Maybe it’s the lack of proper routine, maybe it’s the weather making tidying feel even less appealing, maybe it’s the children being off school and leaving a trail of carnage wherever they go, but there is nothing like summer to turn even the most orderly household into chaos. Which is why, come September, wardrobes are in disarray, fridges are full of half-used ingredients that went off weeks ago, and available surfaces are piled with an assortment of things varied enough to rival a car boot sale.
The problem is that this isn’t just making your home untidy, but your day-to-day life harder.
“Clutter creates so much mental and physical friction, even if you don’t realise it,” says professional organiser and decluttering expert Helen Constantine. “It is so visual, that whether you are aware of it or not, when your eyes scan a room, it really affects your headspace. And practically, it slows you down each day – not least when you can’t find your keys among the mess.”
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How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
Gratitude
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Caption: Two adult brothers enjoy a warm embrace in a sunny park. They stand beside a decorative fence surrounded by lush greenery, showcasing a strong bond and happiness in the moment.
Photographer: Beatriz Herrera
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: beatrizherreragonzalez@gmail.com
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Journal
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Caucasian mid adult patient writing a diary while recovering in the hospital ward – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
‘One question is how to achieve such a longevity hack when most of us have relationships that unsettle us,’ says Dr Amir Levine (Photo: Oliver Rossi/Getty)
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
Exercise with people you love (Photographer: Morsa Images/Getty/Digital Vision/Abel Mitj? Varela)
Caption: Group of Happy Asian senior women friends shopping and having lunch at restaurant on summer holiday vacation. Healthy elderly woman enjoy outdoor lifestyle meeting and eating food together.
Photographer: CandyRetriever
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Leon Poultney, a writer who specialises in cars, gives his EV recommendations, and the ones that should be avoided.
Renault 5 E-Tech
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
Mercedes-Benz CLA
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
Porsche Macan GTS
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
Kia EV 9
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
MG IM6
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
BYD Dolphin Surf
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
Leapmotor T03
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets and products a food editor swears by, all under £25
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Caption: best kitchen gadgets
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book Attached, explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Caption: Happy woman walking with male partner in vineyard during sunset. Elderly couple are touring in field against sky. They are enjoying during weekend.
Photographer: Morsa Images
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Side view of affectionate happy couple sitting in the cozy cafe. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Son’t assume your partner knows how you think (Photo: ljubaphoto/Getty/E+)
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Unhappy married couple facing away from each other in a quiet home, concept of emotional distance, loneliness in relationship and family problems – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Caption: Happy couples talking while walking embraced during spring day in a meadow.
Photographer: skynesher
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Candid shot happiness and togetherness Asian mother supporting daughter try to standing and walking first time and positive emotion – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Caption: Financial problems. Worried middle-aged woman holding utility bills, managing monthly household budget, sitting on bed feeling anxious. Cost of living concept
Photographer: MementoJpeg
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
Frustrated lonely shy guy sitting apart of others teenagers – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
What to do
- Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
- You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
- Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
- Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
No more orange juice. (Photo via pixaby)
It’s estimated ultra processed foods make up at least half of the average UK diet (Photo: Getty)
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Caption: Gail’s croissant
Image taken from https://gails.com/collections/breakfast/products/croissant
Croissants
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
It is mostly carbohydrate and without protein or fibre, it is digested quickly, leaving you feeling hungry.
Caption: Toasted bread and white background
Photographer: Daniel Tamas Mehes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Minden jog fenntartva!
