Marie Kondo is an unlikely guru. The twinkle-toed expert that skips onto our TV screens, rifles through a householder’s drawers and encourages them to squeeze a jumper to ‘spark joy’ has got the world transfixed. She motivates people to declutter and create a zen-like experience in their homes on her Netflix show Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.

But as the misty-eyed homeowners thank Kondo for helping restore some order to their lives, it’s clear she has achieved more than just a bit of spring cleaning. By ridding them of their physical clutter, she appears to have given them more headspace and an ability to take on the world. The Japanese clean queen has, whether she intended to or not, become a self-help guru.