Shift views TAKE TIME

‘How often do you arrive at the office loudly listing all the things that have gone wrong that morning: “I couldn’t get the kids out of the door today! I forgot my bag! I hit every red light!’’ asks Baxter. ‘Instead, try “positive stacking”: acknowledge the fact that you dodged the rain, remembered your lunch, and put your favourite top in the dryer last night so it was available to wear today – and you didn’t have to iron it! We’re programmed towards negative bias, but get into the habit of spotting the good stuff. It’s easy to shift perspective back into your favour when you try, and once you’ve done it regularly, for a month or so, it soon becomes second nature.’

‘One habit we should all try to introduce is giving ourselves time to process what’s going on in our lives,’ says business mentor Rhiannon Bates. ‘Look at your diary and build in time after a challenging meeting to go for a walk to clear your head, or to talk with a friend after a tough day. Process your feelings and let them out, rather than bottling it all up inside. This can feel hard when you’re busy with work or children, but giving yourself even 15 minutes to decompress and reflect on what’s happened in your day, and how you are feeling, can have a huge impact on your happiness levels.’