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Summary

In this episode of Decluttering Untangled, host Heather Tingle speaks with Emma Sales about the unique challenges neurodivergent individuals face when moving house. They discuss the importance of planning, the emotional aspects of moving, and practical tips for decluttering and packing. Emma shares insights from her book, 'Unpacked Neurodivergence and Moving House,' emphasising the need for personalised strategies and the acceptance of one's own moving process. The conversation highlights the significance of creating a safe space during the transition and managing stress effectively.

In this conversation, Emma Sails shares her experiences and insights on moving, particularly from the perspective of neurodivergence. She discusses the challenges faced during her own moving day, the importance of having backup plans, and the need for clear communication and organisation. Emma emphasises the significance of creating a safe space during transitions and reflects on her past moves, highlighting the lessons learned. The discussion culminates in practical tips for a successful move.

Key topics

Challenges of moving house with neurodivergence
Strategies for planning and decluttering
Importance of safe spaces and routines during move
Using tools like spreadsheets and labels effectively
Managing stress and overwhelm in the moving process

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Emma Sales and her book
02:00 Why moving house is especially stressful for neurodivergent individuals
03:58 Personal experiences and motivations for writing the book
07:08 Planning and organizing the move: tips for neurodivergent minds
10:11 Using visual plans and spreadsheets to aid packing
12:04 Labeling and prioritizing items for easier unpacking
14:57 Creating safe spaces and managing overwhelm during the move
17:55 Dealing with last-minute packing and unexpected challenges
22:01 Supporting neurodivergent family members during the move
26:01 Reflections on past moves and lessons learned
30:06 Final tips and encouragement for a successful move

Link to Emma Sails:

https://navigatingneurodivergence.co.uk

Link to Emmas Book: Unpacked: Neurodivergence and Moving House - (Amazon affiliate link)

courses.untangledbytingle.com Getting Started and Zoning Workshop

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

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Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

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Summary

There is a new decluttering trend doing the rounds called House Hushing, coined by Myquillyn Smith, known online as The Nester. Heather breaks down what it actually involves, where it works brilliantly, and why she has some real reservations about it for anyone with a genuinely full house or an ADHD brain.

What You Will Learn

• What House Hushing is and the three steps behind it, the Holding Area, the Pause, and the Return
• How House Hushing fits into Myquillyn Smith's wider four part approach, decluttering, quiet decorating, soulful styling, and living seasonally
• When this method genuinely works well, and who it suits
• Why a full house makes this method tricky in practice
• The doom bag risk hiding inside this method, especially for ADHD brains
• Why decluttering by category beats decluttering by room
• Heather's take on how to adapt House Hushing so it actually sticks

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to House Hushing and Its Popularity

00:30
What is House Hushing and Its Core Principles

01:01
The Three Steps of House Hushing: Holding Area, Pause, Return

01:57
The Benefits of a Quiet, Simplified Space

02:26
Personalizing Your Space and Seasonal Living

03:55
Ideal Scenarios for House Hushing: Renovations and Full Projects

06:56
Practical Challenges: Space, Sorting, and Emotional Impact

08:50
Risks of Instant Gratification and Over-Correction

10:13
Limitations: Addressing Underlying Habits and Systems

11:42
Recommendations for Effective House Hushing and Final Thoughts

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary

You know that moment when the kitchen cupboard finally shuts, because you've moved half of what was in there to a back stock cupboard in the garage or a shelf in the cellar? It feels like a win. It isn't.

In this episode Heather unpacks one of the most common (and sneakiest) decluttering mistakes, splitting or extending a category so some of it can live in a different room. It solves the problem in room one for about five minutes, then quietly creates two new ones, in room one and room two.

Heather explains why this happens (it's not laziness, it's your brain looking for the fastest way out of a hard decision), the three knock on effects that show up later, decision fatigue, forgotten back stock, and a second room that was never designed to hold the extra weight, and walks through real examples including summer and winter clothes, books scattered across the house, and children's toys split between three rooms.

You'll also get the actual fix: how to choose one proper home for a category based on where it's really used, and reduce what you own until it fits comfortably, rather than reaching for a second location every time it doesn't.

If you've got clutter quietly living in more than one place, this episode will help you spot it and, more importantly, sort it for good.

In this episode:

• What "splitting a category" actually means and why it feels like progress
• The three problems it creates over time
• Real examples: seasonal clothing, books, and children's toys
• How to pick one home for a category and make it actually fit
• Why this isn't a willpower issue, and how to give yourself permission to fix it

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The common decluttering mistake
00:30 The problem with splitting categories
01:26 How splitting causes decision fatigue
02:23 Secondary spaces and their pitfalls
04:15 Examples of category splitting: books and toys
07:07 Strategies for effective decluttering
08:34 Creating space and reducing categories
09:58 The importance of proper decluttering
10:27 Final tips and encouragement

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary

Two clients, one week, the same sentence. "I'm worried because I'm sentimental about everything." It's a phrase Heather hears often, and one that quietly convinces people they're worse at decluttering than everyone else.

