When I was in my 20s, so didn’t even suspect I may be autistic, I read a couple of books by dr Wayne Dyer, an American self help author. In one of them he described a woman who used to correct clothes on shelves and hangers as she was shopping for outfits.

Dr Dyer said she must have had an extremely low confidence as she was basically doing other people jobs! And I thought OMG, that’s what I do! It was pretty scary to read that.

Now I know that this behaviour has nothing to do with confidence but with procedures we created in our heads: ‘This is a department store so clothes have to be arranged nicely.’ And what’s the quickest way to have them this way? By doing it ourselves.

And what procedure I have for home? ‘This is my home so I have to be relaxed.’ And that’s why I end up living in a mess.