Professional declutter share her trick for avoiding burnout when decluttering with the 'little and often' approach

Want to know the best way to declutter? Lucy Mansey, a professional organiser and declutterer, has revealed that the best way to complete any decluttering task is by following the mantra ‘little and often’.

No matter how many decluttering methods you have under your belt when you have a big tidying task in front of you, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. But one way to declutter when you feel overwhelmed is to break the task down into smaller bitesize chunks, completing smaller tasks at a time.

Sitting down with us to discuss her recent collaboration with Currys, Lucy spilled her decluttering secrets - and this one will help you banish feelings of overwhelm and get to grips with the task at hand.

‘I think a common mistake is feeling like you have to do a huge amount in one go whereas actually what my motto would be is little and often,’ says Lucy.

Decluttering little and often would mean following methods such as micro-decluttering and the 1-3-5 decluttering method which centre on breaking down cleaning and decluttering tasks into manageable chunks. Having tried both methods myself, I truly found focusing on smaller tasks made completing my main goal far easier and less time-consuming.

‘Short-bursts or micro-decluttering, is a great method of slowly decluttering your home, taking 15 minutes or so at a time to tackle a section of any room or standalone space,’ says Rachal Hutcheson, rational retail Manager at Sharps.

‘The key is taking on one area at a time, be that the corner of a room or a single drawer - and staying realistic about what can be achieved. No need to lose a whole day or weekend, simply look at the week ahead and plan mini-slots to clear the decks. The mood-boosting feeling of accomplishment when one area has been cleared will likely drive you on to the next – making it more of a successful project by the end of any one month.’

Lucy's top tip for feeling overwhelmed

As well as advocating for decluttering in little and often bursts, Lucy also stresses the importance of taking a break from decluttering if you need to.

‘If you would benefit from walking away and having a moment, that’s definitely what I would advise,’ she says.

‘Whether that walking away needs to be an hour or a day - depending on what space your working on and obviously you need to keep it safe. If you can shut the door and come back to it when you're mentally prepared, that would be far more beneficial than feeling completely unhappy in the space that you’re in.

‘I like to liken it to a PT or going to the gym. This concept of little and often then you change your lifestyle and then it will become part and parcel of what you do. It’s the same with decluttering and organising - you do it little and often and your lifestyle will change.

‘Like going to the gym, organising is very much a form of self-care, and it’s paramount for me and many, many people.’

Decluttering is a form of self-care, with a tidy space creating positive mental energy. However, if it is a task that overwhelms you, remember to take breaks and complete tasks little and often.