FLEMING ISLAND – In modern life, we often hold onto a lot more than we need. Our lives and our spaces become cluttered. That can affect us in multiple ways.

Clutter can be a detriment to our physical and mental health, our relationships and our productivity. Luckily for First Coast residents, Rosie Baskett of Fleming Island is here to help.

Baskett is one of fewer than 450 certified KonMari consultants in the world.

Marie Kondo is an expert in tidying up and the art of decluttering. She is also a bestselling author and has her own show on Netflix, called “Tidying Up with Marie.” Kondo is the developer of the KonMari Method of decluttering. The basic premise of the method is to tidy up by category rather than by room. In this way, the result is for the client to be left with a house full of items that spark joy, and for the client to never go back to a life of clutter.

“I read the book, ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,’ by Marie Kondo,” said Baskett. “I read it about six years ago, and I did my home, and it really changed the way that my family and I use our home. Things are easier, things stayed organized, and about a year ago I just decided I wanted to do that for a living. I wanted to try helping people organize. I reached out to see if she [Kondo] did any training, and I found out that there is a certified consulting course. I applied and was accepted and went through all the steps to become certified.”

Baskett has since been helping clients to declutter in the KonMari way.

Although Baskett has only been KonMari certified since March, she has been working on the process for about one year. The process includes attending a seminar, going through a practice declutter with someone. Baskett took the practice client through an entire home tidy for over 30 hours and provided KonMari with photos to demonstrate what was being done. Finally, there was an interview before formally accepted as a certified consultant.

Usually, she says, the clients are often overwhelmed to begin the process.

“As they start it and they realize how much they have in their home that they don’t use or doesn’t serve a function to them or doesn’t make them happy when they let that go and keep only the things that do make them happy, they find their homes to be more relaxing, more calm and more joyful,” said Baskett. “It’s not about getting rid of things as much as just finding what makes you happy and keeping those things.”