My client said, "I feel like I'll never get through all my clutter."
I said that it's not a one day job. It's done in pieces. You pick a small area to begin and you start there. That one area is your only concern while you are working. You go through one thing at a time, ignoring everything else.
She said, "But I can't help but see all the rest of the stuff and I get overwhelmed."
I told her that seeing everything and shutting down was an old habit. It didn't serve her. She was learning a new way to take an inventory of her stuff. She was slowing down her attention and only considering one thing. It's easier to look at only one item and ask, "Do I actually like and use this, or not?" And then move on to the next item.
I said this was a more considerate way to work because it would be gentler on her.