Yakitori’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant – but what exactly is it? (Photo: Reuters)
Sushi
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Sarawak laksa is one of many varieties of this noodle soup (Photo: Tham Kee Chuan/Getty)
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Pizza
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Best pizza in Britain named – and owner reveals the secret to its success (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The Government has announced that the sugar tax will be extended to milkshakes (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Smoothies
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
‘Aged 14, I started what I considered to be my own little business selling confectionary,’ writes Beauty Dhlamini (Photo: Getty)
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
Which yoghurts are the best options? (Unsplash)
Caption: BANGKOK, THAILAND – OCTOBER 17: A “KT Herbalist”, a Kratom cocktail made from Kratom, coffee and siamese herbs is seen at Teens of Thailand, a bar in Bangkok’s Chinatown on October 17, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. In April 2021, the start of Thailand’s third and most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government banned the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, crippling the already suffering food and beverage industry. With a lack of government aid and support, some bars have shuttered their doors in hopes of reopening post-lockdown, while others shuttered their doors for good. But six months into Thailand’s most recent lockdown, Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, owner of Teens of Thailand, a gin bar located in a renovated shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown, decided that instead of waiting for the government to allow the sale of alcohol again, they would take advantage of Thailand’s recent legalization of Kratom. Kratom is a locally grown herbal drug with mild opioid and stimulant effects and was reclassified from a type-5 narcotic to a legal-to-grow herb in August 2021. While Thailand prepares for a tentative reopening on November 1st, the alcohol ban and curfew are set to continue, leaving business owners questioning if the country can revive its suffering tourism industry. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Photographer: Lauren DeCicca
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Alcohol
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
Senior woman on sofa feeling and suffering from back pain. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Many will worry about not saving enough for retirement (Photo: Alex Tihonov/Getty/Moment RF)
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Sleep
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: Maribel Ezcurra, 77, a retired milling machine mechanic, practices tai chi with fellow seniors in a park in the Playa neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Photographer: Ramon Espinosa
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
Caption: This is a photo of a senior man helping his wife lift weights. See PA Feature HEALTH Physio. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA feature HEALTH Physio. PA Photo.Picture credit should read: Alamy/PA.
NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature HEALTH Physio.
Photographer: Alamy
Provider: Alamy/PA
Source: PA
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Fit more walking into your day (Photo: andreswd/Getty/E+)
Sleep can affect your heart health (Photo: Flashpop/Getty/Digital Vision)
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
It can increase the decline of muscle mass and bone density, which needs to be avoided.
Calorie counting every day can be a pain (Photo: Getty)
How to age without pain
(Photo: Inga Erhan/ Gingagi/ Getty).
Protein
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
Menstrual pain, woman with stomachache suffering from pms at home, endometriosis, cystitis and other diseases of the urinary system – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.
Photographer: Xavier Lorenzo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Recovery
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
- See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
- The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
Plan 5 applies to students who began university courses on or after August 2023
(Photo: Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez/Getty Images/
Source: Moment RF)
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
A lot of thought needs to be put into transferring a DB pension to a DC pot (Photo: Getty Images)
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Loose, natural fabrics are the best clothing option when the temperature rises (Photo: Kate Wieser/Getty)
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
Caption: Young business woman searching for job online. Woman writing resume on laptop.
Photographer: Maria Korneeva
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
4 min read
Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
A policeman walking away from an elderly person’s home. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
The i Paper food writer Sophie Morris [below] asks chefs for their best ideas for hosting at home.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
Female Hands cutting bread. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Chef and food writer Helen Graham turns vegetables into centrepieces to cut down on meat and fish expenses.
Variety Fresh of organic fruits and vegetables and healthy vegan meal ingredients in reusable eco cotton bags on beige background . Zero waste shopping concept. Healthy food, clean eating, eco friendly, no plastic. Flat lay, top view – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Beautiful woman unpacks a full fabric bag with fruits and vegetables on the kitchen. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Many of the dishes we take for granted in British curry joints are entirely unlike anything you might find to eat in the subcontinent (Photo: Getty/E+)
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Generosity
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
(Photo: FilippoBacci/Getty Images/E+)
Man serving friends salad at backyard dinner party – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
Entertaining doesn’t have to be stressful (Photo: The Good Brigade/Getty/Digital Vision)
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Traditional ice cream parlours are still going strong (Shutterstock)
Tacos are a popular dish throughout the country (Photo: Daniela White Images/Getty)
Sundaes
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
The good news is that the turn of the season provides a natural opportunity to reset – and you do not need to sacrifice an entire bank holiday weekend to tackling the whole house. “It’s about progress, not perfection,” says Constantine. “If you have five or 10 minutes, pick one small zone and focus on that.”
