Work out which friends you need to ditch

STUDIES show our thinking, mood and behaviour are greatly influenced by those around us: a friend getting divorced can increase your risk of divorce, or an overweight pal increases your risk of weight gain. So it is important to ensure good connections with the important people in your life. Try this exercise to examine the impact of those around you:

Draw a tree with five branches and at the end of each write the name of a person most significant to you.

Along each branch write five words (both positive and negative) that best describe that person and sum up what they mean to you; this gives 25 key traits that are consistently influencing your mindset.

Underline with red pen any words you recognise in yourself that relate to strengths.

Underline with yellow pen any negative traits you might share. If your tree is filled with negativity, then take action to change it by aiming to see less of this person, or changing the way that you interact with them.

Pick one person you will spend more time with and learn from, one relationship you will continue exactly as it is, and one you intend to prune, or disconnect from.