Reiki, KonMari, and the Art of Letting Go: How to Reduce Burnout and Create More Joy at Work with Michelle Shinagawa
Episode 48
What if the clutter in your workspace, and your mind, is costing you more than you think?
In Episode 48 of The People Success Circle, I sit down with Michelle Shinagawa, a Reiki master teacher and KonMari organizing consultant, to talk about two Japanese practices that go far beyond typical advice on how to reduce burnout at work. Michelle walks me through a live Reiki technique for releasing stress in real time, and explains how the KonMari method can be applied to your calendar, your meetings, and even your network, not just your closet. Keep reading for practical ways to create more space and more joy in your workday.
In this episode of The People Success Circle, I explore the following:
I learn what Reiki is and how it works as an energy healing practice, including a live demonstration of a calming technique
I explore why releasing stress first, before layering on positive affirmations, makes such a difference
I dig into the KonMari method and how focusing on what sparks joy, rather than what to throw away, changes the entire process
I cover how physical clutter raises cortisol levels and quietly contributes to burnout and lost productivity
I share why the average American worker spends 40 hours a year just looking for things, and what that actually costs
I ask Michelle how to apply KonMari beyond your home — to your office, your calendar, your meetings, and your network
I explore why leaders need to look inward first before they can help their teams reduce burnout
🎧 Tune in or keep reading to walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately—for yourself or the people you lead.
🔗 Helpful Links
🌐 Michelle Shinagawa Links:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
🌐 Mindy’s website for business consulting: https://www.limerockcareerco.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Episode 48: Watch or Listen
Key Takeaways From Episode 48
Release First, Then Add Positivity
One of the most useful things Michelle shared is that we often try to layer positive affirmations on top of stress we never actually released. Before "I've got this," she teaches a quick Reiki technique called dry bathing — a simple crosswise brushing motion down the arms, done with intentional breath, to release whatever you're carrying before you walk into something hard. It's fast, it's not woo-woo in practice, and it's the kind of thing you could genuinely do in your car before a big meeting.
The KonMari Method Isn't Just About Your Closet
Most of us know KonMari as "does it spark joy," but Michelle's point is that it's really a decision-making practice, not just a decluttering one. Instead of deciding what to throw away, you decide what to keep, and that shift changes how it feels. She's used it with clients on their homes, their calendars, their meetings, and even their professional network, letting go of what doesn't serve them and being more intentional about what does.
Clutter Has a Real Cost — In Stress and in Dollars
Michelle cited a UCLA study linking being surrounded by too much stuff to higher cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which can contribute to burnout, anxiety, and even insomnia. And it's not just a wellness issue — it's a productivity one. The average American worker reportedly spends about 40 hours a year just looking for things, and disorganization is estimated to cost companies close to $89 billion annually. That reframes decluttering as a real business issue, not just a personal one.
Leaders Have to Declutter Themselves First
When I asked Michelle what she'd tell a leader whose team is showing signs of burnout, her answer wasn't a team exercise — it was to look at their own life first. Leaders model what calm under pressure actually looks like, and whatever they're carrying tends to trickle down to their team. Self-care isn't separate from leadership here; it's the starting point.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of The People Success Circle for more practical insights and leadership strategies you can start applying right away.
Read the full transcript
Mindy: Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of the People Success Circle podcast. My guest today is Michelle Shinagawa. Michelle and I met each other last month at a conference in Indianapolis. Once I met her, I realized that all of you could benefit from learning about Michelle and her expertise, because it applies so perfectly to the people side of the business as we're looking for ways to combat burnout and increase wellness. There are some unique things Michelle is going to teach us today. Michelle, welcome — I'm so glad you're here.
Michelle: Mindy, thank you so much for having me. And hi everyone. I'm very excited, and I'm learning a lot from you about networking and LinkedIn, and I'm so grateful that I met you at the conference.
Mindy: I'm so grateful to meet you too. I love expanding my network — it's naturally something I love to do. But the other benefit is that I get to meet people who bring different perspectives. I've been in the world of human resources for over 30 years, and what you're going to talk to us about today are two things I've never seen integrated into workplace culture. I'm always looking for another tool to have in our toolbox as leaders or employees to make work a better place to be, regardless of where that is. So Michelle, tell us a little about your background and what you do today.
Michelle: I grew up in a beautiful countryside of Osaka, Japan. I was a really shy girl who never raised her hand in the classroom, and I used to say things like, "I don't need to learn English, because I'll never leave Japan." So imagine my surprise when my dad got a job in the States and we all moved here when I was seventeen.
Mindy: Seventeen — and did you go to high school here?
