necessary. She personally asks herself, “Will this be future kalat (clutter)?”—a question that often curbs impulsive shopping.

In the end, Christine stressed that a tidy home goes beyond aesthetics.

“I have seen the mental clarity that comes with a tidying practice. I have noticed this not just from my own experience but with all my clients. There always seems to be a big shift after tidying that has convinced me that this is more than just self-care; it’s connecting back to who we truly are and what we desire, and not what society tells us,” she said. “A cluttered space impacts our nervous system, which affects our physical and mental wellbeing. Not many realize our nervous system manages our sleep, digestion, hormones, and immunity. We can’t think our way to achieving calm and living our dreams; we have to set the space and environment for it to happen.”

For Christine, tidying is not about perfection. It is about creating space, both physically and mentally, to live with greater intention and ease in the year ahead.