While it might be tempting to turn out a handbag and sort through all of it, sometimes that is so daunting it stops us from starting.

If this is the case try a very quick declutter of the most obvious junk in your bag.

Dip in and grab something. Ask yourself:

• Is it useful?
• Should it be there?
• Is it broken?
• Is it out of date?
• Do I really need to carry it around all the time?
• Are there lots of duplicates?

Can you find 5 things that you no longer need in your bag?

If you want to take this to the next level you could start to think about how you use your bag. Does it take you a long time to find something in it? Are there pockets you could designate for certain things like keys or your phone? Start small and see how it works for you.

If you like to have things with you all the time, could you find smaller, more portable versions instead of large ones. Swap a large notebook for a smaller one, a normal hairbrush for a foldable.

If you find the dipping in approach frustrating then you can use the same rules to turn out the entire bag. I do proper turn outs once every couple of months but I find just finding 5 things that shouldn’t be in my bag, every now and then keeps it all under control.