Choose one of these five high-impact clutter hotspots, she says, and your home could feel considerably calmer and your daily life easier as autumn begins…
1. Your hallway
No area of the home has to work quite as hard as the hallway. It is where we arrive laden with bags, coats, post and shopping, and where we scramble to find everything again when trying to get out of the door.
“The majority of time you spend in the hallway is when you’re in a rush to get in or out the house,” says Constantine. “They also tend to be quite small spaces, so mess accumulates quickly. If you don’t have systems in place, things just end up in piles, on the floor or thrown over overflowing coat hooks. And unfortunately, an untidy hallway is the first thing you or guests see, and you carry that impression with you into the home.”
How to fix it
First decide what deserves its place in your hallway. “If hooks and shoe racks are overflowing, it’s often because you’ve mixed up several seasons,” says Constantine. “It should contain only the few coats and bags currently in rotation.” So pack away thick winter coats you will not yet need, say goodbye to the flip-flops, and weed out anything you no longer wear.
Then make the remaining space work harder. “A compact coat rack or slim shoe cabinet are a good place to start – I like the clever shoe storage from Ikea that folds in on itself,” Constantine says. “But most importantly, make sure you have dedicated “drop zones” for anything you tend to have in your hands when you come in – keys, post, your work pass, umbrellas. And I would always suggest having a mirror in the hallway, as that will create the sensation of more space and light.”
2. Your wardrobe
Few cluttered spaces cause quite as much daily irritation as an overstuffed wardrobe.
“We have to get dressed and undressed every single day, and that involves making endless decisions,” says Constantine. “What are you going to wear? Is it too creased? Where is that particular top? Can you be bothered to hang something up at the end of the day? Is it dirty? Does it go on your ‘chair-drobe?’”
At night, you simply want to get into bed. In the morning, you may be racing to get ready, pulling out several outfits before finding one that works. When there is already too much crammed into the space, clothes inevitably end up creased, buried or scattered elsewhere around the bedroom.
It is time to organise your clothes (Photo: Orbon Alija/Getty)
How to fix it
The seasonal change makes now an especially good time to tackle your wardrobe. Begin with a ruthless edit. “Take everything out piece by piece, because you need to have it in your hand,” says Constantine. “It’s too easy to flick through your wardrobe and think, ‘Yeah, yeah, I wear that.’ When you have to decide whether to rehang it or put it in the donation pile, it really helps your brain to be honest with itself.”
For any items you really aren’t sure about, give them a chance by putting them back in your wardrobe – but on a hanger the wrong way round. “Then the next time you do a declutter, you know you haven’t worn anything that is still that way – which means it’s time for it to go.”
Once you have reduced the volume, organise what remains so everything is easy to see and return. “A nice, easy win is to have matching hangers – I like the slim velvet ones – because everything then hangs neatly together and it instantly improves the aesthetics,” says Constantine. “I also always organise by type, colour and sleeve length, so I always know exactly where things are in the morning.”
In drawers, Constantine recommends drawer dividers to keep smaller items such as socks and pants in their own sections, as well as “file-folding” clothes. “So instead of putting things like tops and jumpers in piles on top of each other, where things then get lost, you fold and slot them in upright, like a file. That way you can see where everything is, because you are viewing it from above.”
3. Your kitchen cupboards
A cluttered kitchen cupboard makes itself known every time you cook: the pan you need is beneath six others, mugs are crammed on their shelf so tightly you cannot put away the clean ones, and ingredients disappear in the chaos.
