KEEP IT UP

Being organised is an ongoing process, so even if you have the most streamlined home by the end of the process, you still have to keep on top of it all. Here’s how…

✢ DELEGATE If you live with others, explain what you’re aiming to do and insist that everyone plays their part, even in a small way. You should not have to do it all alone.

✢ TAKE SMALL STEPS ‘A “little and often” approach to tidying up – say, 15 minutes every day – keeps jobs small and manageable so tasks don’t build up,’ says Vicky.

✢ MAKE IT LESS OF A CHORE Play some happy, energising music while you tidy up, invest in a smart new cleaning gadget or even some nice cleaning products (this won’t turn you into a 1950s housewife, honestly!) or light a beautiful, fresh-smelling candle once you’re done.

✢ REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE DOING IT From being less stressed and freeing up time, to having less waste and maybe even making some cash, remind yourself why you are aiming to be more organised. ‘It should be because you want to do it, not because you feel you should be doing it,’ says Linda.

✢ BE MINDFUL When life seems overwhelming, there can actually be something very calming and meditative about decluttering a drawer or cupboard. ‘The process allows you an opportunity to feel in control again,’ says Vicky.

✢ ALLOW FOR BLIPS ALONG THE WAY ‘Don’t be hard on yourself if the clutter comes back a bit from time to time,’ says Linda, encouragingly. ‘Remind yourself that there’s always tomorrow, then write a fresh to-do list and start again.’

1 Start easy with the models you know from childhood, such as paper airplanes and boats. Think about happy memories from those times.

2 Don’t attempt the hardest models first, otherwise you will just get frustrated and give up. 3 Origami should be viewed as a puzzle, something that you may not be able to solve on the first, second or even the 10th try. But, as with a puzzle, there is immense satisfaction when you finally do crack it!

4 As a general rule, don’t reuse the same paper again and again, as it will get so weak that it will rip, which isn’t good for positivity.

5 Fold in a quiet room with no music – which can affect our mood in a positive or negative way – so you can fully focus on the paper in your hand.

✢ Samuel is the author of The Book of Mindful Origami, £9.99, and The Magic of Mindful Origami, £10.99, both published by Hodder & Stoughton.