1)      Find your purpose

What is it you really want from life? Where do you want to be in six months, a year, five years? And how are you going to get there? Many of us are too busy just surviving to think about the really important questions, but taking a couple of hours out to really think about your goals and put them into words can help you to stop treading water and start to take back control of your life.

Make a list of things you can change to make your goals a reality and if there are things that you can’t change, work out how to make living with them easier.

2)      Take care of yourself

Whatever you feel you need to change, taking care of yourself and getting your home, lifestyle and finances in order will help to clear your mind and make you feel better about life. If it seems overwhelming tackling everything on your to do list at once, take one aspect at a time - perhaps start with diet, then tackle finances, etc.

3)      Food for Life

There is a mass of nutritional advice out there. Some foods are labelled ‘super’, whilst others are condemned as the root of illness. There is debate over which food-groups keep us trim and which don’t. At the end of the day, common sense dictates that eating healthy unprocessed, home-prepared foods as far as time and life allow, is a positive step. Staying well hydrated, not skipping breakfast and eating more fruit and veg are also good habits to embrace. And avoiding processed sugar, fast food, deep-fried treats, fizzy drinks, and ingredients with numbers rather than letters would seem wise. But it’s all about balance. When diet is taken to the extreme we can feel deprived, restricted and isolated. For more advice and support visit NHS Live Well (www.nhs.uk/Livewell).

4)      Work/Life Balance

The ideal is to work to live rather than live to work. But it’s all too easy to let work take over as we focus on promotion or even perfection. At this point it not only eats into the all-important time which could be spent with friends or family, but quite possibly into your sleep too. The body needs to reboot every night and although everybody is different, you are likely to need more than six hours sleep a night. Too little sleep can be a big problem, not just for your body, but also for your frame of mind. So at the end of the day, turn off screens and gadgets and relax and unwind for a goodnight’s sleep.

5)      Detox your Diary

Before we blame everything on the job, it’s worth looking at your jam-packed schedule more closely. Take it apart – your commute, your commitments, your hobbies and interests. Is there a way of minimising travel time? Is there any way of cutting down time spent on less enjoyable activities? Take everything out of your schedule, and only put back the things that you absolutely need or love to do.

6)      Give Clutter the Boot

Now do the same with all the chaos and clutter you’ve accumulated in the office, the cupboard under the stairs, or even the front room. Take the time to go through it. If possible, take everything out (notice how great the space looks once it is empty!) and assess each item. Decide what you want to keep and what can be thrown away or given to charity. Only keep items you need and love.

7)      Balance the Books

Financial worries can put life on hold, and even eat away at your health. But however scary the situation may seem, it is worth taking stock and taking control. There is help and support out there should the situation prove to be as dire as first feared. Make a note of income and essential out-goings - food, rent and bills. Make a note of when you get paid, and when any standing orders or direct debits are due to go out. Check that it all balances and if it doesn’t, take a look at whether the problem is timing, or whether you’ve got the best deal on your phone and utilities bills - there are comparison websites which can help with this. In addition the Citizens Advice Bureau offers advice on debt and money (www.citizensadvice.org.uk).

If you are making regular payments to any providers not on your essentials list, reassess and decide whether this is really where you’d like to spend your money, or whether there is something else you’d rather do that will carry you towards your goals. Additional support at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk.