Domestic gods and goddesses - you could be one

Re-establishing control after divorce
You decided to get a divorce (or someone else decided for you) and now your life is a bit of a mess in more ways than one. You are in danger of disappearing under piles of dirty dishes, mountains of unwashed and crumpled clothes, and enough empty cartons from all those takeaways to create an art installation shortlisted for the Turner Prize.

Add to that lot a table littered with brown envelopes and unpaid bills, a garden that you are frightened to set foot in because it looks like a location from Jurassic Park and it’s no wonder that your life after divorce is not quite what you had in mind.

Clutter, dirt and mess must go
These are not attractive or conducive to a peaceful and positive frame of mind.  So out with all those unopened brown envelopes and that kitchen drawer full of pieces of string, elastic bands and unidentifiable bits of metal that you have kept just in case.

If you are currently living in a bit of a mess and confusion then becoming a domestic god or goddess will involve rather more than a quick once over with the vacuum cleaner and a flick of the duster across the share of the ornaments that you got as part of the divorce settlement.

Dump the junk
It is estimated by those in the know who make a living out of helping others tidy up their lives, that a good half of the contents of the average house needs to be cleared out.

To get on top of the mess you need to allocate yourself plenty of time and if you are tackling a whole house you are probably going to need a few days of concerted de-junking, cleaning up as you go.

First things first
Prioritise what you need to do and start with the area which you think will benefit the most from a good clearout, invest in a supply of sturdy bags and boxes and some Marigolds and get stuck in.  Sort inside and then tackle any outside spaces.

Help is at hand
Rope in some assistance from a chum or two or bribe children to get involved.  There is something strangely therapeutic about a good purging, almost dare I say, enjoyable.  Once you have purged don't let things slide again, a little low level maintenance should be enough to keep things hygienic and mess free.

Paperwork is ignored at your peril and should really be tackled ahead of anything else.  Pretending that if you ignore the final demand for your maxed out credit card it will somehow miraculously evaporate is foolish in the extreme (but we all do it sometimes).  Bite the bullet, start as you mean to go on and open all those envelopes you have been so assiduously turning a blind eye to.

Of course, you can carry on as you have been but don't expect any sympathy if you end up a fat, smelly, broke and lonely in your post divorce confusion.  Nobody wants to know a whingeing bloke with no respect for themselves or their environment.  (Wow, that sounds a bit harsh but I guess it's true).