Michelle: I did my senior year of high school here, which — if you've ever been to Japan — the culture is completely different, not just the language. It took me a lot to adapt, and in the beginning I never thought I'd be able to adapt to American culture or speak English. Thankfully, with friends' help, I was able to. I'm now a Reiki master teacher and a KonMari organizing consultant. It started because when my dog Cliff was six years old, he was limping with arthritis. A friend came to me and said, "I'm taking a Reiki class this weekend, and I heard it's great for arthritis — maybe it'll work for your dog." I said, "Okay, sign me up," even though I didn't know what Reiki was at the time. It's originally from Japan, but I'd never heard of it, and I wasn't a spiritual person at all. But after I took the class and gave my dog a couple of sessions, he stopped limping. It didn't take long, so it was pretty amazing.
I think my dog guided the universe for me to learn Reiki, because what I noticed is that my anxiety started changing too. I used to be really shy, and I had a lot of anxiety because I was working at one of the top advertising agencies on Madison Avenue in New York City, which is a very stressful place. I felt like I had imposter syndrome — working as a graphic designer at a top agency, and here I was this little girl from Japan who didn't even speak perfect English. I used to be really stressed. But once I learned Reiki, I noticed I was very peaceful. All the mental chatter was going away. And then people started coming to me, saying, "Michelle, how come you're so peaceful? We're under this really tight deadline." They'd come to me to get a little oasis.
Mindy: So you were modeling it in a very high-stress environment at work, and people started to notice.
Michelle: Yes, and that's why I kept taking my Reiki classes, because I really felt like I'd rather be in this place of not carrying all that mental chatter and negative talk. It got to a point where my choice was either stop learning, or become a Reiki master teacher. I remember thinking, there's no way I'm going to be in front of people teaching, because I was too shy.
Mindy: And now you're speaking on stages, Michelle. You've come full circle.
Michelle: I know, it's crazy. That's how I started with Reiki, and I learned so many ways to be more mindful. There are really great tools that I now teach my students, at my workshops and keynotes, for how to release anxiety very quickly.
Mindy: So for somebody who's never heard of Reiki before — is it "Reiki"? R-E-I-K-I? Let's talk about what it actually is, and then how you teach people to use these techniques in the workplace.
Michelle: Sure. Reiki is a Japanese energy healing modality. You know how when you have a headache, you often put your hands on it, and it feels a little better? Reiki translates to "universal life force energy." I know that sounds a little woo-woo to some of you, but you're actually using your hand's healing energy, gathering energy to heal yourself. We all have this ability — what I do is teach how to utilize it.
Mindy: When we were prepping for this, you mentioned you could physically show us an example. If you're watching on YouTube, you'll be able to see it — and if you're listening elsewhere, head over to YouTube for the visual demonstration. So, tell us a little more about what that looks like when you're helping someone use the energy productively to reduce their stress.
Michelle: If you're an entrepreneur or working at a corporate place — really, I think almost anyone these days experiences stress. When you have stress, what often happens is you just keep taking it on and taking it on, and keep taking care of other people. At my workshops, I share a few tools to first release it. Affirmation is great, meditation is great, there are many things that can help you feel more at ease — but my recommendation is to release whatever is bothering you first, instead of piling something positive right on top of it. What we often do is say something like, "I am confident," on top of an unspoken "I'm no one, nobody cares about me," and it doesn't work, because in our head we go, "Who am I kidding?"
Mindy: That makes a lot of sense, because it's hard to add a positive affirmation on top of a conflicting thought that's saying you're not good enough.
Michelle: Exactly. So if you have an important meeting to walk into, instead of just saying "I've got this," here's a Reiki technique called dry bathing. It's very easy: bring your right hand over to your left shoulder, then brush crosswise all the way down and across, then your left hand over to your right shoulder and brush across, and repeat — right, left, right — three times total. As you do it, breathe in, and breathe out with the intention of releasing whatever is on your mind. It activates your meridians and releases excess energy, so if you're feeling nervous, or you just walked out of a meeting where someone dumped a bunch of negative energy on you, you can do this and release it — and then move into "I am confident, I'm going to nail this meeting."
Mindy: [After trying the exercise] That felt really calming. I didn't expect that in the middle of a podcast. Is that a good sample of the kind of technique someone could use for their mental health and balance?
Michelle: Yes. There are quite a few techniques from my Reiki studies that I bring specifically into workshops. I normally teach a two-day Reiki workshop where people learn self-care and how to give sessions to others, but not everyone wants to become a healer — so in my 90-minute workshop, I teach a few of these Reiki-driven techniques to help you center yourself and release things so you don't have to carry them around.
