Have you ever had the chance to watch a child play? Really play, with all their toys engaged in a story and doing all the voices that go with the characters? Completely lost to the world and engrossed in the game they were playing and oblivious to the world around them? THAT is flow: being fully engaged and focused, without having to make an effort.

I often come across clients who appear to be stuck in a vicious circle. They feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things they are surrounded by and that leads to a level of distraction that makes it impossible to focus enough to take action and remove some of the items that create the overwhelm in the first place. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

These blogs are often about organising subjects and they tend to be rather more step-by-step than some of you may prefer to see, especially if you are more creative/visceral than technically inclined. There is indeed a difference between the ways a creative person would approach certain activities and those of a more organised nature.

Even if you are acutely aware that things need to be sorted out in your home on occasion, there is one spot you probably overlook: the kitchen.

Don't worry: I’m reasonably sure you do your best to keep your kitchen clean and putting away your dishes once they are clean.

I have mentioned the notion of guilt in the context of clutter on many occasions, but never really elaborated what this means in practical terms. Guilt is a powerful reason for us to hang on to items that would be better served with letting them go.

Our mind is a powerful tool to help us get through life, but it also is strong enough to influence our behaviour and make us do things that are not in our best interest. Just think about obsessive compulsive disorder or addictive behaviour – yes: addiction can have physical elements that keep it going, but no addiction is complete without a mental element to it, right?