In this episode, Heather breaks sentimentality down into four levels, most of what feels precious isn't actually equal, and talks through how neurodivergence can shape emotional attachment to belongings. She shares the story of a bag of trip souvenirs that taught her the difference between a true memory and something that just happened to be sitting next to one through osmosis. She also makes the case for why being sentimental, far from being a disadvantage, is a skill worth developing rather than a flaw to fix.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why sentimentality isn't a weakness, and why it's simply a natural part of being human
• How neurodivergence can shape emotional attachment to belongings
• The four levels of sentimentality, from long-time possessions to pure sentimental items, and the "osmosis" attachment in between
• The difference between fondness and true sentimental attachment
• How grouping souvenirs and keepsakes together makes them all feel equally important, and how to break that grouping apart
• The question to ask yourself about any item, would this matter if it was the only memory you had left
• Why non-sentimental, disposable living leads to more clutter and more cost over time, not less
• Why caring for your possessions and feeling attached to them is a skill worth developing, not a disadvantage

Mentioned in this episode:

• DeclutterCon, Heather's upcoming event for practical tips, reframes and connections to move forward decluttering and community support

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary

Heather debunks the myth that decluttering means minimalism, emphasising that a home should reflect personal love and functionality rather than societal ideals of minimalism. She discusses practical tips for organising, the importance of having backups, and embracing a lived-in, personality-filled space.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction: Debunking the myth of minimalism

00:29
Why decluttering isn't about minimalism

01:00
The importance of a home that feels good

01:27
The reality of real homes versus social media images

02:27
The pitfalls of owning nothing

03:23
The value of having backups and extras

04:46
Visual clutter versus sensory needs

05:45
Creating a home that feels welcoming and personalised

07:13
Living with emptiness and adjusting to space

08:07
The 'just in case' pile and planning ahead

09:04
Hobbies, collections, and loving your belongings

10:01
The goal: functional, organised, and personalised spaces

11:24
Organising for purpose, not perfection

12:17
You can have a lived-in, chaotic, yet calm home

12:48
Final thoughts: Focus on what you love and need

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary:

If you've ever put loads of time and energy into decluttering and getting organised, only to watch it completely unravel the second life gets difficult, this episode is for you. Heather talks through one of the most common patterns she sees in client homes and inside the Untangled Life membership: building systems that only work when everything is going well. She explains why that happens, what to do instead, and how designing for your worst week actually makes your best weeks even easier.

In This Episode:

00:00 Why does it all go wrong?
Heather opens with something so many people experience but rarely talk about. You do all the work, you create the system, and then one hard week hits and it looks like a bomb's gone off. She explains exactly why that happens and why it is not a discipline problem.

05:38 The fantasy self problem
The system you built was probably built for a version of you that was rested, on top of things, and having a decent week. Heather talks through why that's such a natural trap to fall into, and why it's also the thing quietly sabotaging your home.

09:17 The fallback system fix
The solution isn't a better system. It's a system with a built-in backup for the hard days. Heather walks through a practical example involving bathroom towels and airing cupboards, and explains how to find the right fallback for your own home.

Have you bought your ticket to DeclutterCon 2026 yet? Its going to be AMAZING! full of new ways of thinking, support, companies to support your decluttering and accountability to make changes when you get home - all without the overwhelm or judgement. An Untangling Community coming together. 10/10/26, Sheffield UK. www.decluttercon.co.uk for details.

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary

In this episode, Heather shares the trick she occasionally uses on herself, and with clients, to get a decluttering task started when it really doesn't want to happen. By pairing a dreaded decluttering task with another dreaded task that has a fixed deadline, she's worked out how to make procrastination work in your favour instead of against you.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Decluttering Strategies

02:48
The Letter of Two Evils Trick

05:52
Setting Up Your Projects for Success

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.

Send me a text message about this podcast

Summary

Have you ever stood in a room, able to see exactly what needs to happen, but nothing will move because one thing is waiting on another thing, which is waiting on another thing?

That is the bottleneck, and in this episode we're sorting it out.

I walk you through the placeholder method: a simple, slightly-messy-in-the-short-term approach that gets everything moving again, even when the thing you're waiting for hasn't arrived yet. We use the sideboard example, but this applies everywhere in your home, and once you see it, you will not be able to unsee it.

We also talk about why the placeholder does something that waiting never can: it gives you real information. About volume, about what you actually use, about whether the storage solution you've been dreaming of is really going to do what you think it will.

Spoiler: sometimes it is. Sometimes it absolutely isn't. Either way, you'll know.

In this episode:

• What the bottleneck actually is and why ND brains are especially prone to it
• The placeholder method explained, and what to use if you don't have the real thing yet
• Why messy short term is absolutely worth it for movement long term
• How placeholders tell you the volume of what you're working with before you spend a penny on furniture
• Test-driving a rehome before you commit to it
• Ditching the rose-tinted glasses on storage solutions that haven't arrived yet
• Where else this method works beyond the living room sideboard

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to the Waiting Game

02:50
Understanding the Bottleneck Effect

05:46
The Placeholder Method Explained

08:51
Testing the Placeholder: Real Feedback

11:30
Applying the Placeholder Method in Various Spaces

14:37
Encouragement and Community Engagement

Come and tell me where your bottleneck is. I genuinely want to know. Find me on Instagram or come into the Untangled Life community and let's talk about it.

Resources

• DeclutterCon

Support the show

If you'd like to say 'Thank you', by buying me a virtual coffee (it'll actually buy me a cup of tea!), you can do so HERE. It will mean I can afford to continue to give help for free and continue with this podcast.

Get started with my Zoning and Getting Started Workshop, everything you need to know on how to get started and have the best success when decluttering.

Join my free Declutter Community for real support, tips and advice from Heather and other Untanglers that are just like you!

Follow me on Facebook

Buy my Declutter Your Home Planner from Amazon to start to declutter your home yourself! (affiliate link)

Grab my current freebies to support a cleaner, tidier home.

Follow me on instagram

Feel free to email me: help@untangledbytingle.com
Please note, I may not be able to reply, but do read all emails to me and appreciate them massively.