I'm also a KonMari consultant, which is the Japanese art of decluttering, and I combine the two. One of the key points of the KonMari method is that you release what no longer serves you, with gratitude, and then bring in what sparks joy. So if your boss said something unkind and it upset you, instead of holding onto it, you can say, "Thank you for teaching me compassion, thank you for showing me what I didn't do right," and let it go — then bring in whatever positivity you want, whether that's affirmation or meditation. Once you learn it, it's very quick.
Mindy: Yes, and it's interesting how that ties into KonMari, which I want to talk about next. With Reiki, we're releasing what's bogging down our mind, heart, and spirit — and it's very similar to what happens with the physical things in KonMari. How did you go from Reiki into KonMari?
Michelle: I started with Reiki in 2001, and KonMari in 2017, so there was quite a gap. They're both from Japan, interestingly. I used to be the messy one — stuff all over the place, socks on the floor, an avalanche from the closet — and I tried everything else before KonMari, and nothing worked. I'd try for a whole weekend and the next weekend everything was a mess again. When I came to the KonMari method, it actually worked, and I was looking forward to tidying my home, which was the biggest shift. What I loved is that we focus on what sparks joy, instead of the negative — "I'm so stupid, I bought this expensive thing I never used."
Mindy: Before we go further into KonMari and how it helps in the workplace, tell listeners what KonMari actually is.
Michelle: KonMari is a Japanese art of decluttering where the focus is on keeping what sparks joy, rather than deciding what to throw out. A lot of methods say things like, "if you buy one, throw one away," or "you can only have 30 pairs of shoes." KonMari is different — you can keep as many things as you want, as long as they spark joy. I didn't want to be limited, and I also didn't want to focus on the negative, like beating myself up over how many things I owned or how much something cost. With other methods, I'd go into a negative spiral and end up not wanting to do it again. With KonMari, it's all about choosing what sparks joy — and it's not just physical decluttering, it's training yourself to focus on what sparks joy in every decision, whether that's food, career, or anything else.
Mindy: And someone can learn to recognize what sparks joy and what doesn't — it's a process.
Michelle: Yes, it's a process of learning. With KonMari, if we're doing a home, we go through every single item and decide whether it sparks joy.
Mindy: How does someone determine that? Is there a series of questions?
Michelle: The first question is simply, does it spark joy? If a client can't decide, I'll ask other questions. What's great is that as people go through items, say books they haven't looked at in ten years, they might come across something that makes them think, "I really wanted to do engineering," and that sparks joy again. People often reconnect with an old passion, or even change careers, just by going through their belongings. It's not just moving stuff to the garbage — it's seeing your life through the lens of what sparks joy for you. Only you can do that; I can't do it for you, because it's deep, internal work.
Mindy: I can imagine people listening thinking, "But what if nothing in my office sparks joy?" We tend to think of KonMari as something for the home, but it can absolutely apply to your car, your office, or your digital clutter too.
Michelle: Yes. Do you know how many hours the average American worker spends looking for things?
Mindy: I don't know.
Michelle: About 40 hours a year — roughly one full work week, just looking for things, that could otherwise be vacation. It happens because everything is disorganized. I used to do this too, before KonMari — always looking for where I put my notes or papers. It's estimated to cost companies about $89 billion annually.
Mindy: I believe that. It's just me and my assistant Laura on my team, and there are still times both of us are looking for something. When you think about the physical cost of disorganization, that's a huge number. And beyond the dollar cost, there's the frustration — I know I've beaten myself up over not being able to find something.
Michelle: Yes. There's also a UCLA study that found being surrounded by too many things increases cortisol levels, the stress hormone, which can contribute to depression, insomnia, and other issues. That's part of why you feel better, more creative, more productive, when you walk into an uncluttered hotel room — there's no clutter pulling at your attention.
Mindy: That's so true — I always feel better with less clutter around me, whether it's my laptop or my physical environment. My husband and I spent last weekend cleaning out our garage. He's retired military, so we've moved a lot, and every move you accumulate more things — beautiful curtains that worked in one house but might not fit the next, so you keep them "just in case." Those decisions add up over years. It took us two full days to go through everything, and while we didn't formally ask "does this spark joy," I found myself feeling so much lighter every time we pull into the garage now, because we're not carrying years of boxes we don't need.
Michelle: Congratulations — and I've actually worked with retired military clients on KonMari-ing their homes, so I know exactly what you're describing. When you move that often, you don't know what you'll need next, so you tend to just take everything with you.
