There is a common misunderstanding that clutter and disorganisation are the same thing, or at least closely related. In fact, they are two distinctly different things. They may affect each other, but the reasons and effects of both issues are totally separate things.

The terms themselves give us a clue as to what is involved: “clutter” is initially an issue with physical items, while “disorganisation” has to do with the way we deal with things, both in the physical world and in the mind.

I often come across clients who have reached out because they feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making their homes work for them. Sometimes we have to delve deep into the reasons behind that feeling, and often the feeling has nothing to do with the stuff in that household. Maybe the partner is creating more havoc than they should, or the kids are too much to deal with, or someone interferes with their sense of calm in some manner.

But in other cases, the matter is completely unrelated to the physical items in a home, and is all about the tasks my client has chosen to take upon themselves…