Feeling the urge to do a regenerating spring clean? Here's how the 'doom diamond' method can help you tackle that big box of junk once and for all – and help you to fine-tune your storage solutions.
Nothing fuels anxiety quite like a pile of unsorted household items. We've all been there. Life happens, you've been busy, and before you know it, your to-sort list has tipped into 'where do I even begin?' territory. We know how good it feels to have a clean, tidy space, but when you're burning the candle at both ends, sometimes the only option is to assemble a pile and leave it for another day.
Which is where the concept of the 'doom box' comes from. 'Doom' stands for 'didn't organise, only moved', and you likely have at least one of these boxes somewhere at home. They're filled with things we meant to take care of, but instead chose a quick-fire approach of scooping it all up and saving it for another day. For many, it's a box; for others, a kitchen drawer that's full of letters, spare keys and everything in between. Tackling it might feel insurmountable, but luckily, the doom diamond method is here to help you sort through them, one step at a time.
What is the doom diamond method?
The doom diamond method asks you to take your doom box and sort the contents into four piles in a diamond shape around you.
The first pile is the easiest to tackle. This is the one full of things you simply need to bin. The next two are easy to sort but perhaps more time-consuming to redistribute: items with a home, and items without a home. The first of these can be blitzed with a quick whip around the house, and the next might take time to organise or you may even need to buy storage to manage effectively.
Your final pile contains the most demanding items, things that need to be actioned. This might be bills to pay, letters to shred or anything that takes a bit more management.
The beauty of dividing them in this way is that you can chip away at them at your own pace. Perhaps you've only got time to get rid of the rubbish that day, but even that small gesture will make your doom box a little lighter. Then there's the added relief of having gone through your box in the first place – sometimes seeing it sitting there staring at you is the most overwhelming part, whereas knowing what's inside and how bad it really is can help to manage how you feel about it.
As with all acts of decluttering, the minute you get started, more often than not you'll find the energy to go that bit deeper and tidy more than you'd planned to. But if all you have time for that day is a small section, at least you know you have a four-step process in place instead of a manic cull on your hands.
What I love about this method is that by sorting through everything, you're forced to examine things again and figure out whether you actually need them. Though other techniques are fantastic for helping you to keep on top of things day to day, the doom diamond helps you to restore lasting structure. If you can summon the strength to tackle yours, you'll remind yourself of your storage systems, and it will be easier to maintain them from here on out.
It isn't always easy to find the time, especially with work, children and social lives to juggle, but if you can work on a doom box this week, your shoulders will drop a little. For me, it's one of the best ways to restore balance if my head is feeling fried.