CALMER

Research by Soft & Gentle reveals 46% of us feel stressed each morning. Make school runs less manic by playing the kids’ favourite CD and get them to complete a different task for each song – dress by the end of the first track, shoes on by track two, teeth done by three, bed made by four. Less panic and moaning, and everyone can have a fun singalong.

Every time you wear an outfit combination you love, take a snap of your reflection on your phone and file it appropriately – ‘work’, ‘party’, ‘shopping’ etc. A quick look at your photo diary saves a lot of wardrobe fretting.

“We waste so much time in groundhog day-like scenarios when a tiny bit of effort could smooth the future path,” says life coach Emma Jefferys (emmajefferyscoaching.com). Business coach Kate Tojeiro advises: “Can’t find your keys and wallet every morning? Pop them in your shoes the night before. Always looking for a lip salve? Buy 10 and put them in every coat pocket. Broken kitchen drawer jams every day? Fix it! Stop saying, ‘I’ll try’. People only use those words if they haven’t really got time. Saying ‘I’ll try’ can be misinterpreted as ‘I will’ and leads to others being disappointed and you feeling stressed. Instead say, ‘I’m sorry I can’t’ and explain why, or say ‘I will’ but set out your terms – you can do it next week or you’ll share the job. You’ll feel happier and more relaxed, and the other person will

be clear what’s happening.”

Don’t multi-task, single task. “Finish one thing before starting another and you’ll be amazed to find you still manage to get most stuff done, but you’ll end the day feeling significantly calmer and less hassled,” says Josephine Lade, a remedial masseur and manipulative therapist.