Mood reflects the biology of the brain. How you feel is affected by the chemicals in the brain, and these are the same chemicals that form the basis of mood-altering drugs. You may use yoga, meditation, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or exercise to alter your mood, or revert to healthy eating, regular exercise and getting enough sleep.

Even a simple imaginary exercise can change your mood: Close your eyes, and take yourself back to your last holiday where there was a lovely warm sun, beautiful sea, relaxed beach and fun meals in the evenings. Open your eyes and consider how you feel now.

People like to help, providing they can do it reasonably easily

The regular rhythm and upbeat tunes of military music or marching bands positively affect your mood even if you don't actually 'enjoy' listening to it.

Almost all negative moods are missing one key element - calm. By learning calm, you learn to deal with difficult areas. Calm allows us to achieve what we want, without being overwhelmed by anxiety.

Many of our threats are imaginary. The habits and even obsessions that we develop to keep them away are destructive and undermine our moods constantly.

Beautiful and familiar objects can help us to feel better. Photos of family and friends, which remind us of the people we love and who love us, are important mood-lifters. Items that inspire us or encourage periods of reflection do the same.