At the end of the day, think about what you achieved and what went well. Focus on that. Anything you didn’t get time to do can now wait. So, just make a note of what needs doing tomorrow and then leave it at your desk and switch off.

Practising gratitude really works for me when I am feeling a bit fed up and focusing on all the negative things and I know it works for my clients, too. It is easy to get into that downward spiral when things aren’t going to plan or you’re feeling a bit low. However, focusing on your problems really doesn’t help. Instead, you need to turn those thoughts to all the many positive aspects of your life. Simply focusing on the positives breaks that pattern.

Over the past 20 years there have been many studies into the importance of gratitude and we are beginning to realise just how much it can improve our mood and change our thinking patterns. The more we focus on the negative aspects of life and all that we don’t have, the worse we feel. It is amazing how much better and more positive we feel when we start to look at what we do have and focus on all the great parts of life.

There is an ancient Chinese parable about an old man who knew he would die soon. He wanted to know what heaven and hell were like. He visited a wise man in his village.