Don’t save it for best, don’t fold it up and put it in the top drawer, don’t put off small pleasures you can revel in today. Carpe diem – and make every day a little bit more special by just going for it.

Maybe it was a wedding gift or a leaving present. Maybe you’re saving it for when you land that promotion or to celebrate the arrival of a new member of the family. But you know what’s really special? Champagne for no reason at all. Just grab a person you want to share it with, pop that cork and toast how brilliant you both are on an average, normal Friday.

If you have a set that sits in the other cupboard – the one in the sideboard in the dining room, not the one in the kitchen – it probably comes out once a year… or twice if people come over on Boxing Day, as well. But we have it the wrong way round – the prestige of the meal doesn’t make the china best: the best china makes a meal feel special. So let’s have more meals that make every day a celebration.

New candles are a delight of pristine, glossy perfection. They sit so pleasingly in the hand and smell lovely straight from the box. When they look so fresh, it feels like a big step to strike a match to them and immediately begin their destruction. But you must! Candles are made to be burned – they don’t release the full potential of their wafting fragrance until they are. An unlit candle is a wasted opportunity. Follow the traditional rule of candle etiquette – that you should never display candles with unblackened wicks, to make that first lighting easy.

Plan a day in your hometown where you do all the things you’d do if you were just visiting. Head along to a museum or art gallery, take in a historic church or discover a local natural marvel. Not sure where to start? Try looking on social media where you can almost always find influencers with great ideas for lesser-known hotspots. Sunrise is a great time see your city in a whole new light (literally and figuratively).

This won’t be the first time you’ve read that it’s good to get in touch with old friends, but the point here is to do it right now. No… now, though. It’s just a text. A sentence, maybe two. It’s the work of a moment. Sure, you could send a handwritten letter when you have time (ah, but you don’t). You could dash off a postcard if you can remember their door number and where your stamps are. But a text is a great way to get in touch and start a chain reaction until you see them in person.

Yes, really – the sequins. Sparkly things make us happy and they spread joy like a disco glitterball. Okay, you might not want top-to-toe shimmer co-ords for the Monday compliance meeting, but a little bit of glitz is a glorious way to brighten up a dull weekday. We find it tends to garner random compliments, as well. Which brings us on to…

Strangers don’t need compliments – or expect them – which makes them so much heartfelt when they’re given. So when you spot someone wearing a floaty skirt that you admire, or looking pin sharp in a chic suit, just let them know you think they look amazing as you pass by and see if you can’t make them beam.

Extra achievement points if it’s a cuisine you’ve not tried before or don’t usually go for. If the choices available to you aren’t particularly varied, try a dish you wouldn’t normally choose or, if you trust them, get your partner to pick a dish they think you’d like, instead.

Summer is over so there’s a good chance you’re in a post-holiday slump. This is a great moment to start thinking about your next big trip – where you’d like to go and why. Start the research, read about where you’d like to go and what to see when you get there.

Treat yourself to a speedy sleep in your favourite chair. To keep it positive, NASA recommends less than half an hour so that you don’t fall into a full sleep cycle that is more difficult to wake up from: 25.8 minutes to be exact (which they like to be). As well as feeling like a little indulgence, it’s good for your health. Studies show it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.

“Harry, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it, don’t wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men’s store. A catnap in your office chair. Or two cups of good, hot black coffee. Like this.”

Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks