For Marie Kondo, Bento Boxes Are a Form of Self Care
Welcome to Feel-Good Five, where we ask people to share the stuff that helps them feel their best.
Watching Marie Kondo, expert of all things cleaning and organizing, in action is incredibly soothing. It’s not easy to completely overhaul people’s spaces while respecting the things that are most important to them, but Marie makes it look easy. We caught up with the creator of the KonMari Method, self-help author, and Netflix star to find out how she winds down when it’s time to focus on herself for a change.
1. Meal prepping as the ultimate act of love.
For breakfast, I like to make a Japanese-style meal that typically includes steamed rice, miso soup, and vegetables. Green, white, or matcha teas are my favorites. Then I’ll prepare bento boxes for my family, with sweet potato, chicken, berries, and onigiri. Sending my girls to school with bento boxes is like sharing a special meal with them even when we’re apart!
Read more: How to Make a Bento Box With Love from Marie Kondo
2. The Stress Relief Essential Oils that get her creative juices flowing.
I’ve been writing two new books and putting in long hours at my desk. So I started applying a stress-relief roller of calming oils to my neck to relax my body while working. It helps me keep calm and comfortable while remaining productive — and its scent of tarragon, frankincense, and sandalwood lasts for hours!
3. Practicing yoga with her kids.
I’ve been practicing yoga more consistently the past year, and I really love it. Sometimes I will stretch alongside my children to wind down the day.
4. Nailing down restless thoughts on paper.
When I need to sort through my thoughts, I take a blank sheet of paper and write down everything on my mind. I identify any tangled feelings and reasons for worry or anxiety, and clarify which issues I can and cannot control.
5. The coziest nighttime routine.
My nighttime ritual is a form of self-care. Once my two children are asleep, I change the water in all my flower vases and put things in the house back in their places. Because every item already has a designated home, I can usually complete this task within 10 minutes. As I put my things back into their places, I thank them for their hard work that day. I also invest in really nice organic cotton pajamas and linens because they spark joy for me — and because good sleep is essential to health.