My teen-aged daughter claimed that if she tidied her bedroom she no longer knew where things were. The clutter was ‘organised’, at least according to her. But she appears to be in the minority. According to a study by the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, clutter does more than take up space in our homes and workplaces. It actually limits our brain’s ability to focus and process information and can have an impact on mental health.

An extended version of this article, along with lots of other (previously unpublished) effective and practical advice is now included in our book, Anxiety to Calm: a practical guide to a laid back life which is available in paperback and Kindle.