Plan our lives? We can’t even plan tonight’s dinner!

IF you have no idea what you’ll be having for dinner tonight, you’re not alone.

For one in five of us don’t know what we’ll cooking most days, according to a study that lays bare the domestic chaos of many modern families.

One in four of those surveyed said they are not on top of their careers, social lives or the running of their households.

Two-thirds said they would be utterly embarrassed if unexpected guests popped round as their homes are a mess.

Just over half admitted they don’t plan ahead, while 40 per cent of those who do said they felt they made no inroads on their to- do lists, leaving them unsettled.

Nearly two-thirds admitted they regularly have to rewash clothes because they forget to take them out of the machine, while one in five let dirty dishes build up for a day or two before washing them.

Nearly a third of the 2,000 people surveyed said the reason their lives are so chaotic is because they are juggling too much.

Four in ten also admitted they find household tasks so boring that they turn a blind eye until things get on top of them. One in five said they had been in trouble with their boss for allowing domestic problems to affect their work.

Of the parents surveyed, 20 per cent confessed that they are never on top of the laundry, while three in ten said they are not in control of their finances. One in five admitted their children’s bedtime routine is haphazard.

Just under half of all of those surveyed said they would love to have a better housework routine. Commenting on the research conducted by a domestic appliances company, Oxford University psychology researcher Professor Robin Murphy said feeling out of control can make us unhappy.

‘This research shows just how difficult it is for people to keep on top of the day-to-day tasks associated with modern life,’ he added.

‘We measure mood in the laboratory and find that happiness levels are directly associated with feeling in control. So it isn’t surprising that the growing pressures in life are consistent with people feeling like they are losing control.

‘Long working hours, multiple jobs and the complexities of simply keeping on top of work and household chores may be contributing to the finding that more people feel they are losing control.’

Professor Murphy suggested that one potential solution might be smart home technology – devices controlled by our phones over the internet.

This could allow households to control the washing machine by smartphone while away from home or to check the contents of the fridge remotely.

Professor Murphy said: ‘ In this modern age, letting smart technology help us take control in life is the way forward.’

‘Difficult to keep on top of life’