DEFINE YOUR VALUES

‘Values are the qualities you wish to embody in your life,’ explains Dr Mort. ‘For example, in a relationship, you may want to embody being kind, committed, reliable, loving and fun.’ At work, your values might be learning, being challenged and feeling inspired. At home, they might be peace, quiet and beautiful surroundings. ‘When you know what qualities you’re looking for, you can steer your ship towards a life that suits your needs and wishes, and you’ll notice that your emotional wellbeing fluctuates less dramatically,’ adds Dr Mort.

How to discover your values?

‘Ask yourself what in life is important to you,’ says Paloma. It can also help to think about the most important experiences in your life so far (particularly if any fall into the past year) and think about what values were within those experiences.

Write down 10 to 15 values that resonate with you. It can help, Reading says, to split the areas of your life into categories: