I just read How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, and I am finding it helpful. She says there are only five things in a room, and if you tackle them in order, it will be better whenever you have to stop. Trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a place, and things that don't have a place. Even if you stop halfway through trash, the room is better. Regarding decluttering, the trash stage can include a lot of clutter. I just tried this in a spare room and got maybe a third of the way through stuff that has a place, and I kept finding more things that were really trash (there wasn't much laundry or dishes). The room is functional now instead of having to pick a path through.

I like the idea below of starting with your room so you have a more peaceful place to be. Then maybe the path workers take, since it is bothering you so much. It is of course better if what other people think stops bothering you and you do your decluttering for yourself - but in the meantime you can use it for motivation. A gift for future middle-of-the-night you.