Mindy: Exactly — we had snorkeling gear from when we lived in Florida, and we haven't lived there in 17 years and used it maybe twice since. We finally donated it. You really have to think things through. So what advice do you have for people wanting to declutter their workspace, whether it's an office or a restaurant kitchen or anywhere else?
Michelle: My recommendation is to start with something physical first, then move to digital. The KonMari method has a specific process, and the first step is visualizing your ideal workspace — like deciding whether you want to go to Miami or San Francisco, you need to know your destination first. Then you move to clothing, if relevant (say, a chef's uniform), and ask if it sparks joy — if not, let it go. There's a deeper process after that, but broadly: when you let something go, do it with gratitude — "thank you, goodbye" — and where possible, donate it to someone who can actually use it rather than adding to a landfill. I use Buy Nothing groups for that. I once had about 40 Cookie Monster collectibles, and about 20 of them no longer sparked joy. Instead of dropping them at Goodwill, where they might just sit in a basement, I found one of my Reiki students' mom who ran a daycare and donated them there — I still hear how happy the kids are. How you let go matters, too.
After clothing comes books, then papers, then miscellaneous items, then sentimental items last, because those are hardest. Going category by category builds your "spark joy" muscle so the harder decisions get easier. Once everything has been through that process, you find a permanent home for each item. That's the physical part — physical items are easier to start with because you can see them. After that, you can KonMari non-physical things: your phone, your computer, your time, your meetings, even your network.
Mindy: I love that. Most workplaces won't have clothing, so you'd start with books and papers — just those two alone would help so many people. My husband got his master's degree about ten years ago and finally let go of the physical textbooks this weekend, because in this world of technology, he can find anything he needs online. So how would someone KonMari their time?
Michelle: You write out everything you do — it could be on your computer — and then you decide what sparks joy, and separate that from what you actually need to do, since there are real responsibilities. You let go of what doesn't spark joy and that you genuinely can let go of. Often we assume we're obligated to do something every week, but when you actually look at it, you realize you can say no. Then you prioritize based on urgency and how much something sparks joy, mixing and matching, rather than just being at the mercy of your calendar. For the things that don't spark joy but still need to happen, you can find small ways to make them more enjoyable, or approach them with gratitude.
Mindy: That's true — even just asking, "how do I make this one percent more joyful?" With my own company, there are things I don't find joyful, but I want a well-run organization and I want to keep bringing in revenue, so I keep doing them.
Michelle: Right — and if you look at your meetings specifically, we often schedule back-to-back half-hour or hour meetings with no time for a bathroom break or food. If you want to KonMari your meetings, you can say no to the ones that don't spark joy and aren't practical for you, and let those go with gratitude. You can also be more intentional — make a meeting 45 minutes instead of 60, but make it dense and purposeful, so you have 15 minutes in between.
Mindy: That makes sense — or even having a snack beforehand, treating yourself before you have to do something hard. Michelle, these are such great tools. Burnout is such a hot topic because people across every walk of life experience it, and I think both of the things you specialize in can be used by individuals without needing a boss's approval — we're responsible for our own workspace and our own time, even though there are certainly things we can't opt out of. As we wrap up, if you were talking to a leader whose team is showing signs of frustration, disengagement, and burnout, what would you recommend they do first?
Michelle: I'd say the leader needs to look at their own life first, and make sure they're taking care of themselves, because often the leader shows up in the organization carrying whatever they haven't dealt with, and that trickles down. Whatever they change in themselves may be exactly what the rest of the company needs. When people, leaders or employees, have more space, they have more capacity for creativity and productivity. Burnout happens when things just keep piling on top of each other. My recommendation for everyone is: make sure you take care of yourself first, and then make sure your employees have time to release things, and look at whether their time, their meetings, or even their network needs to be KonMari'd. It's not about adding more — it's about taking things out and keeping what sparks joy. When we're doing something exciting, it doesn't matter how much work it takes, we have the energy for it. That's the opposite of burnout.
Mindy: This has been so helpful, and honestly, I'm leaving this episode wanting to look into both Reiki and KonMari for my own mental clutter, my energy, and my physical space. I really appreciate you bringing two unique perspectives to a problem I hear people talk about constantly in the workplace — and I say "workplace," but this applies just as much to a stay-at-home parent, or anyone in the service industry. We're not just talking about office clutter — we're talking about clutter within life, however that looks for you.
Michelle: Thank you so much for having me. It was so much fun sharing this with you.
Mindy: Thank you, Michelle, for coming. If people want to get in touch with you, I imagine you have a website, LinkedIn, and Instagram — anything else you'd like to share, I'm happy to put in the show notes. Thank you so much for your time, and I hope everyone got as much out of this as I did.
Michelle: Thank you so much. That was so much fun.
