Decluttering Untangled with Heather Tingle : How to declutter when you're overwhelmed, ADHD or Autistic cover art

Decluttering Untangled with Heather Tingle : How to declutter when you're overwhelmed, ADHD or Autistic

Decluttering Untangled with Heather Tingle : How to declutter when you're overwhelmed, ADHD or Autistic

By: Heather Tingle
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About this listen

In this podcast, Heather will teach you what really works, and what doesn't, to successfully declutter your home - as when you're overwhelmed, ADHD or Autistic, it isn't just a case of hiring a skip and having a big sort out - it's not that easy!

Heather is an expert in working with families that live in chaos, and all the challenges that brings. She is Autistic and has ADHD so knows all about how neurodiversity links to clutter. As a naturally messy person herself, she can show you how to live in a clean, clutter free and organised home regardless of the issues you face. She thrives on creating strategies and systems that work for real families. Transforming your cluttered homes to calm, safe spaces can also improve your mental, physical and financial health, learn all about it in this podcast.

Heather Tingle has been a member of The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers since 2016. She and her family have had hoarding tendencies, living in messy homes, stuck in that never ending, exhausting cycle of chores and tidying. She decluttered her home and found a new, calmer and more content way to live. She now supports clients in person and online to achieve the same outcome in their own homes - and now you can learn how she does it through this podcast too!

© 2026 Heather Tingle trading as Untangled by Tingle
Hygiene & Healthy Living Neurodiversity Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • 128 - How to fix the problem of gifts that never get given
    Apr 3 2026

    Send me a text message about this podcast

    Summary

    You bought the gift. You meant well. You have absolutely no idea where it is now.

    This episode came in as a listener request and it is one of those topics that the moment you mention it, everyone nods. The gifts bought in a burst of excitement and never given. The birthday present found six months later still in the bag. The thing you ordered online that you are fairly sure is somewhere in the spare room.

    In this episode Heather explains why this happens so commonly for ND brains, and exactly what to put in place so gifts actually make it to their people.

    In this episode Heather covers:

    • Why buying the gift is the thoughtful bit and the follow-through is a completely separate skill
    • The one-home rule for gifts and why your wrapping supplies need to live there too
    • Why phone reminders often do not work for ADHD brains and what to use instead
    • Physical, visual and habit-anchored triggers that are actually harder to ignore
    • Why you should consider cutting yourself out of the delivery process altogether
    • Experience gifts and e-gift cards as a clutter-free, faff-free alternative

    Chapters

    00:00
    Introduction and Listener Request

    00:29
    The Thoughtful Act of Buying Gifts

    01:24
    The Dopamine Trap in Shopping

    02:22
    Challenges for Neurodivergent Brains and Executive Functioning

    03:12
    Designated Gift Storage Solutions

    04:35
    Keeping Gifts Organized and Accessible

    05:30
    Effective Triggers for Gift Delivery

    06:51
    Physical Reminders and Routine Integration

    08:11
    Accountability and Deadlines for Gift Posting

    09:58
    Simplifying the Sending Process with Direct Shipping

    11:51
    Reducing Stress by Cutting Out the Middle Step

    12:43
    Experience Gifts as Clutter-Free Alternatives

    13:36
    Summary and Final Tips


    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.


    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • 127 - Are you measuring your decluttering progress wrong?
    Mar 27 2026

    Send me a text message about this podcast

    Summary

    You spent hours decluttering. You are tired. You look around the room and it looks basically the same. Sound familiar?

    That feeling is one of the most common things Heather hears from clients, and it is one of the most demoralising parts of the whole process. In this episode, she explains exactly why that feeling is lying to you.

    Spoiler: decluttering is decision-making. Some categories, like paper, can contain hundreds or even thousands of individual decisions that take real time and real mental energy — without producing any obvious visual results at all.

    In this episode Heather covers:

    • Why visible before and afters are not a reliable measure of how much you actually achieved
    • Why paper and bitty bits can take hours with almost nothing to show for it visually
    • The two questions to ask yourself at the end of every decluttering session instead
    • Why the transformation you are imagining will happen — you just cannot skip to it


    Chapters

    00:00
    Introduction: Why Decluttering Feels Unproductive

    00:29
    Common Frustrations with Decluttering Efforts

    01:20
    The Myth of Visible Results in Decluttering

    02:11
    Why Dramatic Before-and-After Photos Are Misleading

    03:03
    The Snowball Effect and When Results Become Visible

    03:56
    The Complexity of Paper Decluttering

    05:19
    Reframing Progress: Focus on Decisions, Not Looks

    06:34
    Measuring Progress Through Decisions and Items Removed

    07:55
    The Power of Letting Go and Visualizing Progress

    08:48
    Invisible Work: The Hardest Part of Decluttering

    09:48
    Encouragement to Stay the Course and Celebrate Decisions

    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.


    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • 126 - How to declutter the spare room of doom
    Mar 20 2026

    Send me a text message about this podcast

    Summary

    That room. You know the one. It started out as a guest bedroom, a home office, maybe a gym. Now it is a dumping ground with a closed door and a whole lot of delayed decisions behind it.

    In this episode, Heather Tingle tackles the spare room head on. Why it fills up, why it is always the last room to get sorted, and exactly what you need to do to finally reclaim it.

    In this episode you will learn:

    • Why the spare room is always last on the list (and why that makes complete sense for your brain)
    • Why sorting it feels so draining before you have even moved a single box
    • The one thing you need to do before you touch anything in that room
    • The simple rule that guides every decision you will make in there
    • Why this is not a ten minute timer job and how to approach it in a way that actually works

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • The PAVES System — listen to the earlier episodes for Heather's full exit strategy framework before you start
    • The Untangled Community on Facebook — share your before and after photos and get cheered on every step of the way

    Chapters

    00:00 The Spare Room of Doom
    04:06 Understanding the Emotional Weight of Clutter
    06:54 Defining the Purpose of Your Spare Room
    10:03 The Sorting Process: Making Decisions
    14:14 Recap and Encouragement for Action



    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.


    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I love the approach of these podcasts, the practical strategies and innate understanding of her audience's needs and the way we think. Do yourself a favour and listen to Heather, no sugar coating or artificial hype, just down to earth assessments of what is achievable and with doable strategies...
she's the real deal, gently honest and clever strategies that rally help.

Most compassionate with Best strategies for decluttering l have ever heard

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