“Pots and pans cupboards are often low down and in that annoying corner space, where things get lost and you can’t reach them,” says Constantine. “And we all have those cupboards where it’s dark and you can’t see what’s what, so you end up buying another packet of spaghetti when you actually have three open back there somewhere.”
Organisation can go a long way to making your life calmer (Photo: Liudmila Chernetska/Getty)
How to fix it
Start with the cookware. Constantine has a useful test for deciding how much you genuinely need: “Think of the biggest meal that you’re going to cook in the year – usually Christmas Day. Would you use all of that cookware? If there are pans you’re not going to use then, you probably don’t need them.”
Apply the same logic to towers of mugs, glasses and serving dishes. Your cupboards should have enough spare room for things to be put away without a shove.
Only once you have decluttered, you should organise. “Treat yourself to a pan or lid organiser,” says Constantine. “They’re inexpensive but I find especially useful for lids, because they’re always in the way.”
Next, turn to food. “Purging yourself of out-of-date foods is an easy decluttering task, because there are usually no sentiments attached to it,” she says. “But even if, say, a dried item you’ve had for a while hasn’t gone off, ask yourself: how long have I had it? Am I actually going to use it? Because remember that unopened, in-date food will be far more welcome at your local food bank than it is continuing to occupy valuable cupboard space.”
Once edited, organise ingredients into categories that reflect the way you cook: breakfast foods together, tins and pulses together, pasta and grains together, baking ingredients together. “I like to label shelves so you don’t even have to think – and it makes you more likely to put things back in the correct place.”
4. Your fridge and freezer
The dips and sauces that have lurked in the shelves for years – gone off, half-used ingredients from recipes you never repeated and optimistic healthy purchases slowly wilting at the back. The chances are your freezer is cluttered with food which needs throwing out. Then there is the freezer, which becomes crammed with miscellaneous leftovers you never eat, and squashed half-loaves.
“A cluttered fridge and freezer doesn’t just waste food,” says Constantine. “When you can’t see what you have, you are more likely to buy duplicates and less likely to use ingredients before they spoil.”
Your fridge might need some attention (Photo: Getty)
How to fix it
After clearing anything out of date from the fridge, Constantine says, get comfortable with seeing empty space. “Give yourself permission to have a slightly empty fridge, without the urge to fill it with a supermarket shop,” she says. “Turn it into a use-up challenge for the week ahead. Those random slices of frozen bread become sandwiches or toasties; the handful of frozen peas goes into dinner; the half-used jar gets incorporated into a meal.”
Then divide your fridge into clear categories. “It isn’t just about using the drawers for vegetables or lower shelf for meat. Get yourself some containers to group things such as condiments or cheeses,” she says. “That way you always know where everything is and spend less time rooting around.”
Do the same in the freezer, but add one crucial step: label homemade food before it goes in. “You can use tape that you can write on and put what it is and the date that you cooked it,” she says.
5. Your inadvertent dump zone
Almost every home has one: the surface where objects land when nobody can be bothered to decide where they belong. It might be the kitchen table, a worktop, a sideboard or an island – but wherever it is, it gets cluttered with everything from parcels to children’s artwork and miscellaneous objects destined to be “dealt with later”.
The problem is that this is usually a surface you actually need. Before you can eat dinner or prepare food, you have to perform the same clearing ritual all over again.
How to fix it
Rather than simply clearing the surface for the hundredth time, investigate why those particular objects keep ending up there.
“Question what it is you’re putting on there regularly, then designate a new place for each of them to live,” says Constantine.
If post always lands on the table, install a letter rack. If it is your everyday handbag, give it an accessible hook. If children’s papers accumulate there, create one tray or folder for them.
Then make the surface look deliberately inviting. “Add a few intentional pieces like a vase or a framed photo, keeping the rest empty,” she says. “It is much easier to resist the urge of dumping things on a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing space than one that is already messy.”
The same could be said for all decluttering jobs – do it once and your home life should feel a calmer place to maintain.